Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II odds: An early toss up

The oddsmakers say that the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch Saturday in Las Vegas is a toss-up.

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury meet in a rematch Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It is one of the most anticpated matchups in quite some time, with Wilder’s WBC and Fury’s lineal heavyweight championships on the line.

Wilder and Fury first met on Dec. 1, 2018, with the fight ending in a controversial split draw.

Wilder vs. Fury 2 odds

A coin-flip is basically in play when these two heavyweights take the ring. Both Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) and Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs), per BetMGM Sportsbook, are at -110 odds to win. That provides implied odds of 52.38% on each fighter to come out on top in this one, with fractional odds at 10/11. (Lines last updated Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. ET.)

It’s rare to see such a marquee matchup with no favorite, but here we are.

The oddsmakers have this one heavily favored to go four rounds or more (-910). Even to go six rounds or more (-400) is much more favored than six rounds or less (+275). When looking at round-group betting for the bout, the favored odds are on a points decision (-110) after 12 rounds.

There may be a slight tip of the hat in Fury’s direction, as his odds of winning on points are +162, while Wilder is at +800.

Will the fight go a full 12 rounds? Those odds are also ridiculously close, too. No (-125) being slightly favored over Yes (-110) per the oddsmakers.

In the event of a tie, BetMGM has the odds at +2000.

New to sports betting? A $100 wager at -110 odds returns a profit of $90.91 with a victory by the boxer you wager on; in other words, you’d need to bet $110 to win $100.


Special Wilder/Fury II betting line

Bet $1, WIN $100 (in free bets) if either Wilder or Fury win. Bet now! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.


Wilder vs. Fury II – Full fight card

Main Card

Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury, heavyweights (for Wilder’s WBC title and Fury’s lineal title); Charles Martin vs. Gerald Washington, heavyweights; Emanuel Navarrete vs. Jeo Tupas Santisima, junior featherweights (for Navarrete’s WBO title); Sebastian Fundora vs. Daniel Lewis, junior middleweights.

Undercard

Subriel Matias vs. Petros Ananyan, junior welterweights; Amir Imam vs. Javier Molina, welterweights; Rolando Romero vs. Arturs Ahmentovs, lightweights; Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Matt Conway, junior lightweights; Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Corey Champion, welterweights; Isaac Lowe vs. Alberto Guevara, featherweights.

The Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch is expected to begin Harry How/Getty Images)

When is Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury 2?

Saturday, Feb. 22.

What time is Wilder vs. Fury II?

The PPV starts at 7 p.m. ET, with the main card slated to start at 9 p.m. ET. The Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II fight should begin around 11:30 p.m. ET.

Where/how to watch Wilder-Fury II

This pay-per-view event is available via ESPN+/FOX PPV.

It will be carried on cable providers, including AT&T U-verse, Cox, DirecTV, Dish, Frontier, Mediacom Xtream, Optimum, Verizon Fios and Xfinity.

How to live stream Wilder-Fury II

You can live stream this boxing card via Fox Sports Go and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ now.

Where can I bet on Wilder-Fury II?

Place legal sports bets on Wilder-Fury 2 or other bouts at BetMGM Sportsbook.

Looking for more sports betting analysis and picks? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Anthony Joshua: Andy Ruiz Jr. should get back to work, not make excuses

Anthony Joshua said Andy Ruiz Jr. should now do what it takes to answer his critics, rather than make excuses.

Andy Ruiz Jr. said after he was embarrassed by Anthony Joshua in their rematch Saturday that he didn’t train properly for the fight.

That might or might not be true – although it apparently was – but excuses don’t go over well in boxing. Joshua, who regained his titles by a wide decision in Saudi Arabia, made light of Ruiz’s comments but they obviously didn’t sit well with him.

“I would have loved to have trained the way Andy trained,” joked Joshua, speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. “I would’ve loved that, but that’s not the way of a champion. Andy can say all these things, but he knew he had a fight, and he knew the best way to prepare.

“Unfortunately it didn’t go his way and I’m sure he can make those changes, and learning life’s lessons come in different forms. And Andy’s was in the form of a loss as well (as mine). He knows his mistakes, whatever they were or maybe they’re excuses. He just needs to go out there and get it right and come back again.”

