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.

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.”

 

Anthony Joshua trainer Rob McCracken: ‘There’s no room for error’

Anthony Joshua trainer Rob McCracken believes the best chances for beating Andy Ruiz on Dec. 7 is for Joshua to use his height and length.

Don’t expect Anthony Joshua to brawl when he faces Andy Ruiz in their highly anticipated rematch Saturday in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia  on DAZN.

According to Joshua’s trainer, Rob McCracken, the game plan is for the musclebound Joshua to box the rotund, yet quick-fisted Ruiz on the outside. No senseless trading on the inside.

“Ruiz is an underrated world-class fighter, but if you’ve got the height and reach, like Josh, you must use it,” McCracken told The Guardian in a recent interview.

The approach makes sense, given Joshua’s troubles in the first fight. Joshua had dropped Ruiz midway through the third round and was looking to close the fight when Ruiz whacked him on the right temple with a hook on the inside. It led to the first of four knockdowns before Ruiz earned a stoppage in the seventh round.

McCracken has been criticized in some corners for negatively impacting Joshua’s style, converting the natural puncher into a safety-first boxer in the mold of Wladimir Klitschko. But McCracken, who has been with Joshua throughout his amateur and professional careers, believes the occasion rightfully calls for a bit of caution.

“There can be no fooling around,” McCracken said. “The minute you don’t, you’re open to quick, powerful hooks off these heavyweights. And Ruiz is one of the best.”

McCracken also pointed out that Joshua had some trouble with smaller, quicker heavyweights in the amateur ranks, and Ruiz fits that profile.

“(Joshua has) beaten numerous small, mobile heavyweights, and he’s lost to a couple of them,” McCracken said. “Sometimes fighters are just good. Ruiz has good technical ability. He can measure the distance. Knows how to defend. Got a half-decent jab, good timing and speed.”

McCracken said he respected Ruiz’s ability even before he pulled off the upset. In fact, the trainer admitted that Ruiz was not high on his list of possible opponents to replace Jarrell Miller, who was scheduled to fight Joshua in the summer but tested positive for PEDs.

“I wasn’t keen on Ruiz,” McCracken said. “I much preferred a couple of other opponents.”

Still, McCracken believes his man has the right tools to beat a path to victory – provided he follows the strategy to a tee.

“(Joshua) knows that if he does everything right,” McCracken said, “he’ll win, but there’s no room for error.”

Dillian Whyte to fight on Ruiz-Joshua II card in wake of PED scandal

Dillian Whyte will take on Mariusz Wach on the undercard of the Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua rematch, despite his ongoing drug scandal.

Dillian Whyte has been quieter than a church mouse for the past several months but we’ll hear from him soon.

The British heavyweight contender will take on Mariusz Wach on the undercard of the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch Dec. 7 in Saudi Arabia, it was confirmed in a release today. The news comes as Whyte has been embroiled in a PED scandal that has seen him disappear recently from the public eye.

Whyte tested positive for a banned substance before his July 20 fight against Oscar Rivas, in which Whyte survived a ninth round knockdown to win a unanimous decision. The test was administered by UK Anti-Doping.

Whyte’s “A” sample reportedly showed small amounts of epimethandienone and hydroxymethandienone, which are metabolites found in the banned substance Dianabol.

It was revealed afterward that the British Board of Boxing Control, as well as Whyte and his promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, had been notified of the results before the fight while Rivas and his team were kept in the dark. Hearn said he couldn’t share his knowledge of the test results because of confidentiality requirements.

The BBBofC reportedly conducted a hearing before the fight, which included UKAD, and Whyte was cleared to participate in the fight against Rivas without Rivas’ knowledge.

Whyte isn’t the only fighter on the card to have failed a drug test. Wach, Alexander Povetkin (who takes on Michael Hunter) and Eric Molina (who faces Filip Hrgovic) also have tested positive for banned substances.

Ruiz-Joshua II will stream on DAZN.