Can Andy Ruiz Jr. Last 7 Rounds With Anthony Joshua?

Can Andy Ruiz Jr. Last 7 Rounds With Anthony Joshua? article feature image
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Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter. Pictured: Unified Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua (left), Andy Ruiz Jr. (right).

Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. Betting Odds

  • Joshua Odds: -2500
  • Ruiz Odds: +1100
  • Over/Under: 6.5 Rounds (+115/-135)
  • Time: Approx. 11 p.m. ET
  • How to Watch: DAZN

In 1999, Madison Square Garden rocked with excitement when British world champion Lenox Lewis took on American world champ Evander Holyfield. Twenty years later, many hoped Anthony Joshua (22-0, 21 KO) would have a similar high-profile fight against WBC champion Deontay Wilder at the same venue for Joshua's first fight in the United States.

Instead they got Andy Ruiz (32-1, 21 KO), who is actually replacing Brooklyn native Jarrell Miller after he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. You have to commend Ruiz for stepping in on short notice against arguably the best heavyweight on the planet, and you have to assume his odds are absolutely tied to the fact that he's filling in for another fighter.

But don't be fooled by his long odds to win — 14-1 on the day of the fight in some cases. Ruiz could have easily entered this fight himself. He lost a disputed majority decision against Joseph Parker for the WBO heavyweight belt in 2016.

That belt now belongs to Joshua, but Parker's manager, David Higgins, had lofty praise for Ruiz just before Friday's weigh-in. "Ruiz is tough as nails, he's got a chin like granite," Higgins said. "He's very quick, deceivingly fast, and he does not give a f**k."

Despite all that, the outcome of this fight feels like it's already set in stone. The only question is how long it will take to get there. Ruiz was impressive in his last bout, a 5th-round stoppage of Alexander Dimitrenko.

Ruiz worked the body of the much taller fighter and landed some hard right hands that forced Dimitrenko's corner to call the fight early. At the same time, Ruiz wasn't really tested at all in any of those rounds. He out-landed Dimitrenko 68-21 in total punches, hitting the taller Russian with constant body shots. But there wasn't much coming back.

Joshua is a different kind of fighter. His head and foot movement, his one-punch knockout power and his experience with high-energy crowds will separate these two fighters sooner rather than later. While I don't expect that Joshua is trying to compete with Wilder's first-round KO from a few weeks ago, I do think he wants to let people know he's still the class of the division.

In Joshua's last fight against Alexander Povetkin, he withstood some early aggressiveness, and I see Ruiz attempting the same early-pressure strategy. I expect Joshua to distance himself around mid-fight and close this one out in style.

The Picks: Under 6.5 (-135), Joshua wins in Round 5-8 (+195)

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