Anthony Joshua Outboxes The Heavier Ruiz, Regains World Heavyweight Title in Jabathon
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Diriyah, Saudi Arabia (December 8th, 2019)– The spectacle in Saudi Arabia was every bit the hype the Saudis intended it to be at the newly constructed Diriyah Arena. The main event bout between Anthony ‘A.J.’ Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. was not spectacular, in terms of the Ruiz performance in the rematch, on Saturday, December 7, 2019, in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua, now 23-2 with 21 knockouts, Watford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, at 237 pounds simply outjabbed and outboxed from a distance ‘The Fatman’. Ruiz, 33-2 with 22 knockouts, a Mexican American from Imperial, California, weighed in at 283 pounds. It was two ton Tony Galento versus Joe Louis all over again, except Joshua had time to prepare for this bout this time in the rematch, and truly did his homework.
Outboxing Ruiz from the outside, what was remarkable about Joshua’s performance was not only what he did do, but what Ruiz didn’t do. He did not come in lighter, so he could move faster, chase Joshua, walk him down, and trap him in corners and along the ropes. Without a target, Ruiz simply walked in Joshua’s direction, where an endless stream of merciless jabs cut Ruiz down. Ruiz did not get knocked down or out, and he did not lose hie dangerous power, but as the heavy champion, he most certainly was less effective in terms of what he could do and what he could not do inside the ring, besides claiming his payday.
“This (was) hit and don’t get hit,” Noted Joshua after the bout, who did not walk in on Ruiz nor estimate him the second time around. Both fighters were cut around the left eye, but Ruiz could not score effectively enough with Joshua, Great Britain’s 2012 Olympic Gold medalist, circling and boxing from the outside from a distance. Ruiz slipped some shots, but there were clinches this time from which Ruiz had to fight his way out.
Ruiz admitted after the bout he spent too much time chasing Joshua instead of cutting off the ring. Ridiculous though it seemed, Ruiz apparently believed he would be more effective at a higher weight. Once it became clear Ruiz could not get the lighter and faster Joshua out of there, the bout became merely a bout of distance survival for Ruiz. By round eight and nine, Ruiz looked to land some significant shots, but he lacked control of the ring, and he was too fat to chase. Joshua, outside of distance range, had a solid defense which held up strongly for the most part. With his only hope a knockout by round 12, Ruiz was desperate, and instead created scoring jab opportunities for Joshua as the bout ended.
Common sense should have told Ruiz, even with a revised game plan, that Joshua would enter the ring lighter and trying to outbox him out of range. To meet the modified Joshua game plan, Ruiz would have had to be lighter, as he originally hinted to in the early days of this training camp. Food instinct apparently overcame common sense to train harder. At 15 or 20 pounds lighter, Ruiz would have had a good chance of cutting off the ring and making trouble for Joshua. Nonetheless, a high stakes third rubber match, simper to Evander Holyfield versus Riddick Bowe III, Floyd Patterson versus Ingemar Johansson III, and Muhammad Ali versus Smokin’ Joe Frazier III, could occur between Ruiz and Joshua in 2021 or the near future.
The scorecards in Joshua versus Ruiz were not a surprise, nor was the outcome. Given the weigh-in results, Joshua was a runaway with the bookies, who were gambling the chunky version of Ruiz had much of a chance. The only bet to be considered in Joshua versus Ruiz II was whether the bout would go the distance or end in a stoppage. Joshua boxed wisely and smartly enough the second time around to guarantee the bout went to a decision.
QUOTES FROM SAUDI ARABIA
On his performance: “Man, the first time was so nice – I had to do it twice! A man like me don’t make no excuses, my boy Derek Chisora said I could do this if I am ready to D-I-E. And look, this is about boxing. I am used to knocking guys out. Last time, I hurt the man and I got caught coming in. I gave that man his credit. There was no excuses. I respect Andy and his family and his trainers so much. I just wanted to put on a great boxing masterclass and also show the sweet science of this lovely sport. It’s about hitting and not getting hit.”
