Relentless Andy Ruiz Jr stuns Anthony Joshua in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history
Only boxing can offer such drama. And when it comes to the heavyweights, it happens with such thunder that it feels as if the ceiling has fallen in.
Anthony Joshua suffered his first, dramatic shock defeat of his career against challenger Andy Ruiz Jr after being stopped in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden.
Joshua was dropped four times in the fight as the Mexican-American claimed the British boxer’s three world title belts in one of the biggest underdog upsets in heavyweight history.
They will compare this to the night in 1990 when the unfavoured Buster Douglas knocked out then-undefeated Mike Tyson in the Tokyo Dome. Tyson recovered from it; now the 29-year-old Briton must haul his broken spirit and body up from the canvas and do the same.
Boxing is an unforgiving sport at the best of times. Now is the time that we will really find out where the championship material exists inside the body and soul of the champion they said could become the undisputed one.
It was going to plan for Joshua on his US debut into the third round when he floored Ruiz, but as he looked for the finish, he was knocked down himself by a counter and in truth, never really recovered his legs, or his vigour in the contest.
Down twice in that third stanza, the two fighters pawed at each other for the next three rounds, Ruiz stalking patiently for the much bigger man to open up again. It came in the seventh round, as Joshua, once again successful with his hook, was then countered by Ruiz, who went into attacking mode, throwing fast combinations from the inside to drop Joshua twice more.
After the second knockdown, his arms hanging on the ropes in his own corner, the referee Mike Griffin took the decision that the Briton was in no position to continue.
Ruiz, in winning his thirty-third professional fight, becomes the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world. His tactics and focus in this fight have to be commended. In an exclusive sit-down with the Telegraph in Los Angeles he had outlined that he is always underestimated because of his flabby physique, but his nous and patience for the opportunities that came in this contest against Joshua showed his big fight, big night temperament.
The two men will rematch for the IBF, WBA and WBO world titles back in the UK, most likely in October or November. Joshua was magnanimous and generous in spirit in defeat, apologising to thousands of fans who travelled to the sold-out mecca for fight nights in Manhattan.
“Now we’ll see what AJ’s about. At least we know who his opponent is for the end of the year,” his promoter Eddie Hearn said. Joshua now must avenge defeat in Cardiff later this year, and must climb back after this disaster in his first sojourn to the USA.
Okay, that’s it from me tonight/morning…
…thanks for staying with me. What a fight it was! Andy Ruiz Jr, what a fighter! It might have been the small hours UK time but that fight is going to keep be awake for another few hours, I reckon. What next for Anthony Joshua? Well, it looks like a rematch between the two. Stay tuned for more from Gareth A Davies out in New York.
Lennox sounds pretty shocked, like the rest of us, to be fair
“As soon as Andy dropped him he really slowed down,” Robles said.
But by the start of the fourth round he seemed OK as he lashed Ruiz with a left hook that buckled him.
Ruiz landed a left hand early in the sixth round that buzzed Joshua, who backed up and looked to stay away. He flicked his jab hoping to keep Ruiz at bay, but Ruiz worked his way inside and fired a combination. And then another. And another.
“I could (sense he was hurt) but I just didn’t want to throw away what I had. I just wanted to hunt him down even more and work the body,” Ruiz said. “I just wanted to listen to the game plan.”
In the seventh round they were both in attack mode when Ruiz hurt Joshua and unloaded a dozen unanswered punches that finally dropped an exhausted Joshua.
He managed to beat the count, but Ruiz floored him again, sending him to one knee. He had his head down as he listened to referee Michael Griffin’s count and barely beat it. He walked to the corner, where Griffin said something to him but Joshua put his arms on the ropes with his back leaning on the corner post and Griffin waved off the fight at 1 minute, 27 seconds, leaving the crowd in shock.
“I want to fight. I don’t do his job,” Joshua said of Griffin. “I am never one of those fighters to disrespect a referee like he should have done this or he should have done that. He called it off when he thought I couldn’t fight. It’s a shame. But I don’t want anyone to drown in their sorrows. It’s the long game, not the short game.”
Robles disagreed.
“He didn’t want to continue,” he said. “We had a great game plan — to stay low, not fight tall and work behind the jab. Hit the chest, the body. I told him to either fight inside or stay outside. I did not want him to fight at mid-range and put himself in front of the big punches.”
Ruiz jumped up and down and celebrated wildly in the ring with Robles and the rest of their team after having authored one of the biggest upsets in recent boxing history.
According to CompuBox, Ruiz landed 56 of 206 punches (27 percent) and Joshua connected with 47 of 176 (27 percent).
At the time of the stoppage Ruiz led 57-56 on two scorecards and Joshua was up 57-56 on the third card.
Joshua has the contractual right to a rematch and said he wants it.
“100 percent, 100 percent,” he said.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, said the rematch would be held in the U.K.
“AJ got sloppy. It was a beautiful combination in the third round,” Hearn said. “He was in total control of the fight but he got sloppy and never recovered. Listen, tonight was (Ruiz’s) night but AJ will come back 100 percent and we will make the rematch in the U.K. in November or December.
“But this night now belongs to Andy Ruiz. He made history in the heavyweight division. It will go down in history as a very big one. AJ has the heart of a lion and will come back stronger. Now at least we know the opponent for the end of the year in the U.K. Absolutely we will enact the immediate rematch. He will be devastated when it sinks in. It makes the fall fight a must win.