Ruiz Jr vs Joshua Rematch: Wise Move?

Ruiz Jr vs Joshua Rematch: Wise Move?

By Jonny Rashman

AJ’s next move has to be strategic or it could be checkmate for the British star. They say in chess you must be two moves ahead of your opponent. Each move must have a strategic element to it, rash decisions can’t be made otherwise your opponent gains the advantage. It’s very similar in the boxing game, not just in the ring but out of it as well.

It’s been over a month since the heavyweight boxing landscape was turned on its head. The ‘fat bloke’ Andy Ruiz Jnr shocked the world and comprehensively beat down undisputed superstar Anthony Joshua, claiming the IBF, WBO, and WBA straps in the process.

With the imminent announcement of Ruiz vs Joshua 2, questions need to be asked as to the motive of putting Joshua in straight away with the man who didn’t just beat him down physically, but also dismantled him mentally in 7 rounds of mayhem at the iconic Madison Square Garden.

Is this decision based on the best interest and longevity of the British star’s career? Or is it a decision motivated by pound signs.

The meteoric rise of Anthony Joshua’s career has been nothing short of spectacular, a true sporting phenonium. Everything he has touched quite literally has turned to gold since his Olympic games triumph in London 2012. Make no bones about it, although Joshua has racked up the wins, its Promoter Eddie Hearn who has been meticulously pulling the golden strings behind the scenes.

Before the Ruiz fight every man Joshua has ever faced in the pro ranks was strategically put there, all with the premise of giving Joshua the ring time needed to rule the heavyweight division. Every facet of his career had been methodically planned. Team Joshua were two moves ahead of their rivals.

This formula had worked to a tee until Jarrell Miller decided to load his body with performance-enhancing drugs. You know the ones that just appear in your body without you knowing. Although this wasn’t the first time Joshua had encountered a late change of opponent, the circumstances were completely different this time around.

The terrain had significantly changed for both Joshua and Hearn. The safe haven of the UK was swapped for the bright lights of the USA, a certain Gypsy King reacquainted himself back on the world scene and a gigantic dollar sign was placed on the Matchroom Sports Directors back, in the form of streaming giants DAZN.

The pressure was firmly on, did rash thinking overtake methodical planning?
Hindsight can turn any person into a genius, however, when the Miller fight was officially squashed, the timing it took to announce the Londoner’s new opponent suggests a lack of planning. Every heavyweight with a pulse was linked to Joshua.

The word is Ruiz came into the mix after an innocuous Instagram message slid into Eddie Hearn’s DMs. Should a fight of this magnitude really have been made off the back of a social media post? Was Ruiz style thoroughly vetted? In a promotional sense Ruiz vs Joshua 2 has to come next. It’s arguably the biggest fight in boxing, an immediate chance of redemption, not to mention the truckloads of money to be earnt.

Financially it’s the right move but is it the right move for Joshua’s career? Ruiz’s come forward pressure approach is kryptonite for a man who struggles with this type of style. Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin, men with similar weapons to Ruiz all gave Joshua problems.

The way in which Joshua was defeated will remain deep-rooted in his consciousness. It’s easy to forget he is a mere mortal like the rest of us human beings, he bleeds like us, he sleeps like us. If he does get back in the ring with Andy Ruiz Jnr, will all the memories of June 1st come flooding back to the surface?

Rematches notoriously produce the same outcome as the first encounter, just ask David Price. There are plenty of fighters throughout history who never re-entered the boxing ring with the adversary who conquered them.

Saul Alverez, Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan are just a few who continued to have successful careers after shock losses. With a strategic hat on, Joshua would be best served having a warm-up fight or two against fighters who mirror Ruiz style, sparring can only help so much.

Realistically, what is going to change in the space of a few months to ensure Joshua can solve the Ruiz puzzle? A downgrade of opponent may not sell out Wembley Stadium and the Joshua brand may take a little dent, however, its short- term pain for long- term gain.

Although boxing fans are a fickle bunch, time moves on, today’s news is tomorrows history. Would a contest against Derick Chisora at a packed out O2 arena be such a hard sell?

After the world digested the news of Ruiz becoming the new unified world heavyweight champion, all types of theories emerged as to the reasoning for this shocking event.

Did Joshua have a panic attack, was he knocked out in sparing? was it just a bad day at the office? These theories may never be proven. The constant from that night is Joshua didn’t look like the man who entered the ring 22 times previous.

One thing that cannot be denied, is extreme wealth will consistently chip away on a person’s motivational levels. It may take longer for some than others. I don’t care who you are, achieving the type of success and wealth that Joshua has amassed will change one’s discipline levels, especially in such a brutal sport as professional prizefighting.

Marvin Hagler once said, “it’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 am when you’ve been sleeping in silk pyjamas.”

Team Joshua’s next move on the boxing chess board is the most important one to date. The rapid rise to the top of the summit can be matched by an even quicker descent back down to the bottom. Can Anthony Joshua reign supreme once again?