Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua II - 7 December 2019

[margaret thatcher]

AJ has slowish feet but his hands are not slow at all

[Bard of Boxrec]

It was, nice and compact and at the end of a combo. AJ can actually throw some real good inside heat, but he got too happy with himself in the follow up. There is lots of stuff that 'oh, it wasn't just 1 shot, it was a prolonged beatdown', and while that's true, I think AJ never was himself after getting floored. I think he will win the rounds as long as he's not hurt...that will be the issue for him. Can he avoid getting stung again? Will he mentally unravel if he does

This mentally unravelling bs is a massive red herring, as much so as the ‘he got beat up’ narrative. People talk like there was some huge skill deficit. There wasn’t, he just got clumsy, waded in and tagged, and he didn’t recover. It won’t happen again.

[margaret thatcher]

I don't think he mentally unravelled so much in the first fight (it was mostly physical), but when a guy has KO'd you before I wonder how he reacts if Ruiz can hurt him again. Does it set off flashbacks or 'here we go again, remember how this ended last time''? We haven't seen him come back from a loss before.

[Bard of Boxrec]

He’s not David price.

People forget the resume AJ had before this, the best in the division . He’s been in the trenches before and came back. He’s going to come out relaxed and loose, but focused.

[Tuan_Jim]

Even if AJ somehow builds himself a big lead, it can still end suddenly. Ruiz can read Joshua and can see and react to an opening. That's a dangerous proposition for a chinny bodybuilder who has to outsource his thinking to his corner, and needs to be reminded what to do after every round. At some point in 36 minutes Joshua is walking into a trap. I see Ruiz finishing him so violently he won't even be awake to eat his humble pie--something I'm sure Ruiz will enjoy taking from him, just as he took his titles, undefeated record, and soul!

[Bard of Boxrec]

Even if AJ somehow builds himself a big lead, it can still end suddenly. Ruiz can read Joshua and can see and react to an opening. That's a dangerous proposition for a chinny bodybuilder who has to outsource his thinking to his corner, and needs to be reminded what to do after every round. At some point in 36 minutes Joshua is walking into a trap. I see Ruiz finishing him so violently he won't even be awake to eat his humble pie--something I'm sure Ruiz will enjoy taking from him, just as he took his titles, undefeated record, and soul!

There may not be enough humble pie to go around for all the AJ haters, so I hope you like poultry. the chef will be serving up some Crow for folks to eat if need be.

[smiling assassin]

I want AJ to win I like him. Let's not forget He didn't get knocked out by 1 punch he took abit of a hiding and looked for a way out. He was getting the fight beat out of him and if he don't get Ruiz out of there early this time he will have the fight beat out of him again and he will look for a way out Again!

[Bard of Boxrec]

I want AJ to win I like him. Let's not forget He didn't get knocked out by 1 punch he took abit of a hiding and looked for a way out. He was getting the fight beat out of him and if he don't get Ruiz out of there early this time he will have the fight beat out of him again and he will look for a way out Again!

He was hit by a shot that took his legs away and made him a sitting duck. So yes, he was effectively knocked out by 1 punch.

[smiling assassin]

I want AJ to win I like him. Let's not forget He didn't get knocked out by 1 punch he took abit of a hiding and looked for a way out. He was getting the fight beat out of him and if he don't get Ruiz out of there early this time he will have the fight beat out of him again and he will look for a way out Again!

He was hit by a shot that took his legs away and made him a sitting duck. So yes, he was effectively knocked out by 1 punch.

That's not how I saw it mate

[cormack]

Even if AJ somehow builds himself a big lead, it can still end suddenly. Ruiz can read Joshua and can see and react to an opening. That's a dangerous proposition for a chinny bodybuilder who has to outsource his thinking to his corner, and needs to be reminded what to do after every round. At some point in 36 minutes Joshua is walking into a trap. I see Ruiz finishing him so violently he won't even be awake to eat his humble pie--something I'm sure Ruiz will enjoy taking from him, just as he took his titles, undefeated record, and soul!

are you a genuine Ruiz fan or just a hateful prat ?

[MightyWarrior]

I agree the one shot pretty much finished Josh, but I would add that at the end of the round ruiz caught him with another beauty, and that left the fight signed, sealed and delivered for the fat man from Mexico.
Going by memory, the shot that Joshua put him over with was about as good as it gets, and should’ve knocked most heavyweight out, especially as JR didn’t even see it coming. And he got up firing back: that is one excellent chin; but obviously if the Brit gets on top, there is a chance he can grind him down late.....

I am going to be massively nervous watching the early rounds Saturday night

[Tuan_Jim]

Even if AJ somehow builds himself a big lead, it can still end suddenly. Ruiz can read Joshua and can see and react to an opening. That's a dangerous proposition for a chinny bodybuilder who has to outsource his thinking to his corner, and needs to be reminded what to do after every round. At some point in 36 minutes Joshua is walking into a trap. I see Ruiz finishing him so violently he won't even be awake to eat his humble pie--something I'm sure Ruiz will enjoy taking from him, just as he took his titles, undefeated record, and soul!

are you a genuine Ruiz fan or just a hateful prat ?

