It was the chubby slugger that reigned supreme as Andy Ruiz shocks Anthony Joshua in an upset. Boxing's glamour division is definitely going to get shaken up after this.
The bout was supposed to be Joshua's night. The previously unbeaten Joshua was supposed to take his talents Stateside in his first fight out of his home country of England.
Joshua was coming in to Madison Square Garden with a previously unbeaten record of 22-0 with 21 of those victories coming inside the distance.
He was supposed to have a supposed inevitable unification bout with World Boxing Council champion Deontay Wilder.
Fate had other plans though...
Enter Andy Ruiz
The Mexican-American Ruiz took the fight on short notice after original opponent Jarrell Miller was tested positive for banned substances.
Nobody gave the chubby 268-pound Ruiz a chance according to him. "Everyone's been doubting me since the beginning," he said.
Ruiz's style was that of a slugger similar to Eric Esch's or better known as "Butterbean." He got kocked down once in the third round before teeing off.
He knocked down Joshia twice in that same round and did the same again in the seventh. It was at 1:26 mark of that round that he officially declared his arrival.
"I'm here now, the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world."
The native of Imperial City on the California border with Mexico pulled off a "Buster" Douglas as his win was similar to Douglas' 1990 knockout of Mike Tyson in Japan.
Rematch is the only way
Joshua is clearly still the same talented boxer he is. Ruiz just turned out the better one that night."I just have to turn it around a few notches and bring it back my way," Joshua said. "I don't want people to drown in their sorrows. This will show I have the power and the strength," he added.
Wilder vs Joshua must happen but the former still has an upcoming rematch against Luis Ortiz and a possible rematch with Tyson Fury in early 2020 as well.
Ruiz should only be the one to fit into their plans for the future. Joshua already said he "100 percent" wants a rematch.
The rematch might be in the United Kingdom though as Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn suggests. Possible dates are either in November or December.
"Right now, I just want to celebrate," Ruiz said. "This is what I have been dreaming about since I was six years old."
Will Anthony Joshua bounce back from the loss? Will Andy Ruiz be able to prove his win is no fluke? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
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