ON a night of desert storms, Anthony Joshua found an oasis of calm to recapture the heavyweight championship of the world.
The composed Brit outclassed Andy Ruiz Jr, the flabby Mexican who had ripped away his belts in a New York mugging six months ago.
Anthony Joshua reclaimed his heavyweight belts in Saudi ArabiaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Joshua outpointed Ruiz to avenge his first career defeat last JuneCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
Ruiz immediately called for a trilogy bout to decide the rivalryCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Learning his lessons from that stunning defeat, Joshua showed the intelligence to keep his distance and allow his superior technique to earn a unanimous points victory.
This was only the second time the 30-year-old from Watford had gone the distance as a pro but the result was never in doubt as he dominated all but the occasional round.
After regaining his WBA, IBF and WBO titles, Joshua can retrain his sights on becoming the first undisputed heavyweight king since Lennox Lewis.
He will want the winner of a likely re-match between WBC king Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury before long.
For now, AJ can satisfy himself with a job well done here in this ‘Clash on the Dunes’ in the Saudi Arabian capital.
Now his belts are returned, his battered reputation restored and doubts about his continuing appetite blown away. A purse of around £66million isn’t a bad little bonus, either.
Joshua came out and used his range from the first roundCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
In the first quarter Ruiz struggled to get into distance to land shotsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
AJ landed the first meaningful shot with a right hookCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Ruiz, the weeble with porcelain-doll features, seemed to have enjoyed his stunning success a little too much — looking out of shape and only ever standing a big puncher’s chance.
Joshua’s reckless June defeat in New York, when he was knocked down four times on his way to a seventh-round stoppage, seems a distant memory now.
The staging of this fight in Saudi had been controversial.
As so often in boxing, a hunger for money outweighed any concerns over the lamentable human-rights record in this kingdom.
But for Joshua it was all about the business of taking back lost property.
At a mighty 20st 3lb, Ruiz Jr was the second heaviest man ever to contest a world title fight — after the 7ft tall Russian man Nikolai Valuev.
The long right hand caused a cut above Ruiz’s left eyeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Ruiz finished AJ off in round seven of their initial fightCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
This cheerful chubster had looked as laid-back as possible all week, the permanent grin, the weigh-in sombrero, giving the impression he did not have a care in the world.
The question was how Joshua would react to his stunning defeat after seven years of relentless glory from London 2012 gold, through 22 straight professional victories before that ambush from Ruiz which had turned the heavyweight division on its head.
Before that, we’d all been anticipating any combination of Joshua, Fury and Wilder getting it on.
Suddenly the unknown fat lad had three of the four meaningful world heavyweight title belts.
Here, the Brit was leaner, quieter, seemingly laser-focused — claiming he’d been relentlessly training and studying the sweet science within weeks of his Madison Square Garden humbling.
Last night’s build-up had an air of chaos about it, with Joshua finding himself temporarily lost in the desert rain.
Joshua was battling once again for the unified heavyweight titlesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Joshua came out and used his range from the first roundCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
In the first quarter Ruiz struggled to get into distance to land shotsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
His police escort sent Joshua’s car the wrong way on his way from central Riyadh to this 15,000-seater purpose-built stadium in the dusty outskirts.
And here in the third-driest nation on Earth, we’d experienced heavy downpours from mid- afternoon.
The many British fans who’d booked to come without realising the nation was completely dry of alcohol would have been hoping for a different kind of liquid.
Suddenly the main purpose of their trip seemed to be threatened by the prospect of electrical storms calling off the whole shebang.
Yet after another burst of hosing rain, Joshua made his ring-walk — with the unfamiliar task of having to do so before his opponent — a knight in white satin, sauntering out through red, white and blue laserbeams.
After Ruiz emerged in gaudy gold and countless anthems were played, Joshua produced a textbook opening round, keeping Ruiz at distance, then rocking the champion with a straight right which cut him above the right eye.
Joshua was bloodied himself in the second as Ruiz landed a firm jab but it was the Brit’s round again, as he rocked the Mexican with a right over the top followed by a clubbing left hook.
AJ landed the first meaningful shot with a right hookCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The long right hand caused a cut above Ruiz’s left eyeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Ruiz finished AJ off in round seven of their initial fightCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Joshua was battling once again for the unified heavyweight titlesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The challenger’s superior ringcraft was all too apparent in the third as he ducked, weaved and occasionally stung Ruiz.
But after Joshua had landed a decent combination, Ruiz caught him with a naughty left to the back of the head followed by a right hook and the Watford man looked in trouble for the first time.
Joshua won the fifth with some neat, controlled work and clocked Ruiz with a big left hook in six.
Ruiz’s head was rocked back by a big right in the seventh, with Joshua continuing to dominate.
Yet the champion rallied strongly in the eighth, unsettling his man with a big left as he sought the knock-out punch he clearly needed. The ninth was Joshua’s as he restored order then landed a flashy combination before he reached the final bell on cruise control.
The decision was never in doubt and the judges’ scorecards of 118-110, 118-110, 119-109 gave it unanimously to Joshua.
AJ hugged Ruiz before the Brit’s dad, Robert, climbed into the ring to congratulate his son.
Joshua got a quick wipe down before hugging promoter Eddie Hearn — just six months ago he wanted to chin him over the shock loss in New York.
Then to a jubilant crowd AJ embraced Ruiz again before holding his belts aloft in triumph.
There were still a few spots of blood still caught in his sideburn — but in the end this was just a bloody good well done.
Ruiz was looking for his famous left hook throughout the fightCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Joshua threatened to stop Ruiz but remained disciplined in his boxingCredit: PA:Press Association
Ruiz took his fair share of right hands and was slowed down by the power of AJCredit: Reuters
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