On any mental changes: “Never a change in mentality. You know the saying, ‘Stay hungry, stay humble.’ I have stayed hungry and I have stayed humble. I am humble in defeat and I will remain humble in victory. Thank you again to Andy Ruiz and his family, to Saudi Arabia and all of the traveling fans, all of my supporters.”
On handling Andy Ruiz’s pressure: “It’s all about preparation. Like I said, one day when I release a book I will walk through my career’s experience. It’s just about creating great memories. I took my L and I bounced back. Life is a rollercoaster. I heard some people say that we should retire if we lose. Hey Andy, are you ready to retire? (Andy: ‘No way, let’s go again.’) Exactly, we are warriors.”
On a third fight: “Without a doubt. If you heard, we are going to do a third. He beat me fair and square the first time and I beat him fair and square the second time. So we will do it again. 100%.”
On where this win ranks in his career: “I just want to say I have the utmost respect for Andy Ruiz who beat me fair and square in the first exam. I failed the first time, but I came back and studied hard and passed this time. But this ranks second. The first would be my fight against Wladimir Klitschko. It means so much to me and I learned so much from that fight. I respect Wladimir so much and he gives me so much advice still. This fight ranks number two though.”
On being disciplined in this fight: “I know that my fans like to see me knock people out and I can do that but sometimes with certain fighters you have to box smarter.”
On fighting Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury: “What can I say? I have been speaking about these guys a long time. You see this time, when I had the opportunity to just focus solely on Andy, my head is in the right place. When Wilder, Fury, Ortiz and Usyk are really ready, they will make the call. Until then, I respect them. I won’t continue to call them out. I am making my own lane and if they want to be a part of that, they will call. Ruiz did it and created a legacy. If those guys want to do it, they can create a legacy too. Look at all I have done, come on. When I call them out and do all of that, I lose focus.”
Andy Ruiz Jr
On his performance: “It was his night. I don’t think I prepared as good as I should have. I gained too much weight but I don’t want to give no excuses. He won, he boxed me around but if we do the third, best believe I will come in the best shape of my life.”
On his higher weight being an issue: “It kind of affected me a lot. I thought I would come in stronger and better. But you know what, next time I am going to prepare better with my team. This time I tried to train myself at times to get prepared but no excuses. Anthony Joshua did a hell of a job. Thanks to everyone in Saudi Arabia who supported.”
On pressuring AJ: “I think I was chasing him too much instead of cutting off the ring. I just felt like I couldn’t throw my combinations. But who wants to see this third fight?”
Eddie Hearn
On what’s next: “We are going to celebrate. Anthony Joshua is an amazing ambassador for the sport. He has given everything to this sport. Tonight, in Saudi Arabia, he becomes the two-time Heavyweight Champion of the World and that is beautiful.
On his performance: “It was an absolute masterclass. He was able to stay disciplined. People have doubted his boxing ability, his endurance. He was humiliated at Madison Square Garden. It was the American coming out party and it was ruined. He could have brushed himself down and went off. Instead he came back and put on that performance and it was beautiful. That’s the sweet science. That was like Picasso on a canvas, paining a masterpiece.”
On Anthony’s comeback: “They wrote him off. They said he was all hype. He had to come back from humiliation at Madison Square Garden. Tonight, he is the governor. The governor of the division.”
On fighting in Saudi Arabia: “We got criticized for coming here but these people have been amazing. The vision they have for boxing in this region is incredible and they delivered.
On AJ becoming undisputed Heavyweight champion: “Tonight is about becoming the two-time Heavyweight Champion of the World. We can talk about that later. We’ve wanted the undisputed for years and years. We will do what Anthony wants to do and he’s always wanted to be undisputed. People listen to rubbish that he doesn’t want it and you know what, we won’t give them this. We aren’t even going to give them the airtime. He is the king. They wrote him off and said he all hype but look, he’s back. He is the king again. He is the one who continues to step up – Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder’s resume don’t even stack up. They world stopped to watch Anthony Joshua become the two-time World Heavyweight Champion today and it was all live on DAZN, baby.”
