Joshua’s knockout victory over Ruiz was rightly hailed by many as one of the greatest upsets in boxing history, but for Joshua himself, it was also something of a relief. A year earlier, Joshua had been out of the ring, recovering from a blood clot in his leg. That injury was serious enough that Joshua was forced to take an extended break from the sport.
It was during his recuperation that Joshua met Ruiz, the Mexican-American fighter with a history of injury problems of his own. After their initial meeting, Joshua was unimpressed by Ruiz’s skills. Ruiz was overmatched and outgunned, and Joshua’s every instinct was to walk away from the fight. But Joshua’s managers convinced him to take the fight, and he was soon knocked out in the tenth round. The loss was so devastating that Joshua almost quit boxing for good.
The loss changed Joshua’s attitude, and he began a thoroughgoing training regimen. He started by watching videos of Sugar Ray Leonard and Rocky Marciano, champions whose every punch was a war cry. “I wanted to emulate them,” Joshua says. “I wanted to become a warrior, an entertainer. The things I wanted to be like were phenomenal characters, not scared to lose, not scared to fight. And I wanted my boxing to be like that.” Joshua’s training paid off.
In 2013, he won his first professional fight, and ever since then, he’s been unstoppable. He has knocked out all his opponents, and he’s also moved into the heavyweight title picture. Joshua and Ruiz fought three times, with the match-ups averaging 10 rounds. The first two fights were close.
Anthony Joshua, the current WBA/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion of the world, has fought three times in 2018 and will be defending his title against the Cuban boxer, Andy Ruiz, at Madison Square Garden. The two boxers have fought each other twice before, with Ruiz coming out on top both times.
Anthony Joshua Key Statistics:
- Height: 6 ft 4 in
- Weight: 185 lb
- Age: 25
- Born: 1992
- Birthplace: London, UK
Andy Ruiz Key Statistics:
- Height: 6 ft 1 in
- Weight: 160 lb
- Age: 27
- Born: 1984
- Birthplace: New York, NY, USA
- Weight: 48 kg
- Age: 26
Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz:
In July 2015, Anthony Joshua (6 ft 4 in, 185 lb) defeated Andy Ruiz (6 ft 1 in, 160 lb) via unanimous decision (UD) in the 10th round. This fight was a rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz.
Joshua defeated Ruiz via unanimous decision (UD) on July 10, 2015.
Joshua vs Ruiz 2:
Anthony Joshua (6 ft 4 in, 185 lb) defeated Andy Ruiz (6 ft 1 in, 160 lb) via unanimous decision (UD) in the 10th round.
Joshua vs Ruiz 2:
This fight was a rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz.
Joshua
The biggest heavyweight fight of all time is almost upon us. Anthony Joshua is taking on Andy Ruiz Jr at Wembley Stadium on April 22. The fight will be shown live on Sky Sports Box Office and BT Sport.
Joshua is 26, fighting at 20 stone. Ruiz Jr is 50, fighting at 38 stone. Joshua is the biggest and, on paper, the best.
Ruiz Jr has beaten former world champions, including Charles Martin, Carlos Takam, and Alexander Povetkin. Joshua’s only defeat was to Wladimir Klitschko in 2016. Since then he’s fought back to world heavyweight champion with relative ease. Joshua, of Watford, has 35 wins, including 29 by knockout.
Ruiz Jr., of Carson, California, is undefeated, with 32 wins, including 30 by knockout. Joshua is the favorite, but Ruiz Jr has every reason to be confident.
This is their first fight under unified rules, with 12 rounds rather than 10. Joshua’s trainer, Rob McCracken, says: “It is no easy feat to knock someone out, but we’ve worked hard at Joshua’s training camp to ensure he can knock someone out. “The game plan is simple: keep going out, hit them, knock them out. “It’s no secret that Joshua is a phenomenal boxer. But Ruiz Jr is a fighter’s fighter, and he’s every bit as tough as Joshua.