Brewster & Rahman say Ruiz beats Joshua again

By Boxing News - 10/17/2019 - Comments

By Jeff Aronow: Former heavyweight champions Hasim Rahman and Lamon Brewster both believe that Andy Ruiz Jr. will defeat Anthony Joshua in their rematch on December 7 in Saudi Arabia. They both see Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) having the needed self-confidence to do the job on Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs).

At the same time, they think it’ll be hard for Joshua with psychological memory of his 7th round knockout loss still being fresh in his mind from his June 1st defeat to Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in New York. Part of the reason for that is Joshua’s decision not to take a tune-up fight before taking the rematch with Andy.

Whether that was Joshua’s decision or his impatient promoter Eddie Hearn is unclear.

Ruiz might beat Joshua quicker says Brewster

“No, at this point it’s psychological,” said former WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster to Fighthub in predicting another win for Andy Ruiz Jr. over Anthony Joshua in rematch. “If anything, it’s going to be even greater for Andy Ruiz, because when he comes into this fight, all the doubt in his mind about what he can do to this guy is removed. He’s not going to show anything greater than he did in the last fight.

Maybe he’ll lose a little more weight, but at the same time, when a man has been in that kind of trouble in a fight against a warrior like Andy Ruiz, his mind is going to instantly revert back to the moments in the first fight where he had his worst fears and his hope. I just think that the wheel has already been created, and they’re going to re-spin it, and it’ll be the same thing again.

“It may be quicker. I think to the extent that Joshua can’t take as good a punch, but you’ve got to understand, man. In the heavyweight division, the smallest guy at 205 pounds can knockout a guy that’s 270 lbs, if he just hits him the right way,” said Brewster.

It might be harder for Ruiz, 29, to beat Joshua for a second time, because the British heavyweight is going to have a solid game plan that will make it harder for Andy to get to him. We’re likely going to see the 6’6″ Joshua employ the following tactics to keep the shorter 6’2″ Ruiz from getting to him:

  • Movement
  • Jabbing
  • Clinching
  • Head movement
  • Throwing fewer power punches
  • Keeping hands up with tight guard

Andy Ruiz has the confidence to beat Anthony Joshua again

“So I think it’s a matter of if Joshua can overcome the things that have handicapped him, the fears from the last fight,” said Brewster. “That’s what this fight is going to be about. Me personally, I think you’ve given Andy Ruiz the confidence that he needs. I know from being a champ, that when a champion has his title, the last thing that he’s going to do is depart from it.

“Especially when his plate isn’t full. Andy Ruiz doesn’t have millions of dollars. Anthony Joshua has millions of dollars. So you’re asking two guys again; one whose plate is already full, and one is the first Mexican heavyweight champion in history. That dude isn’t going to lose. You’re going to have to kill that dude, man,” said Brewster about Ruiz.

Brewster is right about Ruiz still having a lot more hunger than the wealthy Joshua. Although Ruiz will be set for life with the millions that he makes for the rematch with Joshua, he’s not going to have the huge money. Joshua’s net worth is $60 million. Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller says Joshua is getting over $70 million for the Saudi fight against Miller. If Ruiz wants to get a taste of the kind of money that Joshua has enjoyed, he needs to beat him again.

The good news for Ruiz is he’s likely going to get a third fight with Joshua, win or lose. They’ll need a rubber match to break the tie if Joshua wins on December 7th, and there will still be a lot of demand from boxing fans to see the two face each other again.

Ruiz will need to make adjustments to beat Fury says Brewster

“I think styles make fights,” said Brewster when asked how Ruiz would handle a fighter like Tyson Fury. “Against Tyson Fury, it would be a different tactic. He’s [Ruiz] not going to have a guy that is going to depend on his muscle and take you out with big shots. “He’s going to have a guy that is going to stick and move, and stick and move and tie up, and do everything a big guy is supposed to do. So I think it’s going to be a matter of whether he can adjust to defeat him,” said Brewster.

Lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury might actually be an easy fight for Ruiz, because the British fighter’s head doesn’t seem like it’s in the sport anymore. He looked like  a shadow of his former self in his last match against Otto Wallin. Fury is now involved with professional wrestling, and who knows what that’ll do to his motivation. That’s easy money for Fury.Once Fury starts tasting the easy money from WWE, why would he want to get dirty fighting guys that are trying to take his head off in boxing?

Brewster says Deontay Wilder more dangerous for Ruiz

“A guy like Deontay Wilder is going to be a more dangerous fight for him, because he likes to come forward,” said Brewster. “His [Ruiz] defense would need to be 100 percent on point, because we both know that Deontay Wilder has dynamite in both hands. The thing of it is, the one that has the best strategy, and is prepared with the mental fortitude, because that’s what it’s going to take in order to win a fight between Andy Ruiz and Deontay Wilder, and between any of these guys at the top.

“That’s why I was saying the other day, it’s an exciting time for the heavyweight division, because you’ve got so many guys out there that can make the heavyweight division what it used to be when everybody wanted to tune in and watch boxing. I’m just happy to see that again. You don’t got guys out there trying to box and look pretty. You’ve got guys trying to win, and trying to be champion, and I’m excited,” said Brewster.

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder’s hand speed, and one-punch power will of course make him extremely dangerous for Ruiz. All the shots that Joshua landed on the chin of Ruiz could prove to be knockout blows if Wilder is the one throwing them.

Rahman predicts Ruiz victory over Joshua in rematch

“I think Andy might win the rematch,” said Hahman in predicting a win for Ruiz Jr. in his rematch with Joshua on December 7. “I don’t think it was a fluke. Andy is a tough guy. I don’t know about more dominant, because he can’t do as many things as Joshua can do, but he’s definitely a tough, tough guy,” said Rahman.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn thinks Ruiz’s win last June was a fluke thing, but Rahman may be right that it wasn’t a fluke. Ruiz is tough guy that isn’t going to leave Saudi Arabia without his titles still in his possession.

Fury might beat Wilder in rematch if he didn’t take too much out of him

“I think Deontay Wilder is the hardest puncher, but I think Tyson Fury is the better boxer,” said former IBF/IBO/WBC heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman to Fighthub. “And if Deontay Wilder didn’t take too much out of him, I think Fury may out-box him in the rematch,” said Rahman.

It’s too early to predict what will happen in the Wilder-Fury rematch. First, Wilder has to get passed Luis Ortiz in their upcoming rematch, and that might not be easy. If Wilder does win, it’ll be up to Fury to decide whether he wants to return to boxing to take on the Bronze Bomber in a rematch. After the bad experience Fury had last December against Wilder, he might decide that it’s better to stay with professional wrestling. The taller wrestlers make lots of money in professional wrestling.

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