If Ruiz beats Joshua

[marvelous marv]

If Andy Ruiz beats Joshua it sets in motion several events. Here is a scenario I can see playing out.

Ruiz will unify with winner of Fury-Wilder for WBC, WBA and Lineal titles.

If he unifies in his following fight he will be stripped by the IBF and WBO.

The IBF title will be fought between Pulev and Kownacki

The WBO title will be fought between Usyk and an undetermined challenger.

Further unification fights will likely take place between the winners.

[margaret thatcher]

Dang Wilder is already 35 next year, seems like yesterday he was part of the young new generation. Too much time has passed with so few of those big fights materializing.

[kbackup408]

If Ruiz wins in December the Fury/Wilder bout won't happen instead there will be an undisputed fight in summer 2020

[Enlightened-One]

If Andy Ruiz beats Joshua it sets in motion several events. Here is a scenario I can see playing out.

Ruiz will unify with winner of Fury-Wilder for WBC, WBA and Lineal titles.

If he unifies in his following fight he will be stripped by the IBF and WBO.

The IBF title will be fought between Pulev and Kownacki

The WBO title will be fought between Usyk and an undetermined challenger.

Further unification fights will likely take place between the winners.

If AJ beats Ruiz Jr., the Brit is going to vacate his WBO title in order to perform a mandatory defence of his IBF strap against Kubrat Pulev, with Usyk challenging for the newly-vacated title.

Eddie Hearn has already confirmed this. And this strategic manoeuvre makes sense, since AJ and Usyk are both Matchroom/DAZN stablemates.

I agree, if Ruiz Jr. wins, the IBF and WBO titles will be vacated. The Mexican-American will be pushed towards a bout against the winner of the Wilder-Fury rematch.

Of course, there is the possibility that the AJ-Ruiz Jr. rematch could be profitable enough to potentially warrant an immediate third bout of a trilogy. And in this scenario, Anthony Joshua vacates both the IBF and WBO straps.

Kubrat Pulev’s mandatory challenger status with the IBF presents a big problem for DAZN and the PBC, since neither boxing content provider would be eager to orchestrate an event against an unpopular fighter aligned with a rival promoter/network.

[tiny_acres]

Wilder vs Fury 2 will not happen in February.
The winner of Joshua-Ruiz will face Wilder early 2020

[siablo14]

Wilder vs Fury 2 will not happen in February.
The winner of Joshua-Ruiz will face Wilder early 2020

So no undisputed anytime soon and Fury will still be lineal?

[drunkenpiper36]

I’m always skeptical of unification bouts happening these days. Especially at heavyweight. A year ago this time we had a nice line of matches materializing and now it seems to be dissolving.

[siablo14]

I’m always skeptical of unification bouts happening these days. Especially at heavyweight. A year ago this time we had a nice line of matches materializing and now it seems to be dissolving.

Joshua was unifying. Had all the belts except Wilder's.

[Bandog]

Any chance Ruiz has a rematch clause if he loses since he is the unified champ and Joshua is the challenger? Trilogy/rubber match?

[siablo14]

Any chance Ruiz has a rematch clause if he loses since he is the unified champ and Joshua is the challenger? Trilogy/rubber match?

Nah. Ruiz cant have a rematch clause because Ruiz has to do the rematch because Joshua had a rematch clause for the first fight.

[tiny_acres]

Wilder vs Fury 2 will not happen in February.
The winner of Joshua-Ruiz will face Wilder early 2020

So no undisputed anytime soon and Fury will still be lineal?

Fury is already showing little to no interest in the Wilder rematch

[gilgamesh]

So no undisputed anytime soon and Fury will still be lineal?

Fury is already showing little to no interest in the Wilder rematch

Because the last round he was sharing the ring with him he was barely picking himself up off the canvas. He probably is thinking about just leaving well enough alone with the guy

[tiny_acres]

Fury is already showing little to no interest in the Wilder rematch

Because the last round he was sharing the ring with him he was barely picking himself up off the canvas. He probably is thinking about just leaving well enough alone with the guy

I agree

[margaret thatcher]

Any chance Ruiz has a rematch clause if he loses since he is the unified champ and Joshua is the challenger? Trilogy/rubber match?

Maybe they will fight each other for eternity due to never ending alternating rematch clauses

[margaret thatcher]

Because the last round he was sharing the ring with him he was barely picking himself up off the canvas. He probably is thinking about just leaving well enough alone with the guy

I agree

Ducking like a bitch then, would rather take fake punches

[drunkenpiper36]

I’m always skeptical of unification bouts happening these days. Especially at heavyweight. A year ago this time we had a nice line of matches materializing and now it seems to be dissolving.

Joshua was unifying. Had all the belts except Wilder's.

True but I was speaking more in terms of the best fighting the best.

