"Quite honestly, I actually didn't have any game plan for the fight coming in," Feldman revealed. "It was mostly just getting in the ring and deciding on the go how I was going to assess the fight." That Josh didn't have a game plan was a surprising revelation. Not because it showed any lack of preparation as boxers often don't have game plans, especially when fighting opponents without many pro fights, but because he improvised such an effective strategy so quickly.
That strategy involved attacking the body and then moving out of harm's way, which prevented Feldman from getting caught by one of Shakoane's wild powerful swings and kept the taller southpaw safe from any accidental headbutts since Shakoane has been known to lead with his head.
"His hands were very high up," Feldman explained, "and I threw a couple shots to the body. I felt him wince and I could see he didn't like the body shots."
"His hands were very high up," Feldman explained, "and I threw a couple shots to the body. I felt him wince and I could see he didn't like the body shots."
After a minute and five seconds of landing to the body and then moving, Feldman decided to change strategy and stay inside.
"I could feel that he was pretty strong," Josh analyzed, "so I thought that if I come inside and smother him, he won't be able to hit me, because he has no leverage. So when I went inside, I knew if I keep my shots short, I could hit him to the body. But if I keep my head into his chest, he won't be able to hit me."
"I could feel that he was pretty strong," Josh analyzed, "so I thought that if I come inside and smother him, he won't be able to hit me, because he has no leverage. So when I went inside, I knew if I keep my shots short, I could hit him to the body. But if I keep my head into his chest, he won't be able to hit me."
The result was an impressive stoppage a minute and 23 seconds into the fight and Josh's third professional knockout. "I would've liked a longer fight," he admitted. In the heat of battle, he thought the fight was stopped a bit too early, but after watching the film, he now thinks it was a good stoppage. The JBB concurs; Shakoane was on the verge of getting seriously hurt.
Feldman has come a long way in a little over a year as a pro. "My biggest improvement comes from being more relaxed in the ring," he said. "I'm feeling a lot more comfortable and calm, so I'm able to pick my shots much better, instead of just throwing aimlessly like I felt I've done in the past." It was a very astute observation as his punch selection was bit haphazard in his first two fights. But against Shakoane, that calm under fire allowed him to immediately find a spot-on strategy to avoid damage, land cleanly, and win quickly.
Feldman has come a long way in a little over a year as a pro. "My biggest improvement comes from being more relaxed in the ring," he said. "I'm feeling a lot more comfortable and calm, so I'm able to pick my shots much better, instead of just throwing aimlessly like I felt I've done in the past." It was a very astute observation as his punch selection was bit haphazard in his first two fights. But against Shakoane, that calm under fire allowed him to immediately find a spot-on strategy to avoid damage, land cleanly, and win quickly.
"I also feel my body shots and punch placement has improved the most actually," he concluded. Equally as impressive as finding the right strategy on the fly was Josh's body work. Most young fighters- Josh is only 20- don't target the body in any sustained fashion.
"Now I'm excited to step up the level of competition," Josh declared. His fans are excited to watch him meet those coming challenges.
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