On fighting Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury: “Anthony has been chasing them for years. Those fights will happen. Maybe they were right to walk away from those fights back then because the fight is worth much more now. AJ wants the legacy. He created that legacy tonight in Saudi Arabia. He sells out arenas around the world. He is transforming boxing. These other guys can’t lace his boots! He is only 24 fights in and he is only going to get better.”
Result: Anthony Joshua Win 12 Andy Ruiz Jr., Heavyweights
Joshua regains World Boxing Association World Heavyweight title
Joshua regains World Boxing Organization World Heavyweight title
Joshua regains International Boxing Federation World Heavyweight title
Joshua regains International Boxing Organization World Heavyweight title
Scoring: 119-109, 118-110, 118-100 for Joshua in the rematch
Referee: Luis Pabon
Scoring: 115-113 Povetkin. 114-114 draw. 115-113 Hunter. Referee: Steve Gray
In the preliminary to the main event, former WBA World Heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin, age 40, 35-2-1 with 24 knockouts, Chekhov, Russian Federation, remained in contention for another world heavyweight title shot at Deontay Wilder or a rematch with Anthony Joshua by boxing to a controversial split draw with American contender Michael Hunter, 18-1-1 with 12 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Diego Pacheco KO 1 Selemani Saidi, Super Middleweights (1:38)
8-0 Los Angeles prospect super middleweight prospect Diego Pacheco, who has seven knockouts in eight pro bouts, wins ‘swing’ bout before the main event by rapid knockout.
Heavyweights Hrgovic and Whyte Win in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia Undercard Results
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte Win 10 Marius ‘The Viking’ Wach, Heavyweights
A short notice heavyweight bout. Not a full training camp for both combatants. Faded heavyweight Wach, 35-6 with 19 knockouts, Krakow, Poland, age 39, fought a surprising life and death bout with Whyte, 27-1 with 19 knockouts, Brixton, London, United Kingdom. A terrific fight for both men, a hard, close-fought power shot give and take bout. Whyte, 6’3″ was extraordinarily cautious with the 6’7 1/2″ granite-chinned Wach. Whyte ladned a few more heavy shots in the tenth and final round to appear to just pull out this bout. Former world heavyweight title challenger Wach was unexpectedly most definitely in the house, and had a shot at the upset, perhaps his best career effort even in defeat. This was a good comeback win for Whyte. Wach had nothing to lose by letting his hands go.
Scoring: 98-93, 97-93, 97-93 for Whyte.
Referee: Massimo Barrovecchio
Filip Hrgovic TKO 3 Eric Molina, Heavyweights (2:03)
10-0 Croatian Hrgovic retains World Boxing Council International Heavyweight title
Molina down from a push in round two, and knockdowns in rounds two and three. Molina made hand gestures to the back of his head throughout claiming Hrgovic was throwing rabbit punches. including all three times Molina was down. No warnings were issued by referee Ian Charles Lewis, despite Molina’s complaints during the bout.
Zuhayr ‘The Arabian Warrior’ Al Qahtani Win 8 Omar Dusary, Lightweights
Scoring: 80-72, 78-74, 77-75 for prospect Al Qahtani, now 8-0, over 7-0-1 Kuwaiti Dusary.
Magid Al Naqbi TKO 3 Llia Beruashvili, Lightweights, Opening bout DAZN undercard
Ivan ‘Hopey’ Price TKO 3 Swedi Mohamed, Featherweights (2:22)
Referee: Ian Charles Lewis
Mahammad Rasul Majidov TKO 2 Tom Little, Heavyweights (1:49) Referee: Steve Gray
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