Eddie Hearn, promoter for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, admits he's concerned with his boxer's upcoming fight against late replacement Andy Ruiz.
Ruiz, who has never been down or seriously hurt in a fight, is going to challenge Joshua on June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Mexican-American boxer will replace Jarrell Miller, who was pulled from the fight after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.
Ruiz was in action just last month, when he won battered and stopped Alexander Dimitrenko in five rounds.
Hearn and Joshua view Ruiz as a better overall fighter than Miller.
They believe he is quicker, more accurate and throws more combinations.
And because of that, Hearn is getting jitters are the contest draws closer.
“I’m a little bit scared. And I want to be scared. This is a new test for Anthony Joshua and now he has to fight a guy with a big set of cojones who will let his hands go, and show his entire heart," Hearn told The Los Angeles Times.
Ruiz was selected among the large group of fighters who where calling from every corner to replace Miller in the fight.
“The fighters who talked about stepping up … my first thought was, ‘Who is it going to be?’ My concern was to make a real fight on June 1. I’m a fan. I didn’t want to bring Anthony Joshua to Madison Square Garden knowing we can’t lose. A couple guys reached out, but when I heard this man [Ruiz], I thought, ‘This guy really wants it. He thinks he can win. This is a tough fight. This kid can fight. This guy has Mexico behind him. This is a no-brainer,’” Hearn said.
“Andy Ruiz is not carved out of stone, but once this begins, this a real credible fight. There’s going to be a lot of British fans, a lot of Americans and a lot of Mexicans [in Madison Square Garden] because he has the chance to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion, and that’s an opportunity that may never happen again. If he wins this fight, he’ll be a national hero."