The two things are not mutually exclusive

[Tuan_Jim]

[oogiebe]

AJ dropped Ruiz early and with like the first serious clean power shot he landed, Andy's chin and the whole thing about being able to walk through AJ's best maybe being a bit overplayed. I don't think Ruiz really withstood Joshua's best offense and certainly he didn't take many big shots because after AJ went down Josh didn't throw many

When Ruiz got up and before the first AJ knockdown, AJ hit him with a howitzer right hand. Ruiz kept coming in. Go watch the highlights.

[oogiebe]

I'd be more worried something was off if there weren't reports of AJ getting his ass kicked in sparring

That would also mean that he's not just technical sparring. AJ needs rounds of real sparring. So good for him!

[margaret thatcher]

Seen it. Ruiz was down from like the first clean power shot AJ landed (must've been harder than the right) and Ruiz did not get hit with much overall. That is hardly some clear indication he can just walk through AJ's offense if he's getting hit regularly

[oogiebe]

Seen it. Ruiz was down from like the first clean power shot AJ landed (must've been harder than the right) and Ruiz did not get hit with much overall. That is hardly some clear indication he can just walk through AJ's offense if he's getting hit regularly

The right was harder but he saw it. He never saw that left hook. It was a thing of beauty.

[margaret thatcher]

It's not always the biggest looking shots that do it, sometimes a guy can take a flush shot but then be badly hurt by something seemingly less even if he sees it. It's the effect that counts. Getting dropped by like the first clean power shot of AJ and not having to take that many big shots hardly leaves me with the impression that Ruiz can just walk through his fire power. AJ had very little follow up to his KD of Ruiz and didn't land anything big after

[Tuan_Jim]

That power shot that decked Ruiz and that the Joshua leaning side are investing so much in was only landed because Ruiz made a silly mistake. He is smart enough not to put himself in that position again, thus won't be required to absorb lots of power shots. Joshua meanwhile will need an earpiece and a constant stream of instruction from McCracken to not put himself in any vulnerable positions as the fight progresses.

The man more likely to adapt and improve is the one who was boxing 12 years before Joshua walked into a gym.

[oogiebe]

That power shot that decked Ruiz and that the Joshua leaning side are investing so much in was only landed because Ruiz made a silly mistake. He is smart enough not to put himself in that position again, thus won't be required to absorb lots of power shots. Joshua meanwhile will need an earpiece and a constant stream of instruction from McCracken to not put himself in any vulnerable positions as the fight progresses.

The man more likely to adapt and improve is the one who was boxing 12 years before Joshua walked into a gym.

The bolded statement is a good point and one I think most of us know is true. I think if AJ gives up the body and protects the head, he'll have a good chance to not repeat June 1. He won't be dancing like a butterfly or holding like Wlad. But ,he can learn what I said.

[Ricky]

That power shot that decked Ruiz and that the Joshua leaning side are investing so much in was only landed because Ruiz made a silly mistake. He is smart enough not to put himself in that position again, thus won't be required to absorb lots of power shots. Joshua meanwhile will need an earpiece and a constant stream of instruction from McCracken to not put himself in any vulnerable positions as the fight progresses.

The man more likely to adapt and improve is the one who was boxing 12 years before Joshua walked into a gym.

I don't think Ruiz was hurt by it either, he looked shell shocked but got up on solid legs.

I think Ruiz is all wrong for AJ, he's a solid beard and faster hands, much more fluid on the inside. I don't see how AJ wins.

[Bard of Boxrec]

That power shot that decked Ruiz and that the Joshua leaning side are investing so much in was only landed because Ruiz made a silly mistake. He is smart enough not to put himself in that position again, thus won't be required to absorb lots of power shots. Joshua meanwhile will need an earpiece and a constant stream of instruction from McCracken to not put himself in any vulnerable positions as the fight progresses.

The man more likely to adapt and improve is the one who was boxing 12 years before Joshua walked into a gym.

What silly mistake? AJ clobbers him with a crisp uppercut in close and times a perfect left hook in that split second he was rocked from the first shot. Nothing Ruiz could have done, it was all AJ.

[Coco]

Ai watched the first fight again tonight. For me Joshua was dazed and not right after the first knockdown., this was the issue not this array of talents developed in his amateur days.
Yes for a heavyweight Ruiz is quite fast and fluid but nothing that great, I don't think he is a banger either.
Unless Joshua has gone completely gunshy, I expect him to dominate at length and win by stoppage.

[margaret thatcher]

His record before didn't show him as much of a banger, though he obviously banged AJ

[dve3333]

I think the worry for Joshua's team going into the rematch has to be the hand speed of Ruiz. He could never get a handle of it and came off 2nd best in so many exchanges even ones he initiated.
The big question is whether it was the after effects of the concussive knockdown and he wasn't fully there or if he's unable to deal with it. If the going gets tough and Ruiz gets chances to trade in close does Joshua have the capabilities to ride the storm or get flashbacks to June 1....