All along in the quite short build-up to last night’s chance of a life time fight with defending WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz Jr had to listen to the taunts, to the stifled chuckles, to the talk revolving around his less than lean physique.
Have we now lost, forever, a Deontay Wilder-Anthony Joshua showdown? A Tyson Fury-Joshua showdown? Certainly, with Joshua now having lost his unbeaten record, neither fight can ever be as big as it would have been (the perils of taking too much time to make the super-fights).
With the shock of last night’s massive upset win scored by Andy Ruiz – who was listed as a whopping 33-1 underdog in certain places – still sinking in, fans are wondering what on earth will come next in the now totally shaken up heavyweight division.
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder took pleasure in gloating about Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) suffering his first career defeat on Saturday night to challenger Andy Ruiz Jr.
In front of a sold out crowd of 20,201 at Madison Square Garden and live on DAZN, Andy Ruiz, Jr. (33-1, 22 KOs) made boxing history by defeating heavyweight king Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) in his United States debut.
Deontay Wilder gave newly crowned IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-1, 22 KOs) praise for his upset seventh round knockout win over champion Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) last Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) was shockingly stopped by unheralded replacement opponent Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-1, 22 KOs) in the seventh round in an upset on Saturday night on DAZN at Madison Square Garden in New York.
This Saturday night live on DAZN, Anthony Joshua and his UK army will be in full effect at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21 KOs) looked in superb shape in weighing in at a 247.8 pounds for his title defense against the less the svelte 268 pound Andy Ruiz Jr.
Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing Managing Director: “I think sometimes as a team or promoter you have to pinch with yourself whenever you’re at Madison Square Garden, we have been lucky enough to stage two world championship events at the Theatre, but Matchroom Boxing will make our debut at Madison Square Garden as a promotional company and to do it for the unified Heavyweight championship in an absolute honor, and to do it while representing the Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua is an honor as well.