Round-by-Round: Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. - 1 June 2019

[oogiebe]

The massive disrespect both AJ and Ruiz Jr. are enduring post fight is pathetic. People calling AJ an idiot, a quitter, a fake. That is not just disrespectful to AJ but also to Ruiz. People claiming that Ruiz is still a bum, an embarrassment to boxing. That is disrespectful to AJ also.

AJ was in control of that fight until he fell into Ruiz’s trap. He got caught on the temple and never recovered, but he kept getting up and HE NEVER QUIT.

AJ is taking heat for how respectful he has been post fight. He has taken heat for being too nonchalant in defeat.

Watch both post fight conferences.

AJ has no excuses. He is not quitting. He is coming back. Ruiz is a grateful world champion. He is respectful. They are both measured and very well spoken.

What is not to love about these two great warriors for boxing fans?

Easy Boyo! I don't think it's been as bad as all that.

[ewenhay]

Ruiz has had loads of respect on here today and rightly so. There have been one or two people that can't get their head around the heavyweight champion having a big belly but they've been well in the minority.

Joshua has had to eat some humble pie but under the circumstances it's fair enough.

[Boxerbeetle]

The massive disrespect both AJ and Ruiz Jr. are enduring post fight is pathetic. People calling AJ an idiot, a quitter, a fake. That is not just disrespectful to AJ but also to Ruiz. People claiming that Ruiz is still a bum, an embarrassment to boxing. That is disrespectful to AJ also.

AJ was in control of that fight until he fell into Ruiz’s trap. He got caught on the temple and never recovered, but he kept getting up and HE NEVER QUIT.

AJ is taking heat for how respectful he has been post fight. He has taken heat for being too nonchalant in defeat.

Watch both post fight conferences.

AJ has no excuses. He is not quitting. He is coming back. Ruiz is a grateful world champion. He is respectful. They are both measured and very well spoken.

What is not to love about these two great warriors for boxing fans?

I agree that some of the hyperbole and hindsight is ridiculous, especially coming from the supposed ‘hardcore’ fans.

But I don’t agree Joshua was controlling the fight until he got caught; he did fvck all outside of the knockdown and to me looked fragile & unsure from the first bell.

[DrDuke]

AJ quitted. He was standing in the corner and refusing to raise hands, while raising hands is a typical thing to do to confirm a decision to continue a fight. Joshua was looking for the way out. However, It's not the reason to criticize him. The reason is that he made an amateurish mistake. But Ruiz mustn't be criticized at all, he deserves a huge credit. He came out on a short notice, weathered the storm and turned the fight into his favor. What should he be criticsized for? The fight itself was great.

[Deserter]

and HE NEVER QUIT.

I am choosing my words very carefully here, as I rarely throw terms around like 'he quit' as I realize the implications inherent in such as statement.

However, I've watched the events around the final knockdown on replay several times again and his behaviour was definitely not that of a man who wished to continue; that's surely beyond dispute. His body language suggested he wanted out and there was a complete absence of the 'fire' we've seen in other fighters when faced with similar circumstances.

If we accept that he could have continued if he'd simply raised his hands and hadn't walked away and rested on the ropes, how else do you frame his behaviour up to the ref waving it off? And his behaviour once the ref stopped the fight hardly forces one to view it differently either - his 'protest' was tokenistic at best and hinted at relief rather than fury.

For me, forget his actual boxing performance, what I find most worrying when questioning his long-term future was his behaviour in the wake of the final knockdown...

[oogiebe]

I am choosing my words very carefully here, as I rarely throw terms around like 'he quit' as I realize the implications inherent in such as statement.

However, I've watched the events around the final knockdown on replay several times again and his behaviour was definitely not that of a man who wished to continue; that's surely beyond dispute. His body language suggested he wanted out and there was a complete absence of the 'fire' we've seen in other fighters when faced with similar circumstances.

If we accept that he could have continued if he'd simply raised his hands and hadn't walked away and rested on the ropes, how else do you frame his behaviour up to the ref waving it off? And his behaviour once the ref stopped the fight hardly forces one to view it differently either - his 'protest' was tokenistic at best and hinted at relief rather than fury.

