NEW YORK, June 3 -- In what is being called the biggest upset in boxing since Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson, Andy Ruiz Jr. stunned Anthony Joshua with a TKO in the seventh round on Sunday to steal the IBF, WBO, WBA (Super) and IBO world heavyweight championships.
British fighter Joshua arrived in New York with hopes of increasing his profile in the USA, however, following his shocking loss to Ruiz, the ex-champion's profile is now far greater than he could even imagine, albeit for the wrong reasons.
Ruiz on the other hand was a late stand in for Jarrell Miller, who had failed a drugs test in the build up to the clash at Madison Square Garden. Despite being the heavy outsider, Ruiz dominated the early rounds and despite going down to a Joshua uppercut in the third, Ruiz got up to put Joshua down twice in the very same round.
From that point onwards Joshua looked second best to the Mexican-American fighter. Unable to cope with the come forward of Ruiz, Joshua was finally put away in the seventh after the referee waved the fight off with the ex-champion in the corner looking dazed and confused.
The future for Joshua now looks unclear as the two look set for a rematch in the fall due to a rematch clause in the pre-match contract.