Anthony Joshua has reclaimed the WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight titles after defeating Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr. in their rematch.
British Boxer Anthony Joshua won a unanimous decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. to recover his previously held heavyweight titles during their "Clash on the Dunes" rematch on Saturday night in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
Learning from his upset loss to Ruiz in June, Joshua had a different game plan entering the bout. He avoided trading power punches with Ruiz the entire fight and instead used the ring to dance around his opponent while landing jabs and hooks whenever the opportunity arises.
Joshua said: "I know that my fans like to see me knock people out and I can do that but sometimes with certain fighters you have to box smarter. I understand what Andy brought to the table so I had to decapitate him in a different way."
Meanwhile, the defeated Ruiz admitted that he lacked preparation prior to the fight because he was enjoying the fruits of his shock victory in the first match between the two boxers.
Ruiz said: "The three months of partying affected me. I should have trained harder. I gained too much weight and I wasn't able to throw my combinations. But I don't want to give no excuses. I believe I hurt him a few times but he was boxing his life out."
Venue controversy
Human rights group have criticized the venue of the bout and Joshua further sparked the controversy after using the term "decapitate" in his post-fight interview. These groups labeled the boxing event as "sportswashing," referring to the practice of hosting high profile sports events to improve the reputation of a country with a poor human rights record.
Both Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn had dismissed concerns raised by Amnesty International over the issue. Joshua said: "I just came here for the boxing opportunity. I look around and everyone seems pretty happy and chilled. I've not seen anyone in a negative light out here, everyone seems to be having a good time."