[Nightmare Roy]

Wilder vs Fury 2 will not happen in February.
The winner of Joshua-Ruiz will face Wilder early 2020

Can’t see AJ fighting Wilder even if he wins, his team will put the brakes right on that one I think

[Best Coast]

Wilder vs Fury 2 will not happen in February.
The winner of Joshua-Ruiz will face Wilder early 2020

So no undisputed anytime soon and Fury will still be lineal?

By this time next year Fury might be "lineal champ" of WWE!!

[Boxtune]

If Andy Ruiz beats Joshua it sets in motion several events. Here is a scenario I can see playing out.

Ruiz will unify with winner of Fury-Wilder for WBC, WBA and Lineal titles.

If he unifies in his following fight he will be stripped by the IBF and WBO.

The IBF title will be fought between Pulev and Kownacki

The WBO title will be fought between Usyk and an undetermined challenger.

Further unification fights will likely take place between the winners.

If AJ beats Ruiz Jr., the Brit is going to vacate his WBO title in order to perform a mandatory defence of his IBF strap against Kubrat Pulev, with Usyk challenging for the newly-vacated title.

Eddie Hearn has already confirmed this. And this strategic manoeuvre makes sense, since AJ and Usyk are both Matchroom/DAZN stablemates.

I agree, if Ruiz Jr. wins, the IBF and WBO titles will be vacated. The Mexican-American will be pushed towards a bout against the winner of the Wilder-Fury rematch.

Of course, there is the possibility that the AJ-Ruiz Jr. rematch could be profitable enough to potentially warrant an immediate third bout of a trilogy. And in this scenario, Anthony Joshua vacates both the IBF and WBO straps.

Kubrat Pulev’s mandatory challenger status with the IBF presents a big problem for DAZN and the PBC, since neither boxing content provider would be eager to orchestrate an event against an unpopular fighter aligned with a rival promoter/network.

Pulev fight never going to be popular with british boxing, because they know pulev is British Buster

[Enlightened-One]

Pulev fight never going to be popular with british boxing, because they know pulev is British Buster

Kubrat Pulev is never going to be popular for fight fans originating from English-speaking countries due to his:

• Politically-incorrect behaviour (as per the Jenny Sushe situation, which probably deeply-offended sensitive-minded millennials)
• His fighting style is unattractive and an acquired taste (as per his bouts against the likes of Kevin Johnson, Hughie Fury & Dereck Chisora)
• His limited English vocabulary (this applies to most fighters that struggle with the language, barring notable exceptions, such as the charismatic and zany Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk)
• His resume (he’s been a pro for a decade and world-dated for the last seven years, but only engaged in one marquee bout)
• The lack of marketing and a general push by ESPN & Top Rank

I don’t agree with your evaluation about British people being so patriotic that they’ll aggressively despise any fighter that defeats home-grown talent, since the likes of Mike Tyson, GGG, Lomachenko, Wladimir Klitschko etc. are all adored by UK fans of the sport.

[Cyclops]

Because the last round he was sharing the ring with him he was barely picking himself up off the canvas. He probably is thinking about just leaving well enough alone with the guy

I agree

I am also coming around to this line of thinking.

I can’t think of another fighter so disliked that managed to regain so much good will and praise and then squander it all again so much as Tyson Fury.

For all if his hatred towards David Haye he’s just as much a car salesman bullshit artist.

[Cyclops]

So no undisputed anytime soon and Fury will still be lineal?

By this time next year Fury might be "lineal champ" of WWE!!

Not if this gloves thing gains more traction.

[ewenhay]

Pulev fight never going to be popular with british boxing, because they know pulev is British Buster

Kubrat Pulev is never going to be popular for fight fans originating from English-speaking countries due to his:

• Politically-incorrect behaviour (as per the Jenny Sushe situation, which probably deeply-offended sensitive-minded millennials)
• His fighting style is unattractive and an acquired taste (as per his bouts against the likes of Kevin Johnson, Hughie Fury & Dereck Chisora)
• His limited English vocabulary (this applies to most fighters that struggle with the language, barring notable exceptions, such as the charismatic and zany Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk)
• His resume (he’s been a pro for a decade and world-dated for the last seven years, but only engaged in one marquee bout)
• The lack of marketing and a general push by ESPN & Top Rank

I don’t agree with your evaluation about British people being so patriotic that they’ll aggressively despise any fighter that defeats home-grown talent, since the likes of Mike Tyson, GGG, Lomachenko, Wladimir Klitschko etc. are all adored by UK fans of the sport.

Yep.

I don't think we're particularly patriotic when it comes to boxers. It's very much about individual personalities. For every person you find who wants a British boxer to win you'll find another who wants to see him get beat. Joshua, Fury all split the audience. Even young Josh Taylor has a lot of people who want to see him get beat.

Although there are always a few boxers that attract the broader national support but they're very much in the minority... Cooper, Bruno, Hatton spring to mind.