The rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz looks to be all systems with go, with promoter Eddie Hearn confirming that the bout will either take place in New York in November or Cardiff in December. Naturally, Joshua’s camp are leaning towards the rematch taking place in South Wales as the 29-year-old has a faultless record at the Principality Stadium.
This, however, won’t be like any other fight that Joshua has had in Cardiff given that when he squared up against Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker, the Watford-born fighter still had an air of invincibility about him. Two flush punches from Andy Ruiz to the side of Joshua’s head smashed that illusion and now the Englishman is very much in a fight for his career when the two meet again.
You can see Joshua being the one man to change that trend but then again, you can also see Ruiz knocking him out and bringing the curtain down on his career then and there. What it will probably come down to is Ruiz’s preparation and whether he considers himself a legitimate champion or whether he sees himself as an imposter. If it’s the former, then there is more than enough reason to think that Ruiz will drop his hands and come to fight which will prove too much for Joshua.
We’ve seen that Ruiz has explosive power and more than enough in his hands to send a man of Joshua’s size to the canvas with ease so even if Joshua does sit on his jab and look for a points victory, which seems the Londoner’s best way of reclaiming his belts, Ruiz will still pose a dangerous threat given that power is always the last thing to go. Similar to Deontay Wilder, Ruiz has the knockout punch in his locker right up until the final bell of the 12th.
Joshua though, despite all the turmoil he finds himself in, has the chance to bounce back and begin building his value again. Tyson Fury says he is finished after the first defeat to Ruiz but that isn’t quite true, a win in the rematch and people will put the Madison Square Garden loss down to an off night.
A loss though and that will be that for Eddie Hearn’s golden goose as he will go so far to the back of the heavyweight queue that guys like Dereck Chisora and David Price may pass up fights with him. Make no mistake, Anthony Joshua will be fighting for his boxing life come the rematch.