Ruiz overwhelmed in their first fight, in June, putting Joshua down four times and stopping him in seven rounds in a stunning upset to take the titles.

Anthony Joshua relished his ability to prove his doubters wrong on Saturday in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

Afterward, evidently, he was more interested in living the highlife of someone who had just gained great fame and fortune instead maintaining the life of a professional boxer.

Ruiz weighed in Friday at 283.7 pounds, roughly 15 more than in their first fight.

“We started training too late,” he said. “I don’t want to say that the three months of partying and celebrating affected me but to tell you the truth, it kind of did.”

Meanwhile, Joshua, obviously determined to save his career, worked hard in training camp. He came in about 10 pounds lighter than in the first fight, which presumably made him quicker and more agile.

He thoroughly outboxed Ruiz to regain his titles and prestige, proving wrong those people who thought he’d never recover from the June beating. Now, he says, it’s Ruiz’s job to prove his critics wrong.

“No excuses for the last time,” Joshua said, “and I don’t want anybody to write Andy off. He’s a great former champion, and he done well, and he beat me fair and square. Sometimes you just have to recheck yourself, and that comes in many different forms, and mine was in a loss, and this time I was really concentrated on my job.

“I just didn’t listen to these so-called boxing experts who claimed that I wouldn’t be able to reclaim my belts. It’s dangerous going straight into a rematch – not many heavyweights have been able to reclaim their belts – but I believed in my team. I kept my same team that everyone told me to get rid of, and I feel like loyalty proves strength and we went out there and proved how good we really are now.”

Tyson Fury’s voice strangely absent in wake of Anthony Joshua victory

Tyson Fury, known as much for his mouth as his ability as a boxer, hasn’t weighed in on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. fight.

When Tyson Fury speaks, the media listens. The media also listens when he doesn’t.

Fury generated lots of talk on social media for not talking in the immediate aftermath Saturday of Anthony Joshua’s victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. in a heavyweight rematch. Silence from Fury is surprising. It’s a little bit like man biting dog. It just doesn’t happen. It’s a good bet to think it probably won’t last long either.

But U.K. fans have grown accustomed to hearing from Fury – always and immediately – on just about anything. Yet while there was plenty of reaction from Deontay Wilder, there were only crickets from Fury during the first few hours after Joshua carefully and cleverly boxed his way to a unanimous decision over Ruiz, who stopped him in a huge upset last June.

It could be that the multi-tasking Fury was just too busy. There’s a looming rematch with Wilder in February. There’s wrestling, mixed-martial arts, singing, a book tour and who-knows-what-all. Still U.K. fans wanted to know. Where was Fury?

In a review of social media reactions by the Express, a U.K. newspaper, there was this among many from one Joshua fan:

“Ahhhhh That feeling when you wake up in the morning to the realisation of who the real Dossers are!!!!!”

The social media attack also targeted Wilder, who didn’t take long to respond. But Fury was mute, at least for a while, which in the Twitter age is way too long.

Meanwhile, Fury trainer Ben Davison did respond.

He said Ruiz’s weight was a critical factor. Ruiz showed up about 15 pounds heavier than he was in his stunning stoppage of Joshua on June 1.

“I think the weight killed him,’’ Davison told iFL TV. “I think that he knew he needed to close the gap. Except, if he thought Joshua was going to close the gap for him, which was his (Joshua’s) mistake in the first fight.

“He’s not got the quickest of feet anyway. So, to put that extra weight on was going to slow his feet down even more. That was a big, big hindrance for him.”

Davison went on to talk about Joshua’s tactics. He praised Joshua in what was also a backhanded compliment.

“It was like a poor man’s Tyson Fury, wasn’t it?’’ Davison said. “That’s not in a nasty way, because, you know, obviously he can’t do it to the level of Tyson. But it was the tactics and he did well. It was a 50-50 fight and he came out with the win, so it was a good performance.”

Davison then tried to backtrack on what he said about Joshua, saying that Fury’s U.K. rival was smart to maintain distance with footwork and always knowing where he was in the ring.

“It looked a big ring,’’ Davison said. “But listen, I’m not going to say, ‘Oh this, oh that.’ It’s better for British boxing that Joshua won, because that means there’s big shows in the U.K.’’

WBO orders Anthony Joshua to defend title against Oleksandr Usyk: report

Anthony Joshua barely had time to savor his victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. when the WBO ordered him to defend its title against Oleksandr Usyk.

