TYSON FURY warned Anthony Joshua’s career is over if he suffers another knockout defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr.
Brit star AJ was left on his hands and knees four times in June after being stunned by 19st underdog Ruiz, surrendering his unified titles in seven rounds in New York.
Anthony Joshua faces a career-defining night when he rematches Andy Ruiz JrCredit: AP:Associated Press
Tyson Fury says AJ will walk away from boxing if he is KOd by Ruiz againCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Joshua, 30, prepares for a career-defining night in two weeks as he rematches the Mexican-American, also 30, in Saudi Arabia.
But his domestic rival reckons the multi-millionaire will walk away from the sport if he is once again battered by Snickers lover Ruiz.
Fury told the True Geordie podcast: “If he gets knocked out twice in a row, I can’t see him continuing to be fair.
“Every man does what he wants to do but I think – he doesn’t need the money and two knockout losses is a shattering to your career.”
Joshua is in a similar positioned heavyweight legend Lennox Lewis twice overcame, after shock KO losses to Hasim Rahman and Olivier McCall.
But Lewis bounced back from both to score stoppage wins.
However, Fury said AJ is not mentally strong enough to follow suit and gain revenge – claiming the 6ft 6in ex-champion is already a beaten man going into the rematch.
He added: “I don’t think that Ruiz Jr is too good, but my opinion is he’s won already and knocked him out so he’s got a mental edge going into the rematch.
Anthony Joshua works up a sweat at at the English Institute of Sport ahead of his big fight against Andy Ruiz Jr
“Joshua is going into it mentally beaten already because he’s been knocked out.
“Boxing is 95 per cent in the mind anyway. It wasn’t a lucky punch, I gave Joshua one round out of the seven.
“Everyone has a bogeyman in their career, I think personally that Ruiz Jr is the bogeyman for Joshua.”
Ruiz defends the WBA, IBF and WBO belts against AJ
Fury reckons Joshua is already mentally beaten going into the Ruiz rematchCredit: Mark Robinson Ltd
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
