When Andy Ruiz Jr. was ushered in as Jarrell Miller&#8217;s replacement, he was thought to be nothing more than a stand-in at best. It was as if Anthony Joshua was assured a victory because there was no way in hell his opponent&#8217;s doughy physique could stand up to his conditioning. Surely, Ruiz&#8217; 32-1 record was indicative of a fighter who&#8217;d been sheltered on the domestic front.
It&#8217;s no secret. Joshua&#8217;s mental preparation was devised against Jarrell Miller, a fighter that looked to be a perfect stylistic fit for the mobile Brit. Upon learning of Miller&#8217;s failed test, Joshua&#8217;s promoters quickly went about finding a replacement. Unfortunately, Andy Ruiz Jr.&#8217;s looks can be deceiving. What Joshua&#8217;s team didn&#8217;t account for, beyond Ruiz&#8217; doughy physique, or his padded domestic record: <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/jarrell-miller-pulls-anthony-joshuas-g-card-questions-boxers-public-image-news.73704.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">unlike</a> Jarrell Miller, Ruiz&#8217; elite footwork never strays from the center of the ring.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/userfiles/78/41/424178_eb5ab236ed2afa9ae049e5d85b8b5b51.jpg" alt="Deontay Wilder Reacts To Anthony Joshua's Loss: &quot;He Wasn’t A True Champion&quot;"></figure>
<h6>Al Bello/Getty Images</h6>
As history would have it, Andy Ruiz dropped Joshua on several occasions on his way to a <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/andy-ruiz-jr-defeats-anthony-joshua-in-major-upset-win-for-heavyweight-titles-news.81899.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">7th round stoppage</a>, all but shifting the balance of power in the Heavyweight division. Joshua&#8217;s completely alters the multi-fight agenda put in place for the IBF, WBA, and WBO belts. Fellow British contender Tyson Fury offered Joshua mercy in a reactionary Tweet.
<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/_/status/1135025949194543106" rel="nofollow noopener">https://twitter.com/_/status/1135025949194543106</a>
 
Deontay Wilder <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/deontay-wilder-calls-anthony-joshua-desperate-over-fight-negotiations-news.80242.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">wasn&#8217;t</a> so kind. &#8220;He wasn’t a true champion,&#8221; he opined. &#8220;His whole career was consisted of lies, contradictions and gifts.&#8221; Notice how Wilder uses the past tense to decry Joshua&#8217;s so-called fraudulent career. In some ways, it&#8217;s hard not to view Andy Ruiz&#8217; win as a boon result for boxing&#8217;s Heavyweight division &#8211; in that it opens the field up to parity.
<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/_/status/1135030361224753152" rel="nofollow noopener">https://twitter.com/_/status/1135030361224753152</a>