Could Olexsanr Usyk be next for Anthony Joshua?

Joshua barely had time to grasp what he accomplished by outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr. in their rematch Saturday in Saudi Arabia, winning back three heavyweight titles, when the WBO ordered him to defend its belt against Usyk.

Joshua (23-1, 21 knockouts) must face Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) by early next June, according to the Daily Mail.

Joshua, who was stopped by Ruiz  last June, thoroughly outboxed him in the rematch to win a wide decision to regain the clout that comes with holding heavyweight titles.

In a perfect world, he’d fight the winner of the Feb. 22 fight between Deontay Wilder, who holds the fourth major belt, and Tyson Fury to unify all the titles. It’s not that easy, though.

If Joshua decides not to defend against Usyk, he could be stripped of the belt and any immediate chance of becoming undisputed champion. In that case, Usyk, the mandatory challenger, could fight someone (Derek Chisora? Joseph Parker?) for the vacant title.

However, Usyk, a cruiserweight-turned-heavyweight who was 2018 Fighter of the Year, is an attractive opponent for Joshua. He could possibly take that fight and, if he wins, take on the Wilder-Fury winner afterward.

Another option for Joshua is a third fight with Ruiz, as Joshua suggested immediately after the fight.

Joshua is likely to take some time to enjoy his victory and then sit down with his advisors to plot out his future. All possibilities undoubtedly will be considered.

 

 

Deontay Wilder on Andy Ruiz’s mentality: ‘Opposite of what it takes to be a champion’

Deontay Wilder was no fan of the way former heavyweight titleholder Andy Ruiz comported himself during and after his loss to Anthony Joshua.

Add Deontay Wilder to the mix of observers  who were displeased by Andy Ruiz Jr.’s title-losing performance against Anthony Joshua on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua pitched a near-shutout over 12 rounds to regain the three heavyweight belts he lost to Ruiz on June 1.

In a radio interview with SiriusXM Fight Station, Wilder, who holds the fourth major title, opined on what he felt were both tactical failures and character flaws on the part of the Mexican-American. Joshua worked behind his jab and moved his feet to keep away from Ruiz’s mid-range combinations. Ruiz never quite adjusted.

“Ruiz followed him all night long,” Wilder said. “With a guy (Joshua) with such a long reach, you can’t just follow him. You know what’s going to happen, a punching bag, as they call it. Just sit there and receive punches. And he did that all night.”

Wilder also was disappointed in the fact that Ruiz allowed the money and limelight to affect him after his earth-shattering upset in June. Ruiz weighed in at 283.7 pounds for the rematch, roughly 15 pounds heavier than his weight in the first fight.

“But what really got me about Ruiz was not just what he did in the ring, but what he said, as well,” Wilder said. “Because as you know, one thing that I mentioned to Ruiz when I was doing an interview on TV is, I told him, ‘Don’t get comfortable. Congratulations, but don’t get comfortable with the lifestyle and stuff. It can grab you. But you know you’re just beginning. There can be more to this for you and your family. Don’t dwell on this.’”

Manny Robles, Ruiz’s trainer, mentioned to reporters that he wanted Ruiz to start training in July, but his charge showed up in September. During the post-fight press conference, Ruiz pleaded for a third fight with Joshua and admitted that he didn’t train hard enough, saying “I think we started too late. I didn’t want to say three months of partying affected me, but to tell you the truth, it did.”

Wilder wasn’t happy about that admission.

“‘Oh, I ate too much and I could’ve trained a little harder,’” Wilder said. “Like, what the f— are you talking about. That is exactly the opposite of what it takes to be a champion. What do you mean? You were telling the world that you weren’t letting it get to your head and how it’s such a blessing. You can’t come in and say the rematch, the third fight, I’ll promise I’ll train. Like what are you talking about!”

Wilder is scheduled to face Tyson Fury in a rematch Feb. 22 on pay-per-view.

Good, bad worse: Anthony Joshua brilliant, Andy Ruiz Jr. a disaster

Anthony Joshua entered the ring with an excellent game plan and executed it perfectly to dominate Andy Ruiz Jr. on Saturday.

GOOD

Well done.

