All eyes were watching Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) as he made his American debut on Saturday, June 1, 2019 from The Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden.
The unified Heavyweight champion took on former title challenger Andy Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) in what seemed to be nothing more than a tune up and a non-competitive matchup. Simply put, Joshua was supposed to not just win, but do so in impressive fashion.
Just a few short weeks ago on May 18, 2019, WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder absolutely destroyed No. 1 challenger Dominic Breazeale. Now, it was Joshua’s turn.
The stage had been set, Joshua would come in and destroy Ruiz–who was a late replacement for the original undefeated opponent and Brooklyn native, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller.
The only problem is that someone forgot to inform Ruiz. The one-time title challenger absolutely wiped the floor with Joshua. To be frank, it wasn’t a very competitive matchup.
As the contest started off, both men seemed to be hesitant to let their hands go, it was Joshua who got the party started in the third round as he connected with a short left hook that sent Ruiz to the canvas for the first time in his career.
Like the true Mexican warrior that he is, Ruiz got up off the deck and not only began to fight back, but he actually dropped Joshua with a strong combination. It wasn’t a flash knockdown either as Joshua was seriously hurt.
To Joshua’s credit he got back up, but he quickly hit the deck again as Ruiz closed the round strong. Ruiz had all of the momentum going in to the fourth round but he didn’t jump all over his man.
Instead, he took his time and began to pick Joshua apart. The unified champion had his moments of success but it wasn’t enough. In Round 7, Ruiz really poured it on as he dropped Joshua once again. But a resilient Joshua got up once again.
Ruiz wasted no time as he knocked him down one final time. As AJ gathered himself on one knee, he spit out his mouthpiece. After rising to his feet and looking a bit unsteady in the corner, the referee determined that Joshua couldn’t continue and called off the match.
With the win, Ruiz is now the first Mexican Heavyweight champion in history. After the contest, Joshua showed nothing but class.
“Heavyweight boxing baby,” said Joshua as he tried to explained what happened. “Thank you to the people who came out this evening. That’s number one. Thank you to DAZN, Sky Sports, Andy Ruiz. Heavyweight boxing is on fire. I just have to turn it around a few notches and bring it back my way. I don’t want people to drown in their sorrows. This will show I have the power and the strength.”
In terms of a rematch. AJ–like promoter Eddie Hearn–made it clear that he wants it, no questions about it.
“100 percent. 100 percent,” said Joshua.
Ruiz was obviously excited to get the victory and make his dreams come true.
“I want to thank God for giving me this victory, without him this wouldn’t be possible,” said Ruiz. “I just feel so good, man. This is what I have been dreaming about. This is what I have been working hard for. I can’t believe I just made my dreams come true. I just want to thank my team and my family. The sky is the limit, baby.”
With the huge upset, it’s safe to say that Ruiz has shaken up the Heavyweight division.
Andy Ruiz defeats Anthony Joshua in shocking fashion. Eddie Hearn says we can expect a rematch in the UK later this year. #Boxing #JoshuaRuizpic.twitter.com/s1kYfmA1Mb
