“They told me I was Crazy” – Anthony Joshua reveals Andy Ruiz Jr Rematch Build-Up

Anthony Joshua opened up on his experiences during the time he agreed to a rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr who ended his unblemished record as a professional. 

His original opponent was Jarrell Miller. The fight was to mark his debut in America. However, Miller tested positive for a banned substance and was pulled from the fight. Later Andy Ruiz Jr was named as ‘AJ’s opponent. He went on to win and claim the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. 

“Everyone had written me off”- Anthony Joshua

‘AJ’ says he was labeled crazy for agreeing to a rematch so soon after his crushing TKO loss. “I felt, and still stand by that today, that everyone had written me off. So I said ‘cool’. They’re telling me ‘man, Josh shouldn’t go in there for the rematch, he’s crazy,” said Joshua to JD Sports.

‘AJ’ labeled 2019 as a difficult time in his career. He claims British heavyweights never get their due from an American governed world media.  He says America will take care of its own. Hence he had to take a challenge after his loss and achieve his goal to win 100%

He says Saudi was about proving to himself and everyone who had written him off. “The best thing about Saudi Arabia was proving to myself that no matter what the idols tell me or the experts, no one can go against the gut feeling that I have.”

He did exactly that just 6 months later in Saudi Arabia. He beat Andy Ruiz Jr. And reclaimed his titles in a unanimous decision win. 

“That’s why at the end of the fight there’s a clip where Eddie’s jumping, my manager Freddie’s jumping, and I’m kind of standing there. I remember when I said that when I win ‘everybody must bow to me’. So it was like my emperor moment. I said what I was going to do, so talk the talk, walk the walk,” said Joshua.

The 30-year old will face Kubrat Pulev next. However, that bout is the latest sporting event to be postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. There is no official announcement about the new date, but fans will have to wait just that bit longer to see ‘AJ’ return to the squared circle. 

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