Did Joshua's legacy take a tremendous hit last week? This wasn't Buster Douglas upsetting Tyson. It wasn't Corrie Sanders blitzing Wladimir Klitschko. Nor was it Rhaman or McCall pole axing Lennox Lewis. Those were big men who can hit. Punchers. Joshua was exposed by a medium level type of puncher, floored four times, and ended up quitting in the fight. Prior to this event, Ruiz was 0-1 vs. top ten opponents. The optics of a shorter fat man with a 74" reach who didn't throw a lot of punches point to what some felt long ago. Joshua was closer to Frank Bruno than the next great heavyweight. His best two wins were over a 41 and 39-year-old man, both who gave him trouble and would have probably beaten him if they were in their primes. To Ruiz's credit, he came to fight and showed a solid chin. If he could do this to Joshua, any heavyweight willing to mix it with Johsua could do the same. History shows Tyson, W. Klitschko, and Lewis can back to win their belts. Can Joshua?
I think Joshua can come back and claim his belts back. I know the world is full of excuses but im not going to not say something didnt seem right with Joshua just because people dont like to hear excuses. The rematch will tell us everything we need to know. Its a wonderful thing to go through your career unbeaten but the majority of the big names that have been and gone, including ATG's, have taken a loss or 2 throughout their life as a Boxer. His legacy has taken a hit due to losing to Ruiz. If he loses the rematch that will be seen as a very big hit to it. But right now im hoping its just another case of a Boxer having a bad one and coming back and rectifying it. Time will tell but i think its the next fight that shapes the rest of Joshua's career much more than the one he just had.
All depends on how he rebounds. The optics of this loss are bad, I would agree. I don't think we ever had someone with such a portly body dismantle someone that looks how the heavyweight champion of the world is supposed to look, Joshua meekly surrendering in that corner doesn't help. But everyone loses, Ruiz has skills and Joshua has the chance for redemption.
His legacy? His imaginable/conceivable legacy? This fight was a reality check. If the loss was just a fluke, Joshua will be back even stronger and his legacy will be fine. But if he lost just because he wasn’t as good as advertised… Well, sooner or later that would become clear anyway.
Of course his legacy took a hit! It remains to be seen if he can get it back, but i think he can. Really, outside if Wilder, i think AJ beats most all of the HWs in today's division... First things first, AJ needs to avenge his loss to Ruiz... From there the road back to the top must include a win over either Furry or Wilder (most likely Fury, who will be ready to cave the next time he is hit flush).. I also think AJ should pursue the heavily over hyped Alexander Usyk..this is a totally winnable fight, and because Usyk is so overly hyped, AJ will get far more credit than the win deserves ...
Ruiz is not a "Medium" puncher, you are unlikely to find many guys that can take his shots square on without going down, those that survived his shots rolled with the shots well to supress the impact like Parker. Ruiz hits ****ing hard, hence the Destroyer. Just witnessing the impact of AJ's head flopping around from the sheer force even when blocking. And AJ is a 6'6 bodybuilder with some 23 inch neck or something. Don't downplay Ruiz' power. And yeah AJ's legacy is in tatters in my opinion. It's one thing to lose, and another thing completely to lose the way he did, there is not coming back from that in terms of legacy, but he can come back a different person and continue fighting. No longer invincible or a force of nature.
Yes his legacy took a massive hit and this will remain a black spot on his resume for years to come. Can he bounce back? Of course he can. Ruiz isn't invincible, and a focused Joshua can and should beat him with relative ease. Regardless of whether you believe he was compromised beforehand, he made massive tactical errors in the fight that cost him. But the aura of invincibility has well and truly gone. Joshua has been shown up to be human, and eminently beatable by those with the right style. Speaking for myself that's a very good thing. No fighter should be put on the pedestal that Joshua was being put on. I look forward to seeing how, or even if, he can come back from this.
Joshua lost and, so, his record and legacy took a hit naturally. The thing is, nearly everyone loses at some stage so it's how you bounce back that counts. AJ was well beaten on the night. He was outbrawled and outpunched. He lost conclusively. He needs to beat Ruiz in the return equally conclusively ideally. Joshua can probably go on to do well again, but will never be seen in quite the same light as before though, I would think. He looked beatable before, but now someone has actually done it. He was put down 4 times vs Ruiz and stopped. Other opponents will go in against AJ with more confidence and belief. It's up to AJ and his team to rebound from this.
Please don't confuse his over paid bank balance and net worth with legacy. He had a lot of frailties even before that ***** slapping by the fat man in the ring on Saturday
Barry Trainer on how hard and how good Ruiz Jr hits. This content is protected Some of the hardest punches Parker took ever. Don't be calling Ruiz a medium puncher
Depends what he does after it. It takes a hit if he wins it back then never travels again. He needs to go to America more often to prove he’s legit and not on the UKAD protection service
Joe Louis took a similar beating from Max Schmeling but he came back and won the rematch in emphatic fashion. Now he is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
Ruiz is not a big puncher. That’s what makes the loss worse. Put it to you this way, Joshua was hurt faster than Alex Dimitrenko who was old and never known as durable.
A old shot timid grey haired WK, a old never was Povetkin, Takam who ? and the sleep walker from down under aint no legacy. Ruiz is a sharp but not hard puncher. In the rematch AJ is looking to quit again when the going gets rough again, and rough it will be , he cannot keep Ruiz off him. No way in hell is AJ getting his mental make up/confidence under control til the fall for a immediate re match. I thin k his handlers know more then about the state of his mind and they do not want to loose on a comeback fight against a nobody, might as well cash out now.
