By Adeyinka Adedipe
When versatile singer Billy Always released his epic song – Back on Track- in 1988, little did he know that the song would become an inspiration to two-time undisputed world heavyweight champion, Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua, who was born a year after the lovely song hit the airwaves.
The song talked about rediscovering oneself after a patchy spell. And that was what Anthony Joshua did when he recovered his four titles from Andy Ruiz Jr on December 7 in Saudi Arabia in a performance that had brilliance written all over it.
Surprisingly, the Nigerian-born British boxer lost his titles to underdog Andy Ruiz Jr at the Madison Square Garden in the US in June in their first meeting. The Mexican-American was a last minute replacement for Jarrel Miller who tested positive to banned substance in the run up to the fight against Joshua.
To stay active, Joshua’s team headed by promoter Eddie Hearn quickly met with Ruiz and his team and they accepted the fight. With agreement sealed just a month to the bout, many did not give the chubby fighter a chance against the muscular champion who had won all 21 of his 23 fights via Knock out before then.
Ruiz, who was nicknamed the Destroyer due to his fast fist, had been looking for another shot at the world title after losing to former WBO champion, Joseph Parker on December 10, 2018 and he was happy to take the fight with both hands. He also had 21 knock outs before the fight but pundits and bookmakers were busy writing off the Mexican and did not envisage the shock that was awaiting the whole world.
On fight night, the bout went according to script in the first three rounds with Joshua knocking down Ruiz in the third round. But the Destroyer picked himself up and punished Joshua in the next four rounds, knocking him down four times before the referee stopped the fight in round seven to the amazement of a stunned audience. The win is considered as one of the biggest upsets in the history of boxing.
Joshua’s father, Robert was full of rage after the defeat and demanded explanation from the son’s trainer, Robert McCracken on what happened to his son, who seemed lost for the major part of the fight. He wanted his son’s coaching team changed but as soon as the dust settled, Joshua convinced his dad that his team was perfect and he would be better prepared for the rematch.
For his fans, especially in Britain and Nigeria, their idol’s loss was a bitter pill to swallow and they hoped that their champion would be ready for the rematch just like he promised. While preparing for the second fight, Joshua came back to Nigeria where he did some charity work and reconnect with his root. He went about his training with professionalism, paying attention to details and devising a system that would neutralize Ruiz’s fast hands.
Joshua also had many of his former adversaries visiting his camp, especially Wladimir Klitschko, who he knocked out in their fight, was a morale booster for AJ. They came to give him tips on how to confront Ruiz while he also had sparring partners who were ready to help him get to top shape by presenting good performances throughout the training. They all agreed that he had to stay away from Ruiz’s fast fist, which floored him in the first fight.
On the D-Day, a boisterous AJ came into the ring with his theme song – Fela Anikulapo’s water no get enemy playing in the background. The fine heavyweight boxer sure had no enemies but he had to beat Ruiz. His career depended on the fight. A win will see him reclaim his titles and bounce back to reckoning while a defeat might confirm him to the history books.
He had no choice than to win and this he did in skilful fashion. He employed the style of late Mohammed Ali, a legend of the pugilist game. He ran around the ring jabbing Ruiz and scoring points when the opportunities presented themselves. He also avoided being hit by avoiding any face-off with his opponent in the middle of the ring.
Joshua opened a cut on the side of Ruiz’s left eye in round one and by round 10 it was clear Joshua will win the fight on point if he avoided another knock out. AJ saw off the 12th round in easy fashion regaining his titles and joins a small cluster of men including Ali, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Floyd Patterson to have reclaimed the world heavyweight title.
After the fight, Joshua told Ruiz to ‘never give up,’ adding “You’re a great man first of all. You’re a great champion as well. I told him to never give up and keep chasing your dream, boxing is tough. He’s created his own history, his own legacy. I created mine and I’m glad we could both play a part in each other’s legacies. I gave him a pat on the back and said I’m sure we’ll see you again.”
An exited Hearn said after the win that Joshua boxed in a way many didn’t think he could add, “The ‘new’ Joshua is lighter, silkier and perhaps even hungrier. It was a way of boxing that people didn’t believe he could do.”
McCracken, who was heavily criticized after the defeat in June, said: “I think he was where I wanted him to be for this fight. He has listened in camp, worked really hard, and I thought he boxed very well against a dangerous fighter.
“Andy Ruiz is a real danger and he is very quick and heavy-handed. There were a couple times Josh went into mid-range and came unstuck but he settled back down in the corner and got back on it. His weight was great and his jab was tremendous.”
With his new-found form and fighting style, Joshua is already preparing for next year as he hopes to banish the memory of his only lose to Ruiz while hoping that he will remain in top shape for the mandatory challengers – Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk and Kubrat Pulev – and dominate the heavyweight class for some time to come despite Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder also lurking in the corner.
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