Andy Ruiz defied the odds to sensationally upstage Anthony Joshua and dethrone the unified world heavyweight champion via a seventh-round TKO.
Joshua was expected to make light work of Ruiz, who replaced Jarrell Miller for the Madison Square Garden showdown after he failed a drugs test, in his United States debut on Saturday.
However, Joshua lost his WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO belts after the referee dramatically stopped the fight in the seventh round in New York.
It was a stunning comeback by Ruiz (33-1), who was sent to the canvas in the third round before dropping Joshua twice in response as the British star struggled to make it to the bell.
Joshua (22-1) appeared to find his feet but he was floored twice again in the seventh, which prompted the end to the fight in front of a shocked crowd following the huge upset – snapping his unbeaten 22-fight record.
Amid growing calls for a blockbuster clash with WBC holder Deontay Wilder, Joshua had warned of a dangerous clash against Ruiz – who had won 32 of his previous 33 professional fights.
Wilder sent a message to Joshua in the aftermath of the loss.
"He wasn’t a true champion. His whole career was consisted of lies, contradictions and gifts. Facts and now we know who was running from who," Wilder stated.
Wilder is already scheduled to face Luis Ortiz in a rematch this coming fall, and then he has a rematch lined up against Tyson Fury in early 2020.
2023-10-23 09:56:50
