Andy Ruiz Jr. was not supposed to be the one to challenge Anthony Joshua for the unified heavyweight titles, as he fought on April 20. But mere days later, he was named as the replacement challenger following Jarrell Miller’s failed drug tests.
Now, Ruiz can call himself a champion. And in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Ruiz stopped Joshua in the seventh round to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight championships.
Joshua showed the better punching in round one, though Ruiz was holding his own. And while Joshua continued his success in the second, Ruiz came out firing, becoming the aggressor and trying to trouble Joshua, pushing him back.
Things got crazy in the third round, as Joshua dropped Ruiz with a counter shot. But not long later, Ruiz scored a knockdown of his own, dropping Joshua with a hook. Ruiz continued to chase down Joshua, while the defending champ looked to clinch and prevent more problems. But Ruiz managed to trap Joshua in a corner and drop him just before the end of the round.
Andy F—ING RUIZ JR. #JoshuaRuiz pic.twitter.com/bjjNhWlbTD
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) June 2, 2019
WE HAVE A FIGHT ON OUR HANDS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!#JoshuaRuiz pic.twitter.com/Kf4zJBebne
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) June 2, 2019
¡Señoras y señores, que tercer asalto tuvimos! #JoshuaRuiz pic.twitter.com/FdlKipsU20
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) June 2, 2019
The pace slowed down in the next couple of rounds, and while Joshua looked to get his legs back, Ruiz got smarter with his punching, staying patient.
aNdY rUiZ sTaNdS nO cHaNcE aGaInSt Aj#JoshuaRuiz pic.twitter.com/p7dbyAhoff
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) June 2, 2019
After troubling Joshua again in the sixth, the seventh started with each landing a hook, but Ruiz’s landed cleaner and he pounded away en route to another knockdown. Joshua survived that knockdown, but Ruiz continued his attack, dropping him once more. Joshua made it to his feet, but the referee decided he had seen enough and waved the fight off.
🗣🗣🗣@Andy_destroyer1 hace historia y se convierte en el primer boxeador mexicano en ser campeón mundial de los pesos pesados 🏆🇲🇽#JoshuaRuiz pic.twitter.com/O2oYeELyK9
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) June 2, 2019
🗣 @Andy_Destroyer1: "I can't believe I made my dreams come true!" 💫#JoshuaRuiz pic.twitter.com/tTH5g6HeNq
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) June 2, 2019
The rest of the card saw Callum Smith retain the WBA (Super) Super Middleweight Title with a third-round finish of Hassan N’Dam, and Katie Taylor become the undisputed female lightweight title with a close, controversial majority decision over Delfine Persoon.
WBA/IBF/WBO/IBO Heavyweight Championship: Andy Ruiz Jr. def. (c.) Anthony Joshua via TKO (Rd. 7, 1:27)
WBA (Super) Super Middleweight Championship: (c.) Callum Smith def. Hassan N’Dam via KO (Rd. 3, 2:56)
For the Undisputed Female Lightweight Championship: (WBA/IBF/WBO Champion) Katie Taylor def. (WBC Champion) Delfine Persoon via majority decision (95-95, 96-94, 96-94)