Anthony Joshua answered a lot of questions with a brilliant game plan and superb execution Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, thus resurrecting a career that briefly went off the rails and leaving Andy Ruiz Jr. to answer his own questions.

The last time we saw Joshua he was a beaten man, having been stopped and (borrowing a word used by promoter Eddie Hearn) humiliated by Ruiz in June. On Saturday, he owned Ruiz from beginning to end.

Joshua and trainer Rob McCracken should be commended for their game plan – jab, move, stay out of trouble, take back what’s yours. The fact Joshua was 10 pounds lighter this time played into the strategy; he moved like a middleweight. He obviously put in the work. And Joshua showed no signs of a damaged psyche from the first fight. He was focused, confident, determined.

A particularly heavy Ruiz really never had a chance. He lost a near-shutout decision.

Some critics will suggest that Joshua was too careful, although he did throw a number of hard right hands and a few hooks in attempt to hurt Ruiz. They might point to Lennox Lewis, a fellow Briton who did to his two conquerors what they did to him – knocked their asses out.

That’s not a fair assessment. Joshua learned in a way more damaging than Lewis experienced – Lewis was stopped, not beat up – that Ruiz is a dangerous heavyweight. He made adjustments to minimize that danger and win rounds, which is how the fight played out.

It might not have been as exciting as Lewis knocking out Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman but it was just as thorough. Brilliant.

 

BAD

Anthony Joshua right) kept a safe distance from Andy Ruiz Jr. much of the fight. Too safe? Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

Again, it’s difficult to find fault in Joshua’s performance. The man dominated an opponent who had dominated him only six months earlier.

One thing was missing, though: It wasn’t much fun to watch. Joshua supporters will minimize the entertainment factor but others will ask with some legitimacy, “Where was the action?” Entertaining fights are the result of risks, genuine attempts to score a knockout, ebbs and flows, all of which were missing on Saturday.

If that’s not important to you, that’s fine. If it is, that’s understandable.

Joshua turned in a fine performance, not an exciting one. He demonstrated that he could come back from extreme adversity, which says a lot about him. He just didn’t make as strong a statement as Lewis, who said with his performances in his rematches with McCall and Rahman that, “I’m going to do to you what you did to me” and then did it.

That’s special stuff. Joshua was impressive, too, only in a less compelling way.

I doubt Joshua has turned into a safety-first boxer long term even though he said in the ring immediately after the fight that he wanted to “show that the sweet science of this lovely sport is about hitting and not getting hit.”

I believe he and McCracken thought – rightly – that he could regain his titles and the clout that goes with them with a deliberate strategy against Ruiz. That’s done. If he had any demons lingering from the first fight, they’re gone.

Going forward, Joshua, one of the biggest punchers in history, probably will be a hybrid. He’ll be more cautious than he was in the past – he never wants to endure the trauma of a brutal loss again – but he’ll fight aggressively enough to score many more knockouts. In other words, more thrills lie ahead.

 

WORSE

Joshua could only console a disappointed Ruiz after dominating him. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

Well, it looks as if Ruiz might be another Buster Douglas.

Douglas is known both as the fighter who upset then-unbeaten Mike Tyson and the one who mailed it in for his first defense, against Evander Holyfield. Douglas came in 14½ pounds heavier for Holyfield than he weighed for Tyson. He was prepared neither physically nor mentally. Thus, he lost his title in three rounds.

Ruiz weighed roughly 15 pounds more than he did in the first fight with Joshua, which suggests he didn’t put in the necessary work beforehand. He was focused on the hoopla that followed his stunning upset of Joshua, not taking the steps necessary to build on his victory. He reportedly starting training camp much later than trainer Manny Robles wanted him to.

I believe the version of Joshua we saw on Saturday probably would’ve beaten even a fit Ruiz. However, the Mexican-American made his task much more difficult by letting his weight get away from him.

As a result, he cheated himself out of an opportunity to take a step toward becoming an enduring champion. And he cheated the fans, who had reason to expect a similar version of the fighter who shocked Joshua at Madison Square Garden.

Of course, Ruiz isn’t finished. He’s only 30. He said after the fight that if he gets a chance to fight Joshua again, “I’ll be in the best shape of my life.” It might be too late for that; there are no guarantees that there will ever be a third meeting.

Ruiz will get more big fights, though. We’ll see whether he learned a lesson from what can only be described as a disaster on Saturday night.