For me, forget his actual boxing performance, what I find most worrying when questioning his long-term future was his behaviour in the wake of the final knockdown...

He was finished and the look on his face showed us he had already checked out. He was beaten and confused.

[gilgamesh]

I am choosing my words very carefully here, as I rarely throw terms around like 'he quit' as I realize the implications inherent in such as statement.

However, I've watched the events around the final knockdown on replay several times again and his behaviour was definitely not that of a man who wished to continue; that's surely beyond dispute. His body language suggested he wanted out and there was a complete absence of the 'fire' we've seen in other fighters when faced with similar circumstances.

If we accept that he could have continued if he'd simply raised his hands and hadn't walked away and rested on the ropes, how else do you frame his behaviour up to the ref waving it off? And his behaviour once the ref stopped the fight hardly forces one to view it differently either - his 'protest' was tokenistic at best and hinted at relief rather than fury.

For me, forget his actual boxing performance, what I find most worrying when questioning his long-term future was his behaviour in the wake of the final knockdown...

Yeah I just watched it back. The last knockdown, he threw a few more last hurrah big shots at Ruiz, and then basically went down the first time he was touched back. By then he was mentally defeated. He looked like he thought about taking the count when he was on the mat, but he knew people could tell he wasn't really out like that, but yes everything about his body language was screaming "Somebody stop this. I don't wanna do this". He was beaten.

[stu 27]

What i wanna know is this,who taught AJ to throw a jab to the body with a guy who is 4 inches plus shorter than you and is fast as fvk for a heavyweight? Why on earth would joshua throw a single jab to the body anyway? He is 6 foot 6 and should be using his jab to his advantage not throwing lazy jabs to the body of ruiz.

Do you tink McCracken is the right man to guide to AJ to th undisputed heavyweight title? I dont think he can i think he gas rode the AJ train and hasnt taught AJ a great deal since he took over from simms. Loo at lennox lewis 6 foot 5 and had a jab like a ram rod,he coukd mix it when he chose to but always controlled the pace of a fight,AJ doesnt have this attribute and i dont think he ever will have it. I was listening to it on the radio and david haye hit the nail on the head he said Joshua and Wilder didnt come into boxing till late where as Ruiz had done it since he was a kid,he said AJ could be a shot putter or a sprinter and he would be really good at either he said these are athletes who do boxing where as Ruiz is a boxer and has been a boxer all his life and thats the difference between them.

x2
I thought he might have thrown a few feints at least to draw him in,jab was very inneffective

[oogiebe]

I imagined AJ would be bouncing his jab off Ruiz's forehead and patiently looking for his opening. Whoever concocted the game plan (or lack thereof) should be taken out behind the woodshed and shot.

[kbackup408]

I imagined AJ would be bouncing his jab off Ruiz's forehead and patiently looking for his opening. Whoever concocted the game plan (or lack thereof) should be taken out behind the woodshed and shot.

I have a theory (could just be a silly fallacy in my head) - the Wilder vs Breaz bout in May mentally messed with AJ's head

You reckon that could be one of the many things contributing to yesterdays performance?

[oogiebe]

I have a theory (could just be a silly fallacy in my head) - the Wilder vs Breaz bout in May mentally messed with AJ's head

You reckon that could be one of the many things contributing to yesterdays performance?

Anything's possible. AJ doesn't do well when he has to think, so over thinking would be the enemy. Maybe that's why he jumped all over Ruiz after the initial knockdown rather than be composed and methodical (like he usually is). Who knows. We may never know. He's not mentally strong and isn't emotionally resilient, so you could be right that it got into his head.

[overhand_right]

What i wanna know is this,who taught AJ to throw a jab to the body with a guy who is 4 inches plus shorter than you and is fast as fvk for a heavyweight? Why on earth would joshua throw a single jab to the body anyway? He is 6 foot 6 and should be using his jab to his advantage not throwing lazy jabs to the body of ruiz.

