Unified world heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua lock horns for the second time in 2019 when they meet on Saturday (3:45 p.m. ET/12:45 PT) at Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia for Ruiz's IBF, WBA (super) and WBO heavyweight titles.
A win by Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) proves their fight in June, when he sent Joshua crashing to the canvas four times to win by seventh-round TKO, wasn't a fluke.
Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) looks to rebound from the first defeat of his storied career and become a two-time unified champion.
Many boxing pundits and fans are split on who exits the Middle East with the heavyweight hardware. We spoke with some of the experts to discuss who comes out on top in the fight, which will be shown live on DAZN.
Dan Rafael, ESPN.com: This is a huge rematch, and there is huge pressure on Joshua after what happened in June. But I think he overlooked the late replacement Ruiz and paid the price. No way he does that this time. I think Joshua is a better athlete, a better puncher, and he's bigger. Ruiz may have been a little distracted given all the hoopla over his victory. I think Joshua will be as prepared as he can possibly be and will get the job done by late knockout.
Prediction: Anthony Joshua by knockout.
Mike Coppinger, The Athletic: Andy Ruiz late KO.
Thomas Gerbasi, BoxingScene.com, RingTV.com, and BoxingNewsOnline.net: 283 pounds. I was leaning towards Joshua before today's weigh-in, but now I'm picking the former champ with no hesitation after Ruiz actually went up in weight from the first fight. Shades of Buster Douglas pre-Holyfield for sure, and we all know how that went. As far as the method of victory, AJ will probably play it safe and avoid exchanges at close range. Use the ring, use his jab and take it into the late rounds. He might not get Ruiz out of there, but he should take the decision comfortably.
Prediction: Anthony Joshua by a wide unanimous decision.
Diego M. Morilla, The Ring en español: As it is usually in these cases, no one listens to the most authoritative and experienced voices in the matter. This time, I did, and I agreed with one of them. In the lead-up to Joshua-Ruiz I, trainer Kevin Barry (one of the few trainers who faced both Joshua and Ruiz from the corner of one of his pupils, Joseph Parker) made it clear that Ruiz was not the prohibitive, double-digits underdog that the boxing connoisseurs du jour wanted us to believe.
He warned Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn about the difficulties that his charge would be facing against a motivated guy with little to lose. Armed with a degree of power and hand speed that no one thought possible in a fighter of his body shape, Ruiz was more dangerous than what everyone thought he'd be. And Barry's prophecies were correct down to the last word.
This time around, I believe that, in spite of being the one carrying the belts into the ring with him, Andy Ruiz will be the one feeling the most pressure to prove that he is not a one-trick burro with a lovely backstory and an extra measure of good luck. And since Joshua will be fully aware of both the cost of his previous mistakes and the fortunes that await him if he gets it right this time, it is not hard for me to believe, just like Barry does, that Joshua will indeed have the upper hand, in more than one sense, should he manage to keep the pressure on Ruiz and maintain a degree of distance throughout the bout.
In sum, Joshua's height, wingspan, power, and mobility should be enough (if applied correctly, as they were during the first two and a half rounds of the first bout) to get the job done this time, and to then set up the richest fight in 21st-century heavyweight boxing against Deontay Wilder.
Prediction: Anthony Joshua by sixth-round knockout.
Jake Donovan, BoxingScene.com: I keep going back and forth on this one (always a good sign of a potentially competitive fight), but believe that Ruiz is more resourceful than the one-trick pony he's being sold to be. It's not just Joshua who will be making adjustments, but also Ruiz enhancing what worked so well the first time, and I believe to be the path toward a repeat feat. Ruiz by mid-rounds KO.
Prediction: Andy Ruiz Jr. by knockout.
Kelsey McCarron, BleacherReport.com: Less than a year ago, Joshua was the consensus No. 1 heavyweight in the world who appeared to be on his way to becoming the next great UK heavyweight champion. Heck, some people were even comparing this guy to Lennox Lewis. But Ruiz shocked the world in June and pulled an upset for the ages. Still, sometimes fighters have to learn hard lessons by losing fights that they should otherwise win. The same thing happened to Lewis when he lost to Oliver McCall in 1994 and Hasim Rahman in 2001.
Like Lewis, I think Joshua has the build, body and skill to beat most other heavyweights, but sometimes his head gets in the way. My prediction is that he rebounds in Saudi Arabia to beat Ruiz via 12-round decision by focusing on what he does best. Joshua will use jabs and crosses and limit Ruiz's countering opportunities.
Prediction: Anthony Joshua via 12-round decision.
Carlos Toro, Fightful.com: This rematch does have the makings to be as exciting and enthralling as their first bout back in June. The gameplan for Joshua to win is there: use his length and jab to keep Ruiz from getting to the inside and not get desperate like he was after he dropped Ruiz the first time.
But to be honest, I'm not entirely sold on Joshua being able to comprehend what needs to be done to get the win. Ruiz, on the other hand, is going to try and close the distance early on in the fight. Ruiz won't be afraid of a potential knockdown because he's already experienced that and was able to thrive coming from behind to win.
Joshua will fight a smarter fight this time around, but Ruiz's style is one that the Brit will struggle for several rounds. There's a lot to be said about the momentum and confidence Ruiz has coming into the bout, and it will be a factor in the final result. I think we will see a similar ending to the first fight with Ruiz coming out on top and retaining his heavyweight titles.
Prediction: Andy Ruiz Jr. by TKO.