Sometimes it’s better to be smart than sensational.
Anthony Joshua, one of the biggest-punching heavyweights ever, turned into safety-first, stick-and-move boxer against the fighter who knocked him out six months ago. The result wasn’t exciting to watch but it couldn’t have been more effective.
A trimmed down, nimble Joshua essentially jabbed his way to a near-shutout decision over a 283.7-pound Andy Ruiz Jr. on Saturday night in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, to regain the three heavyweight titles he lost to Ruiz in June. The scores were 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109. Boxing Junkie scored it 119-109.
“Look, this is about boxing,” Joshua said in the ring afterward. “I’m used to knocking guys out. You know what I’m saying? I realized I hurt the man (in the first fight) and got caught coming in. I gave the man credit. There were no excuses, right?
“… I wanted to put on a great boxing masterclass and show that the sweet science of this lovely sport is hitting and not getting hit.”
Joshua (23-1, 21 knockouts) was beaten up and embarrassed in his first fight with Ruiz, who put the Adonis-like Englishman down four times and stopped him the seventh round at Madison Square Garden in New York.
That raised many questions about him. Did he have a weak chin? It held up Saturday. Did he suffer psychological damage the first time around? If so, it wasn’t evident. What could he do to turn the tables? We found out on Saturday.
And Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) did his part to help Joshua, coming in extra-flabby, which he said afterward hindered his efforts to chase down a quick-footed foe.
Joshua essentially won the fight by jabbing and moving, which made it next extremely difficult for a frustrated Ruiz to get close enough to do damage. And when Ruiz did manage to get inside, Joshua generally clinched until referee Luis Pabon separated them.
Joshua landed some power shots, although none hurt Ruiz. The same goes for Ruiz, who connected on a few big punches — particularly later in the fight — but none that wobbled Joshua as they did in the first fight.
To be sure, this fight wasn’t about power punching. It was about a fit, hungry former champion with an excellent game plan who made an out-of-shape opponent look foolish with his skill and athleticism.
So focused was Joshua that on the rare occasions he did engage Ruiz, thereby placing himself in danger, he calmly but quickly used his feet to back out of trouble. He was in full control.
That was the pattern of the fight from beginning to end. It never really changed.
“It’s all about preparation,” Joshua said. “… Careers are all about experience. There’s no losing or winning, just creating great memories in this game that we all love. I took my ‘L’ and bounced back. Anyone can do it.
“Life is a roller coaster. What did you want me to do? Give up? I heard a man say I should retire. C’mon man, I love this sport.”
Joshua, standing in a crowd in the ring, then looked Ruiz’s way. “Andy,” he said, “are you ready to retire?” Ruiz responded, “Uh, no.” The loser then pulled Joshua’s arm and the mic to his face. “Who wants to see a third fight?,” the now-former champion bellowed.
Some might argue that Ruiz didn’t earn a rubber match. He came in 15-plus pounds heavier than he weighed in their first fight, which suggested to everyone that he didn’t train properly for the rematch.
He admitted as much afterward.
“I think I didn’t prepare how I should have,” he said. “I gained too much weight. But I don’t want to give no excuses. He won, he boxed me around. You know what? If we do a third fight, you best believe I’ll get in the f—ing best shape, be in the best shape of my life.
“(The extra weight) kind of affected me. I thought I’d feel stronger, I thought I’d feel better. The next fight I’ll be more prepared.”
What’s the next fight for Joshua, who as champion again can call his shots?
Yes, one option would be Ruiz. The winner of the projected fight between Deontay Wilder, who holds the fourth heavyweight belt, and Tyson Fury would be another, much more lucrative possibility.
Joshua and Co. weren’t tipping their hand at all after the fight Saturday. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, was asked about the future.
“The future plans are to celebrate,” he said. “Celebrate, and celebrate hard. They wrote him off. He had to come back from humiliation at Madison Square Garden. Tonight he’s the governor, the governor of the division, a two-time heavyweight champion of the world.
“… We’re coming home tomorrow night. Heathrow, we’re landing. It’s going to be a hell of a flight home.”