Why Anthony Joshua REALLY Lost to Andy Ruiz

Why Anthony Joshua REALLY Lost to Andy Ruiz

By Henry Walter

Rumours abound as to why, previously undefeated, heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was beaten for the first time in his career by the unheralded Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr last Saturday night.

The media and boxing fans have been in overdrive passing on theories as to why Britain’s most marketable fighter failed to perform. Rumours range from fairly plausible ones, such as Joshua being knocked out in sparring close to the bout, to simply ridiculous ideas, such as Joshua throwing the fight as part of a betting scandal.

Only Joshua himself will know for certain what actually caused his defeat. Yet the reality of what happened is in all probability far less interesting than ideas such as the aforementioned or Joshua having had a panic attack shortly before his walkout.

Joshua was once an explosive amateur who blazed a path through the amateur ranks in very short time. Despite being hugely inexperienced, Joshua began boxing in world class amateur circles before he’d even been boxing a full three years.

It is easy to forget that, although he has won an Olympic gold medal and three world title belts, he boxed less than fifty times as an amateur and has only twenty-three pro bouts to his name.

Joshua achieved such tremendous success so quickly because he is tremendously dedicated, extremely naturally athletic and powerful and, at six foot-six inches, is a big man even for the heavyweight division.

Contrast his amateur experience with that of, current pound for pound king, lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko, who reportedly had well over three-hundred amateur wins, and it is very apparent how much Joshua’s success has relied on natural talent rather than experience.

Ruiz has an unusual style a come forward, yet patient boxer with a clever defence and superb judgement of when to attack and when to lay back, he presented Joshua with a style the Warford man simply hadn’t encountered before.

Ruiz’s incredibly fast hands and well timed attacks gave Joshua all he could handle right from the off. He hadn’t met anyone like Ruiz before and when the strategy that had worked so well against his previous twenty-two opponents didn’t work he was left bereft of ideas.

Couple this with the extra nerves caused by fighting away from home for the first time, in front of an expectant American audience, and a perfect storm was created.

The fans and media will no doubt enjoy speculating on the many possible elaborate causes of Joshua’s defeat but the reality is far more mundane. He simply lost to the better man on the night.

Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA