Anthony Joshua Reclaims World Boxing Heavyweight Titles
Anthony Joshua became a two-time world heavyweight champion with a unanimous points 118-110 118-110 and 119-109 victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in a tense rematch serenaded with chants of “AJ, AJ, AJ” by 14,000 or so fans in the Diriyah Arena, Saudi Arabia.
The ‘Clash on the Dunes’ in Diriyah was for: the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO titles and Joshua boxed intelligently throughout, picking out smart jabs and refusing to engage with his opponent at close quarters.
Six months on from the night Ruiz stunned boxing, Joshua risked seeing his career left in tatters with a second defeat, but served up 36 minutes of movement and well-timed punching to take the IBF, WBA and WBO titles back to Britain.
Joshua, 30, has now followed in the footsteps of boxing luminaries including Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Floyd Patterson to have reclaimed the world heavyweight title.
Joshua had said defeat would have been “catastrophic” for a career that promised so much, delivered plenty and then, from nowhere, was shaken to its core.
The talk of facing Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury – temporarily derailed by Ruiz in June – will resume.
By Gerald Dandah
