The dust is only just starting to settle on Andy Ruiz Jr’s stunning win over Anthony Joshua in New York.
The Mexican’s victory at Madison Square Garden has blown the heavyweight division wide open and left the Joshua camp wondering what went wrong.
BBC Sport boxing correspondent Mike Costello addresses the rumours about Joshua being knocked down in sparring and possible illness hampering his preparations. BBC Radio 5 Live boxing analyst Steve Bunce also reveals what Robert Joshua, Anthony’s dad, said to him following his
post-fight rant at Eddie Hearn.
And with Hearn already confirming a rematch in November or December, the 5 Live boxing team consider what Joshua needs to change in order to regain his titles – with some additional input from Hearn’s father Barry.
There has been speculation that Joshua was knocked down in sparring in the immediate build-up to the fight, denting confidence. There were also rumours Joshua had been suffering from illness, although the 5 Live boxing team doubt they were key factors in his defeat.
Bunce: “We flagged up a nasally feel in Joshua’s voice on Monday, clear signs of some sort of cold or maybe being run down, but not enough for us to predict the shock that came.”
Costello: “If you look at some of the TV footage, after the second round, he says to Robert McCracken ‘why do I feel like this?’ If he had a cold, if he had been knocked out badly in sparring, he wouldn’t be asking Rob McCracken why he felt like that – he would have known why he felt like
that and feeling so rough so early in the fight.”
Bunce: “If he was hit on the chin and dropped in sparring it wouldn’t be the first time. He admits to being dropped by David Price. The issue could be how close it happened to the fight, but that doesn’t instantly equate to him not wanting to fight because he was gun shy. The seriousness of
that accusation is was he then checked medically afterwards?
“His team acknowledge that he was tired, that it had been a gruelling schedule. It might sounds like a fantasy life but it’s a draining procedure to go through if you haven’t done it before. My gut feeling is perhaps the whole five weeks of being in Miami and New York was draining.”
Hearn: “Rumours of a panic attack are absolute nonsense; he was ice on legs. Got knocked out in sparring? No he didn’t. The build-up, the training camp, the organisation – he’s got 22 people in his team and every single whim is catered for. It’s a very professional organisation. Absolutely
zero excuses.”