Povetkin, Hunter fight to draw; Whyte outpoints Wach on Ruiz-Joshua card

Alexander Povetkin and Michael Hunter fought to a draw on the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua card. Dillian Whyte won his comeback fight.

Other heavyweights on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Jr. card Saturday in Saudi Arabia tried to put their best foot forward. Dillian Whyte succeeded, Alexander Povetkin and Michael Hunter not as much.

Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 knockouts) and Hunter (18-1-1, 12 KOs) fought to a draw in the co-feature, which would’ve put the winner in the mandatory position for one of Joshua’s heavyweight titles. They both had their moments in a fiercely fought bout but neither could separate from the other.

The scores were 115-113, 113-115 and 114-114.

Povetkin, a former Olympic champion who is now 40, is hoping for one more shot at a world title.

Hunter, 31, is a former cruiserweight contender trying to make his mark in the sport’s glamour division. A solid performance against a veteran like Povetkin was a positive step even though he didn’t have his hand raised.

Hunter’s only loss was a wide decision to Oleksandr Usyk in 2017, his last 200-pound fight.

Whyte, a late addition to the card, weighed a career-high 271 but it didn’t matter against Mariusz Wach, who was outpointed 98-93, 97-93, 97-93 in a 10-rounder.

Whyte has been mired in controversy. He failed a pre-fight drug test but, for unknown reasons, was allowed to fight Oscar Rivas on July 20. On Friday, U.K. Anti-doping dropped its case against Whyte.

And, in another heavyweight fight, prospect Filip Hrgovic (10-0, 8 KOs) of Croatia stopped veteran Eric Molina (27-6, 19 KOs) in the third round.

Anthony Joshua uses his smarts to turn tables on Andy Ruiz Jr.

Anthony Joshua, one of the biggest punchers ever, used his brain and athleticism to turn the tables on Andy Ruiz Jr. on Saturday.

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.”

Anthony Joshua (right) built his impressive victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. with a superb left jab Saturday in Saudi Arabia. AP Photo / Hassan Ammar

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.

Joshua landed some power shots but he won the fight with his brain, not his brawn. AP Photo / Hassan Ammar

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.”

A frustrated Andy Ruiz Jr., said his extra weight slowed him down in the fight. Nick Potts / PA via AP

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.”

 

Lennox Lewis: Anthony Joshua has ‘a heavy task ahead of him’

Lennox Lewis said Anthony Joshua can beat Andy Ruiz Jr. in their rematch Saturday if he’s prepared.

Anthony Joshua didn’t just lose to Andy Ruiz Jr. this past June in New York. He was beaten down, as much emotionally as physically.

That’s one reason his attempt to the turn the tables in their rematch Saturday in Saudi Arabia is a significant challenge. Another is that Joshua took an immediate rematch instead of rebuilding his confidence against a lesser foe, which some believe was ill-advised.

Others have succeeded in reversing such a debacle. Joe Louis comes to mind. A young “Brown Bomber” was beaten up by veteran Max Schmeling in 1936. Two years later Louis KO’d the German inside one round.

A more modern example is Wladimir Klitschko. The giant Ukrainian suffered three deflating knockouts early in his career but bounced back to become one of the most-enduring heavyweight champions of all time.

Lennox Lewis reversed his misfortune in an immediate rematch, as Joshua is trying to do. Lewis was knocked out by Hasim Rahman in five rounds but, more focused, returned the favor in four rounds seven months later. He also avenged a knockout loss to Oliver McCall, although those fights were years apart.

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Lewis, speaking to members of the media before the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz II fight on Nov. 23, wouldn’t predict how things might go for Joshua in the rematch but said their situations were entirely different.

“The way I lost was one punch,” he said. “When you lose by one punch, then you know the problem is not to get punched. For me, it was just a defensive error. It was like falling off a horse. OK, you fell off a horse. Let just get on the horse and show you I can ride the horse.

“It was a situation where, yeah, he caught me with one punch but he’s not a better fighter than me. I have more talent them him. … What I need to do is my best, don’t make a silly mistake because that’s what allowed me to lose the fight.”

In other words, Joshua knew exactly what the problem was and how to correct it. Joshua? That’s a different story.

