It’s exactly 3 days until we head to the Diriyah Saudi Arabia for the Clash on the Dunes, where Andy Ruiz will defend his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles.
A shocking result in the first match between these two saw Anthony Joshua, the number 1 boxer in the world at the time, take a hit to the head in the third, which he couldn’t recover from.
This is must win fight for Joshua, a loss here could spell an end to his career at the top.
Given what’s on the line for both fighters, the odds are really hotting up. There are excellent odds and prop bets now availabe at Bet 365 for this heavyweight showdown.
Can Ruiz do it again in the desert?
Andy Ruiz (3.40) vs Anthony Joshua (1.30)
Joshua to get back on track, Anthony Joshua to win in the first 1-6 rounds (3.25)
Anthony Joshua to win by KO,TKO or DQ (3.12)
Andy Ruiz (3.40) vs Anthony Joshua (1.30)
Anthony Joshua has everything to lose in this one. The unforeseen loss in the first bout between these two, means this time around all the pressure will be on AJ.
A win would mean he’ll be in contention for some of the “super fights” boxing fans around the world have been hoping to see.
AJ vs Wilder and AJ vs Tyson Fury, were what we had expected to see at the end of the year, not Ruiz round 2.
Nonetheless, the Mexican has earnt the right to be in the fight and will be anything but easy for Joshua to overcome.
We think it’ll be unlikely that this one goes to a seventh round knockout like we saw in June at the Madison Square Gardens. But, we do see Joshua learning from his mistakes in the first and putting the Mexican on the canvas.
Expect Anthony Joshua to win.
Joshua to get back on track, Anthony Joshua to win in the first 1-6 rounds (3.25)
There was a great deal of speculation following the fight in June, was he too relaxed, did his camp not prepare him properly, was there an injury, or was he simply outclassed by the Mexican.
Though he may not look like the type to end AJ’s road to being the unified number one heavyweight on the planet, Ruiz is very technical and extremely quick.
He will look to try and get Joshua in close-quarters and work him over.
Joshua has a lot more tools to work with than Ruiz. He will know going into the fight what Ruiz intends to do and how he can avoid it. Concentration and focusing on the game plan will be vital in regaining his titles.
Anthony Joshua is an extremely disciplined individual and will be itching to make amends for what happened in New York. We expect this fight to go how we all thought the first one would.
Take Anthony Joshua to take the fight in the first 1-6 rounds.
Anthony Joshua to win by KO, TKO or DQ (3.12)
The 30-year old from Watford has a professional boxing record of 33-1, from those 33 wins 22 were knockouts.
He is nicknamed the “Destroyer” and for good reason. He was putting his opponents to sleep with ease and in the early rounds of fights. This is why boxing betting odds were so highly-stacked against Ruiz in the first fight.
This fight is about more than just winning. AJ lost in grisly fashion at the MSG and will want to reinstate his name as the number 1 heavyweight fighter.
We feel in order to do this he has to go at Ruiz from round one and show the public that the result in the last was just a one-off.
Expect AJ to KO/TKO Ruiz over the course of the fight.