Mad wasn't it? Could you imagine Lennox Lewis leaning down just to jab David Tua in the belly? Suicide!

[dr_devious]

Second coming. Of Frank Bruno.

Bruno would have mullered Andy Ruiz

[HomicideHenry]

Bellew has got to be the worst at making predictions in boxing

[Oiky]

I like bellew but he talks a load of s**t at times

[Ezzard]

Rematch could easily go AJ's way. Then again the same thing might happen.

Joshua used to like to move opponents around the ring and then fire off combinations...imposing himself upon them.

Perhaps the out of the ring side has taken its toll? Maybe he just got scrambled by Ruiz's combos and never got right again.

But it was odd how much talking he was doing in the corner. Better to just breathe and listen.

Well done Ruiz.

[Ezzard]

I think AJ is a good guy but it was a bit cringe-y when he took the microphone. He's not the champ any more. The show is over.

I think and hope he stays with it and comes back,

[MasterG]

Full fight now available on youtube alternative Dailymotion.




First time ive seen the fight in full and what i noticed was that AJ never forced the fight at all. He was always stand off-ish and never seemed to have the desire as a world champion. Also when he got tagged he went into the same mode as Frank Bruno would, didnt know what to do in that circumstance when getting tagged.

I think if AJ had desire and forced the fight he could have stopped Ruiz inside that 3 rounds.

I dont know why he doesnt force the fight and take the fight to the challenger, its almost like he didnt like the fight right from the off.

[ILikeBeer]

Been telling you all for years this guys guff. Another Frank Bruno.

I still rate Bruno as a decent fighter, just not an elite one.

Rocked Tyson, and was leading Lewis on points was Bruno.

His chin/stamina let him down against the top boys.

[overhand_right]

I think if AJ had desire and forced the fight he could have stopped Ruiz inside that 3 rounds.

What? It was his trying to force the fight and finish things in the 3rd that got him beat!

[MasterG]

What? It was his trying to force the fight and finish things in the 3rd that got him beat!

Joshua works off the jab and goes backwards letting the Ruiz do the hunting. I think if it was the opposite the fight could have been different. Joshua is no Mike Tyson but Tyson came out and didnt give his opponents time to settle into a fight. I just think AJ lets his opposition do that rather than getting stuck in and giving them no time to think about a plan of action.

Ruiz did great, he beat the world champion and fair do's, but he wont be holder for long. Fury needs some spark.

[Ricky]

Full fight now available on youtube alternative Dailymotion.




First time ive seen the fight in full and what i noticed was that AJ never forced the fight at all. He was always stand off-ish and never seemed to have the desire as a world champion. Also when he got tagged he went into the same mode as Frank Bruno would, didnt know what to do in that circumstance when getting tagged.

I think if AJ had desire and forced the fight he could have stopped Ruiz inside that 3 rounds.

I dont know why he doesnt force the fight and take the fight to the challenger, its almost like he didnt like the fight right from the off.

Bollocks, you really think it is as simple as "take the fight to him"? He didn't step to Ruiz because he was getting counter-punched to shreds by a guy who not only had much faster hands, but much greater output and superior timing. Even a hurt Ruiz in R3 got the much better of a toe-to-toe exchange with AJ.

[overhand_right]

Joshua works off the jab and goes backwards letting the Ruiz do the hunting. I think if it was the opposite the fight could have been different. Joshua is no Mike Tyson but Tyson came out and didnt give his opponents time to settle into a fight. I just think AJ lets his opposition do that rather than getting stuck in and giving them no time to think about a plan of action.

Ruiz did great, he beat the world champion and fair do's, but he wont be holder for long. Fury needs some spark.

Fair enough. I think AJ had to give ground because Ruiz moves his head and throws so well. If Joshua tries go forward in the rematch I think he'll get sparked quickly. I don't think anyone is going to be attacking Andy Ruiz head on.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Has anyone seen the video of AJ getting his hands wrapped?

He does not seem to know where he is.

[Controversial]

Has anyone seen the video of AJ getting his hands wrapped?

He does not seem to know where he is.

Can't find it, could you post a link please?