Final prediction: Ruiz by decision

[Just looking]

Joshua would need to learn how to fight inside, what won't happen in six months. Everything can happen, but I have Ruiz as a big favourite

[Curtis Harper]

I'm going with AJ KO5

[4truth]

Andy would need 7 big indisputable rounds. Joshua simply needs to keep 7 rounds close and stay off the deck.
Ruiz by stoppage or he doesn’t win.

I’d like to be wrong but that seems like the way boxing works.

[Weebler I]

AJ is a come-forward brawler. In order to win this fight he needs to take center of the ring, and gain Ruiz's respect without getting countered.

Can he do it? Possibly. Is it likely? No.

I think that's a surefire route to defeat tbh, an over-estimation of Joshua's ability.

Imo Joshua needs to move, use his length and reach jabbing from a distance. Don't allow the little fat guy close to him for 12 rounds, because he can't reach him otherwise.

Can he do it? Possibly. Is it likely? 50-50 imo

Either way, the stylistic match-up heavily favours Ruiz, the matchmakers of Eddie Hearn made a real booby (no pun) choosing Ruiz.

[SN!PER]

Andy would need 7 big indisputable rounds. Joshua simply needs to keep 7 rounds close and stay off the deck.
Ruiz by stoppage or he doesn’t win.

I’d like to be wrong but that seems like the way boxing works.

If Ruiz knocks AJ down three times and loses the fight, there's going to be an absolute shit storm on social media. And probably a lot of demands for a 3rd fight.

Best would be to declare a winner to satisfy the boxing world. Then we can finally move on to the Undisputed Championship.

[SlySlickSmooth]

First of all: I've been seeing a lot of crap about AJ being shot and this that and the other. Complete BS. He's not shot at all.

AJ is a tall fighter, he's 6'6 / 6'7, and amateur and pro has very little experience fighting short guys. Ruiz is 6 ft at best. Don't underestimate how difficult it is for a tall guy to fight a short guy. Especially one that understands front foot counter punching like Ruiz, which is a very difficult style to come across in training.

People also say that AJ should fight like Klitschko or dance around like Fury. Those people don't know wtf they are talking about. First of all it would take him years to learn both those styles, and secondly it doesn't suit him at all.

AJ is a come-forward brawler. In order to win this fight he needs to take center of the ring, and gain Ruiz's respect without getting countered.

Can he do it? Possibly. Is it likely? No.

Ruiz has been fighting taller guys his whole career, and now knows what to expect from AJ. He'll throw multiple counters every time AJ throws, and some of it will land and hurt AJ.

I don't expect Ruiz to KO him, simply because I don't think he has that much power and I think AJ has a better chin than given credit for.

The punch he landed on the side of the head will be very hard to replicate, and AJ will be looking for Ruiz's lefthook the entire fight .

However, I do expect Ruiz to land more than AJ, make him uncomfortable and keep a tight enough defense to see out a victory in what will be a frustrating night for Joshua.

Prediction RUIZ DECISION

Great points here.

With Andy Ruiz I draw a comparison to Juan Manuel Marquez likes to counter-punch against aggressive fighters. They (Ruiz/Marquez) respond with at least 1 or 2 more than you give them and when they land allows them to establish ring dominance and fight pace.

Joshua also does not consistently fight tall throughout a fight, you can often find him squared up and lowering his height to get off strong shots. This style benefits Andy Ruiz if we go by the first fight by Ruiz's counter-punching, chin, and stamina.

[REDEEMER]

AJ will most likely pummel Ruiz badly where he can’t make it past mid rounds. After AJ wins , Ruiz will be called overrated and AJ will go back to being a stiff robot . Ha

[LacedUp]

AJ will most likely pummel Ruiz badly where he can’t make it past mid rounds. After AJ wins , Ruiz will be called overrated and AJ will go back to being a stiff robot . Ha

I would be very surprised if this happens.

I went back to the first fight and watched the 3 first rounds up until the time where AJ knocked down Ruiz.

And I've read many people saying that AJ controlled the fight until he got caught, but that's just not true. The danger was there from the first bell and you can see how Ruiz's fast hands were bothering AJ from the first jab he threw.

Now, Ruiz is no stamina deamon himself and will slow down as well.. but not as vastly as Joshua and I just can't see him 'box' for 12 rounds at all.

When he did that against Parker I felt like it was a draw and AJ didn't look good past the first 4 rounds imo.

[LacedUp]

I think that's a surefire route to defeat tbh, an over-estimation of Joshua's ability.

Imo Joshua needs to move, use his length and reach jabbing from a distance. Don't allow the little fat guy close to him for 12 rounds, because he can't reach him otherwise.

Can he do it? Possibly. Is it likely? 50-50 imo

Either way, the stylistic match-up heavily favours Ruiz, the matchmakers of Eddie Hearn made a real booby (no pun) choosing Ruiz.

That's what I'm saying though.

In my opinion, he needs to take center not box. Boxing will just make Ruiz chase AJ around the ring and I don't think AJ is good fighting on his back foot at all. It would basically be exactly what he did in the first fight which ended terribly for him.

But i'm also saying if he does take center and push Ruiz back, most likely he'll get caught in a firestorm and we kind of know how that ends.

[Weebler I]

That's what I'm saying though.

In my opinion, he needs to take center not box. Boxing will just make Ruiz chase AJ around the ring and I don't think AJ is good fighting on his back foot at all. It would basically be exactly what he did in the first fight which ended terribly for him.

But i'm also saying if he does take center and push Ruiz back, most likely he'll get caught in a firestorm and we kind of know how that ends.

I think it's his only chance tbh. He's not good enough to take centre-ring and box with Ruiz imo. McCracken hinted at AJ doing this, and I think it gets AJ ko'd again, maybe finish his career.

Boxing on the backfoot isn't really what got Joshua beat the first time imo, it was rushing in (i.e. closing distance) thinking he had the opponent hurt.

If he made the whole fight look like first 2 rounds which he won with the judges, he could maybe squeak a decision or maybe catch Ruiz somewhere along the line. If he does this, he is more likely to finish the fight on his feet so he can come again.

Boxing can make fools out of us all though, so maybe AJ can surprise both of us. I hope so.