By Norm Frauenheim-
Anthony Joshua promises not to celebrate. That’s just one of the many promises attached to Joshua.
First and foremost, there’s the promise to win Saturday, avenge the stunning defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. in June. A failure to fulfill that one and you can toss the rest of Joshua’s advertised promise into the spit bucket.
A lot is at stake for him and promoter Eddie Hearn in a rematch aptly dubbed Clash On The Dunes. Lose it, and Joshua’s career won’t be worth much more than a handful of sand. Win it, and he can hit the re-set button on what had been boldly sold and sculpted as a sure thing.
We’ll see.
Doubts at all that’s been said and sold about Joshua will linger no matter what happens in a sequel (DAZN) in a ring near the Saudi oil fields. Joshua had been called a generational athlete. The media bought it. UK fans bought it. Yet, he was beaten in one of the biggest upsets of his generation. The heavyweight hype is gone, leaving him with only a burden of proof.
Has he shaken the psychological aftermath of his June 1 demise?
Will he have enough agility and speed in his feet and a reportedly leaner upper-body to elude and eventually counter Ruiz’ fast hands?
Answers are hard to find, in part because Ruiz’ upset – a seventh-round TKO – was so one-sided. Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs), a late replacement for Jarrell Miller, was the stand-in. But Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) fought like the stand-in, hitting the canvas four times.
Who was this guy?
Who is this guy?
A hint to the second question is forthcoming. For Joshua, the task Saturday is to restore some of the advertised identity he lost in New York. He’s right to say there’s no reason to celebrate.
“I was asked this – will it be a special moment?” Joshua said at a news conference Wednesday. “I said, ‘no,’ because I know I belong there. So, it’s not special.
“I know I belong there. I know what I’m capable of doing. So, when I regain those belts, I’m probably just going keep cool and stay focused, because it’s not a time to celebrate.’’
He went on to say that he always fought as though he was destined to be great.
“When I came into boxing, I didn’t come to take part,’’ he said. “I came to take over.’’
His words are underlined by an unmistakable resolve. But words don’t win fights. Fast hands do. Ruiz can win the rematch with hands that move with a magician’s agility. What Ruiz is missing this time however, is the surprise factor. From this corner, that’s critical.
Ruiz has forever proven that he was underrated. In some ways, he still is. He’s 2-to-1 underdog despite his one-sided stoppage of Joshua in June. But the guess is that Joshua has no illusions about how good Ruiz is, or about how perilous his own future appears to be. Joshua knows about the fast hands. Knows about Ruiz’ resiliency, too.
It would be no surprise to anyone, including Joshua, if Ruiz is the first to hit the canvas. He was in June in a third-round knockdown. But Joshua let him off the hook. Maybe, Joshua got lazy. Or, perhaps, he was just unprepared. But expect Joshua to be vigilant and prepared for that moment when Ruiz does get back up all over again. For the Mexican-American, that will mark the time when the fight is just beginning.
For Joshua, however, it’s a chance to capitalize with superior strength and overall athleticism. That’s when Joshua can begin to punish Ruiz with his power, which is one element that wasn’t oversold. It’s real.
Prediction: Joshua might not be great heavyweight, but he’s good enough to win the rematch with a late-round TKO in a victory that will put him back in line for a day when he can really celebrate.
