Lennox Lewis reacts to Joshua’s win over Ruiz

By Boxing News - 12/09/2019 - Comments

By Robert Addams: Lennox Lewis believes Anthony Joshua fought the right fight in choosing to box his way to a 12 round decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. last Saturday at the Diriyah Arena, in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Boxing great Lewis was impressed the discipline that Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) showed in using his jab, and footwork to outbox the 283 lb Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) to avenge his loss from last June.

Lennox Lewis likes Joshua’s boxing display against Ruiz

“Every fight isn’t going to be a KO. I thought AJ fought a good tactical fight and didn’t fall into trap of trying to mix it up in exchanges,” said Lewis on his Twitter [@LennoxLewis].  “This was a good addition to his experience. He also wisely unpacked his jab for this one.

“I understand that ppl want blood… but, as a fighter, you have to be disciplined enough to wait for the opportunities to open up. Sometimes they don’t come. When that happens you play it safe and stick to game plan.😳 So now it’s been rewritten to I called HIM a clown after he lost? 🤦🏽‍♂️ Maybe you should go back to my tweets and have a look at exactly what I said back then,” said Lewis.

Joshua recently said, “Lennox is a clown” due to him being critical about his performance against Ruiz in their first fight. AJ didn’t take criticism too well from Joshua, and he fired back at him.

Lewis had criticized Joshua in the past about the negotiations that took place between hims promoter Eddie Hearn and Wilder’s management. It’s a fight that the boxing world wanted to see, and yet it didn’t get made. Many fans believe it was Joshua’s side that made the fight with Wilder undoable.

It’s good that Lewis chose to praise Joshua in public, because it lets him know that he’s not someone that always on his back criticizing him. Although Lewis thought Joshua needed to change his trainer Rob McCraken for a different guy after AJ’s loss to Ruiz last summer, he didn’t say anything that wasn’t already being said by other boxing fans.

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Andy Ruiz: I’m ready for the third one with Joshua

“He won the first one, he won the second one, and I’m ready for the third one,” said Ruiz to TMZ. “Of course, that’s what we’re working on. No, because we just got done with this fight,” said Ruiz when asked if they’re negotiating the trilogy match yet.  I don’t know if he has a mandatory. I’m going to take some time off, and relax. It could have happened to anybody.

“I was having too much fun, and celebrating too much. I was having a few coronas, and was eating everything. That’s why I gained so much weight. Even out of shape, I did pretty good. But I wish I’d taken it a little more seriously.

“For sure, in the third fight, I’m going to give it all I got. I want those belts back. I think so. He was running so much. I think with me being big, I was too slow to catch him. I’m going to train harder,” said Ruiz.

Ruiz made $12 million for the rematch with Joshua last Saturday, and that might make it difficult for him to put in the work that he needs to lose the weight he’s put on.

Andy might get his rematch in time with Joshua, but he shouldn’t expect that to take place until 2021 or later. The important thing that Ruiz needs to do is get back in training camp, lose 30 lbs of fat, and start winning again. Joshua exposed Ruiz’s slow feet with his win over him last Saturday, and it’s directly possible that other fighters will use movement against him.