Why I believe Andy Ruiz was lucky.

Even before the 3rd round, AJ was not boxing as he normally would. He was crouched low, with a low left hand; presumably because he was struggling with the speed of Ruiz's punches and trying to bring up his jab from out of Ruiz's line of vision to negate the speed difference. When a fighter alters his style - and in a way he has since confirmed was not the game plan - you know he's struggling with what is coming back.

Also Ruiz was winning the battle of the footwork and cleverly circling him to the left, into his own right hand and away from Joshua's.

There's nothing about that fight which signposts an easy night for Joshua. Yes, he rushed his follow-up to what was little more than a flash knockdown, but the pattern had been set before then. Who knows how this would have panned out if neither had hit the canvas in the 3rd. But it was never going to be an easy night for AJ.

 

This is a strange post. Most guys I know who root for a guy don't say that their guy got lucky and that their guy will lose in the rematch. Now if you were rooting for Joshua then ignore this post.

 

He does have a good chin, but he himself said AJ hits "really, really hard"... not seen him say that about anyone else he's fought. But hey - rematch is round the corner we'll see what happens... personally I think AJ makes a few adjustments and wins in devastating fashion.

 

….& stamina ,heart, pretty sure correct that he is down on the ability side too.

 

A clearly unfocused and out of sorts Joshua put Ruiz down hard and for the first time in his career with a powerfully delivered 3 punch combination. The mistake was in misjudging how good Ruiz chin was and having made that misjudgement AJ went for the KO leaving himself open to the left that caught him behind the ear.

That shot would have stopped most heavyweights but AJ got up and boxed on, had Joshua stayed down after that shot then no one would be talking about him being badly beaten. The fact he stuck around for more rounds and more knockdowns is actually testimony to his desire but the truth is the fight should have been over after the 3rd.

Joshua will be more focussed on Ruiz in the rematch, he won’t jump on him after the first heavy punch lands, he’ll step back, show patience and work on until the next combination lands and the next and the next.

Ruiz took that first 3 punch combination like an iron chinned warrior but no one can go on taking big shots through 12 rounds no matter how solid their chin is, the cumulative effect eventually overwhelms their durability.
The effects are even worse if you can’t land your own best shots, psychologically it wears down your belief and resilience. Joshua will keep the fight long range frustrating Ruiz and occasionally landing heavy combinations like the one that put Ruiz down.

Joshua by late TKO as the Ruiz corner steps in to halt a brave and exhausted Ruiz from receiving more punishment.

 

No luck about it. Joshua fought a very stupid fight and foolishly underestimated Andy. Joshua clearly didn’t do his homework on Andy.

Andy’s fast hands, great chin, and ability to fight fire with fire wasn’t a secret to anyone, but Joshua still tried to force the knockout and fight with Andy in the middle of the ring where Andy is most comfortable.

If Joshua is smart he’ll come in lighter and use the ring this time against Andy, who hates having to move around the ring a lot and also develop some head movement, since Andy noticed early on that Joshua’s head is always in the same spot and made Joshua pay.

 

I would go as far as saying Ruiz knows he is going to lose the rematch and is just happy with his well deserved big payday

 

Haha. That's a hot take on things, he literally bullied AJ around in the first fight. We're talking about a guy who's only pro loss was so close you can argue it either way and comprehensively won fight 1.

We're talking about a guy that has been living boxing his entire life. Far more likely he is so confident in himself that he is underestimating AJ. I don't like the shape he looks to be in. His biggest mistake will be to quickly drain in the lead up to the fight. It looked like he did that for the Parker fight, he looked better heavier and without the loose skin vs AJ.

 

AJ didn’t do his homework??? He was given his homework one day before the exam.

He didnt meet Ruiz until just before fightnight

Only so much prep you can do in this situation, especially after he had just spent countless weeks prepping for a completely different fighter in miller who pulled out due to meathead PEDs usage.

 

Good concise post...but I have to ask ...what on earth is Joshua going to do when Wilder cracks him the same way he cracked Fury...I'm pretty sure Tyson Fury has a better jaw than joshua after seeing him get totally dismantled by Ruiz. I think Joshua's skills are better than Wilder & he can pop ,no question but Wilders power is in a different league. I can't see Joshua getting past it...back to Ruiz,
It was a certain degree of luck for ruiz. Only in the way that Joshua showed a completely amateurish style by leaning in trying to rush/look for the KO when he thought he had Ruiz, he soon found out he had a tiger by the tail & lets be fair, he did not know what to do...By the sound of the questions he was asking his corner he barely knew what day it was...he was ****ed up! The rematch well we all know what he "Has" to do, keep long, feint & let "Rushing Ruiz" run onto one & goodnight Ruiz come back to daddy my belts, might happen ....I really think its a 50/50 fight this time & Joshua has to have his head right this time, as GGG said about Joshua befor the fight he 's not like fighter more like film star or something along those lines ...he wasn't wrong.
May the best man win, I hope its Ruiz, Joshua can come back later but Ruiz deserves some $$$, big heart , nice guy!

 

If you predicted Ruiz lands a punch while Joshua gets careless trying to finish him, you predicted a special scenario, maybe even flukey, that could easily not happen in a rematch.

 

Ruiz by brutal KO R2 in the rematch

 

It is the way he always fights, Like I said right after the fight Joshua did what he always didnhe just found someone that does it better.

In general AJ gets hit a lot, he is very hittable but he usually comes out on top in close exchanges.

I expect AJ to make some minor adjustments and he will be back stronger to beat Ruiz jr in devastating fashion.

 

Ruiz has gone into full Buster Douglas (after KO'ing Tyson) party mode, this will be Joshua's fight to lose imo.

 

Bobby Brown interview on why Mike Tyson lost to Buster Douglas, the two of them were up all night with a dozen Japanese girls in a Hotel room the night before the fight!!

Link:
https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2018/11/reason-mike-tyson-lost-buster-douglas/