- Ruiz Jr. shocked the boxing world with a seventh-round stoppage in their first fight, taking Joshua's belts and undefeated status despite their shocking disparity in physique.
- At the weigh-in on Friday, Ruiz Jr. proved that disparity would be even greater for their rematch, coming in at 283 pounds nearly 30 pounds heavier than his trainer hoped he'd be for the fight.
- Joshua weighed in at 237 the lightest he's fought at in years.
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Heavyweights Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua will meet in Saudi Arabia on Saturday in the biggest boxing rematch of the year.
Andy Ruiz Jr
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A lot has changed since Andy Ruiz Jr. became an instant sensation in the boxing world after his shocking TKO of then-undefeated British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in June.
In the days before their first fight, Joshua, built like a statue, was the future of the division, and the rotund Ruiz Jr. was supposed to be a mere stepping stone on his path to a big-money fight against another top heavyweight, either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury.
Instead, Ruiz Jr. took Joshua's belts, his undefeated record, and his status as the top fighter in the heavyweight division in one fell swoop.
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Heading into their rematch, Ruiz Jr. is the champion and to be taken seriously, while Joshua is fighting as the challenger for the first time in years. One other thing that has changed drastically Ruiz Jr.'s weight.
Ruiz Jr. entered the first fight against Joshua at 268 pounds a high number, but largely forgivable since he had taken the fight on short notice, and, more importantly, won.
In the build to their rematch, trainer Manny Robles insisted that his fighter would get down into the 250s with a full training camp, but on Thursday admitted that he would instead likely be closer to 268 again, per ESPN .
At the weigh-in on Friday, Ruiz Jr. proved larger than his trainer expected, coming in at a whopping 283 pounds for the rematch. The mark makes him the heaviest champion to enter a title defense aside from Nikolay Valuev, who was seven-feet tall. Ruiz Jr. is listed at six-foot-two.
After the weigh-in, Joshua, 237 pounds as of Friday, noted that the weight difference was significant, but exuded easy confidence nonetheless.
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The extra weight didn't seem to be a concern to Ruiz Jr. either, who chalked up his bulky build to a big dinner he had just eaten.
Ruiz Jr. has not been shy about his love of food, openly courting Snickers as a potential sponsor during his post-championship press tour.
Should he dominate the rematch like he did their initial fight, he just might get a deal.
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See Also:
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- If Anthony Joshua beats Andy Ruiz Jr. his promoter says he might raise his middle fingers to say 'f--- you' to all his haters
- Deontay Wilder says Andy Ruiz Jr. has Anthony Joshua's weaknesses all figured out
- The $100 million Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua fight is 'masking a darker truth' in Saudi Arabia, and boxing is burying its head in the sand