His loss against Ruiz wasn’t the result of a single mistake or a single blow. Joshua was knocked down four times before the fight was stopped. And his body language when referee Michael Griffin waved off the fight screamed, “I’m hurt, I’m lost, I have no idea what to do.”

Some wonder whether that sense of helplessness can be damaging psychologically – and linger.

“(Joshua) can look at the tape and say, ‘When I get hurt, I need to hold him properly,’” Lewis said the week of Wilder-Ruiz. “That’s one thing I noticed. The second thing is he came back to the corner (after being hurt) and said, ‘What’s happening? What is he doing?’ I don’t know what happened but he obviously has gone back to the drawing board and looked at what he needs to do. Let’s hope he can correct it before the fight.

“… It was a bad loss,” Lewis added. “He’s got a heavy task ahead of him. He’s making the right moves. … (But) he needs to learn a lot of stuff.”

Lewis also doesn’t think an immediate rematch was a good idea – “especially how he lost” – but the site of the fight, in another foreign country, seems to bother him more.

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The former three-time heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer doesn’t begrudge promoter Eddie Hearn the money generated by staging the fight in Saudi Arabia. That’s his job, Lewis said.

At the same time, fighters’ needs aren’t always met when business comes first.

“(Joshua’s) promoter should really have brought the fight back to England, where his family is, where his crowd is, and build him back up that way,” Lewis said. “Now he’s been brought back to another foreign country where he doesn’t know anybody. …

“I don’t think an event should be made just because of the money. It should be what’s better for your fight, what’s the best place for your fighter, to guarantee the win. … Promoters try to get the most money possible but the promoter and boxer and supposed to work hand in hand.”

In the end, Lewis said, Joshua can win if he’s ready.

“If Joshua doesn’t come in mentally and physically prepared, he’ll lose the fight,” Lewis said. “… He felt he wasn’t in the best shape (in the first fight), so he’s gotten himself in great shape. That gives him confidence. He was 50 percent in the first fight and was able to hurt Ruiz but couldn’t take him out. Now he’s 100 percent. Now if he hurts the guy, he will be able to take him out.

“That’s what will be in his head, ‘I’m a better boxer than him and I’ll show him.’

Andy Ruiz Jr. stuns us again: Weighs 283.7 for Anthony Joshua rematch?

Andy Ruiz Jr. weighed 283.7 pounds — 15-plus more than in their first fight — for his rematch with Anthony Joshua on Saturday.

283.7 pounds?

Any Ruiz Jr., who had talked about slimming down for his rematch with Anthony Joshua on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, weighed in today at 283.7 pounds. That’s 15 more than he weighed for their first fight, in June, and the most he’s weighed for a fight since he came in at 292½ for his second pro bout.

Joshua weighed 237.8, roughly 10 pounds less than he weighed for their first fight. That’s his lightest since he weighed 236½ when he fought Denis Bakhtov in 2014, which presumably means he’ll be more nimble in the fight.

Ruiz stunned the boxing world by putting Joshua down four times and stopping him the seventh round to win three of the four major heavyweight titles at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“They made us wait until 4:30, almost 5 p.m. here,” Ruiz said. “I already had ate breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had on a sombrero and all my clothes. A lot of people are saying that I came overweight or this and that. We had to wait so long. I probably put on like 10 pounds just eating and drinking normally today.”

Ruiz insists that he didn’t let his weight get away from him.

Andy Ruiz Jr (left) weighed in 45.9 pounds more than Anthony Joshua for their rematch Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Dave Thompson / Matchroom Boxing

“We were lighter during camp,” he said, “but then I thought being the same weight or heavier would be an advantage. We did so many 12 rounds of sparring, so the conditioning is still there.”

Ruiz’s trainer, Manny Robles, had said on a conference call Thursday that his fighter would weigh around 268 again. It was clear then that Ruiz hadn’t slimmed down.


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However, the 283.7 figure was surprising.

What does it mean? Can we assume that Ruiz didn’t take his training seriously? After all, even if we believe that he put on 10 pounds eating today, he hasn’t weighed in the 270s for a fight in five years.

Or does that weight not matter as much as we presume? Ruiz has always been fat yet has had quick hands and moved well.

Of course, we’ll know a lot more when they step into the ring.

The card, in Diriyah, will be streamed live on DAZN.

 

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