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Andy Ruiz Jr. authored one of the biggest boxing shockers of the decade this past June, and now he’ll get a chance to prove it wasn’t a fluke when he rematches former division heir apparent Anthony Joshua this afternoon (Sat., Dec. 7, 2019) in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the main event below. The DAZN broadcast begins at noon ET, with Ruiz and Joshua set to make their ring walks around 3:45 p.m. ET.
Ruiz (33-1, 22 KO) — a late replacement for Jarrell Miller after the latter’s truly historic drug test failure — went down hard in the third from a heavy left hook, only to come back and twice drop Joshua (22-1, 21 KO) in return. Ruiz would ultimately batter the unified champ into submission in the seventh (watch it), setting up this blockbuster rematch.
The all-Heavyweight main card, which once featured an intriguing Super Featherweight bout between Scott Quigg and Jono Carroll before Quigg re-injured his hand, sees veteran Alexander Povetkin take on fast-rising former cruiserweight Michael Hunter in the co-feature. UK standout Dillian Whyte bats second against Polish giant Mariusz Wach and blue-chip prospect Filip Hrgovic opens the show opposite former Joshua victim Eric Molina.
“Ruiz Vs. Joshua 2” Quick Results:
Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua — Joshua def. Ruiz by unanimous decision -(118-110 x2, 119-109)
Alexander Povetkin vs. Michael Hunter — Split draw (115-113, 113-115, 114-114)
Dillian Whyte vs. Mariusz Wach — Whyte def. Wach by unanimous decision (98-93, 97-93 x2)
Filip Hrgovic vs. Eric Molina — Hrgovic def. Molina by KO at 2:03 of Round Three
“Ruiz Vs. Joshua 2” Round-by-Round Coverage:
Heavyweight Championship: Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua
Round one: Trading jabs early. Ruiz on the front foot. Sneaky hook lands for Joshua. Joshua moving well on the outside. Ruiz wticks a right to the body. Joshua answers in kind. Halfway through. Another right to the body from Ruiz. Clean 1-2 by Joshua. Joshua has control of range so far. Nice jab. Joshua lands a series of rights that cut Ruiz open by his left eye. 10-9 Joshua.
Round two: Ruiz still stalking forward as Joshua circles behind his jab. Double jab lands for Ruiz. Long right hand by Joshua. Halfway through. Joshua connects with a left hook. More clean jabs. Joshua lands a pair of good right hands out of the clinch but now he’s sporting a cut. Ruiz whiffs on a left hook near the ropes. Ruiz jab met by a Joshua hook. 10-9, 20-18 Joshua.
Round three: Ruiz looking a little more aggressive early in the round. Landing a few jabs of his own. Hard Joshua jab. 1-2 from Ruiz, jab to the body. Halfway through. Bit of a slow patch. More Joshua jabs. Body shot connects. 10-9, 30-27 Joshua.
Round four: Early clinch. Ruiz still slowly advancing, struggling with the range. Both swing in the center, neither connects. Ruiz lands a jab halfway through. Joshua just misses with a 1-1-2. Lead hook connects. 1-2 gets around Joshua’s guard. Staggered 1-2. hard lefts by Joshua. Good 2-3 by Ruiz in return, whiffs on a right. 10-9, 40-36 Joshua.
Round five: Ruiz jabs the body. Joshua pawing upstairs with his own jab. Ruiz misses with a leaping left hook and eats a jab for his trouble. Joshua left hook, clinch. Ruiz focusing on the body with probing shots. Halfway through. Another stiff Joshua jab. Ruiz eats a counter right and more jabs. 10-9, 50-45 Joshua.
Round six: Ruiz hops in with a left hook, lands another and eats a right hand. Good little exchanges. Now Joshua gets back behind the jab. Halfway through. Ruiz 1-2 downstairs. Hard hook from Joshua into the clinch. Ruiz 3-2 falls short. Joshua lead right, takes a pair of rights in the clinch. 10-9, 60-54 Joshua.
Round seven: Ruiz sticks a couple rights to the body. Left hook from Joshua. Clinch, Ruiz warned for hitting the back of the head. He just can’t get through the jab. Joshua 1-2 misses, clinch. Ruiz tries to open up inside. Joshua whiffs on a 1-2 and they trade on the exit. Big right hand by Joshua, Ruiz trying to answer at close range. Joshua clinch. Lead right by Joshua and they exchange hooks, clinch. 10-9, 70-63 Joshua.
Round eight: Joshua body shot, clinch. Ruiz with a 1-2 downstairs. Joshua with a sweeping right and clinches. Ruiz to the body. Ruiz lands a 1-2 and they tussle on the break. Both men warned. Ruiz body shot and left hook. Big 3-2 from Ruiz and now they’re trading inside. clinch. Ruiz marching forward, Joshua gets back to circling and jabbing. Clinch. Ruiz lands some hard shots in the clinch, knocks him back with a hook. 10-9 Ruiz, 79-73 Joshua.
Round nine: Joshua still circling. Ruiz eats a shot, clinched. More Joshua jabs. He tries to clinch, eats an overhand right. More Joshua jabs. Body shots. Halfway through. Cross counter and body shot by Joshua. Again Ruiz punches to deny a clinch. Jabs land for him. Joshua lands a good combination, capped by an uppercut, and gets knocked back by a combo in return. 10-9, 89-82 Joshua.
Round ten: Clinch, body shots from Ruiz. Right hand lands to the chin. Joshua with a counter 1-2, takes a hook. Joshua jabs. Halfway through. Joshua hooks off the jab as he circles away. Ruiz unable to get inside this round. 10-9, 99-91 Joshua.
Round eleven: Same story as before. Joshua jabbing and circling, Ruiz struggling to deal with it. Glancing overhand right from Ruiz. Clinch. More Joshua jabs, clinch. He absorbs an overhand right inside. Yet more jabs from Joshua as Ruiz plods after him. 10-9, 109-100 Joshua.
Round twelve: Ruiz looking like he knows he’s behind. Clinch from Joshua. Ruiz 1-2. Big right hand by Joshua, Ruiz absorbs it. Joshua trying to back him off with some heavier shots. Halfway through. Ruiz quiet this second minute. Now a jab. Long right, clinch. Ruiz lands a lead right. Both fire big shots. Ruiz demands that Joshua trade with him and Joshua laughs at him. 10-9, 119-109 Joshua.
Final result: Joshua def. Ruiz by unanimous decision
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