Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr is not the fight we deserve – boxing needs to sort out its act

Legendary status comes from beating the biggest names of all

Imagine the scenario. Liverpool and Tottenham, fresh off their Champions League semi-final exploits, take a deep breath as they peer ahead to the final. They’re due to play each other in a momentous game that will determine the best team in Europe. Exciting previous battles have led to major intrigue around the game, with fans desperate to see the final shootout between the sides.

The sports world is buzzing, journalists are salivating, and Twitter Football has already rehearsed its off-the-cuff memes and GIFs. But then, rumours emerge that the game might not happen. Liverpool Chairman John Henry has suggested that the final hasn’t come at an ideal time, while Daniel Levy is adamant that there isn’t enough money at stake. The players are keen to play; this represents the highest level they can aspire to, but the rumours soon become more than fairytale.

Liverpool decide after prolonged negotiations that it makes more sense to play the final next season, so instead they’ll be facing Benfica on Sky Sports in a game to determine the greatest team to wear red. Spurs meanwhile have negotiated separately with BT Sport to rematch Ajax, the team they had already defeated in the semi-finals.

Sounds farcical right? Indeed, for pretty much every sport on the planet the idea of the best not facing the best is a ludicrous concept which goes against the very essence of sport. Roger Federer has never backed away from facing Rafael Nadal, and the Toronto Raptors didn’t decline to play the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. You wouldn’t get this in snooker, MMA, darts or shuffleboard – so why is such a scenario de rigueur in boxing?

Anthony Joshua is special, in pretty much every possible way. Intelligent – in and outside of the ring – physically commanding, successful, humble but assured. As an amateur and professional he’s achieved everything he’s needed to, and defeated everyone who dared to enter the ring against him. All rivals have fallen, box-office records smashed, and riches gained. He ticks every box you want when it comes to creating a crossover sports star, but the one asset missing is the hardest to achieve – legacy.

Creating a legacy isn’t defeating a 41-year-old inactive Wladmir Klitschko. It’s not outpointing Joseph Parker or stopping a one-armed Dillian Whyte. A legitimate legendary status comes from beating the biggest names of all.

As luck would have it, there are two legacy opponents with undefeated records in Joshua’s heavyweight division. Yet despite years of hype, Joshua isn’t fighting Deontay Wilder tonight, or Tyson Fury. Instead he’s fighting Andy Ruiz, a stocky, unheralded Mexican-American heavyweight whose gait is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of his entire being.

You want to know the worst part? You’re going to have to pay £20 to watch it; £20 to watch a world-class athlete fight an unathletic, inactive boxer who has never beaten an opponent of note in their prime. Sure, Ruiz was a late replacement for Jarrell Miller who decided that gorging on PEDs was the best preparation for fighting Joshua, but his entry into this fight has been created on sheer desperation and not through authentic audience respect

Ruiz is significantly shorter than Joshua, in worse aesthetic and physical shape, has boxed one viable contender his whole career and has neither the size, power or stamina to challenge his decorated opponent past the first three rounds. Is this the best Matchroom could do? To protect their investment, it is. But the need for protection is only a reality because of the lack of risks Joshua and his promoters have taken over the past two years.

While sport thrives on tell-tale gossip, boxing takes petty bureaucracy and double standards to a completely different level. Hands up who is bored with hearing about multi-million dollar offers, venue demands and rematch clauses? Negotiations don’t make fights any more intriguing, they don’t help generate hype or increase pay-per-view buys. Instead, they create tedium and anger, both at boxers and their promotional partners.

Moreover, it makes boxing antiquated and boring. We don’t get this anywhere else, and we don’t want it. There are no viable excuses as to why Anthony Joshua isn’t fighting Wilder or Fury tonight that genuinely matter. If it was genuinely wanted, from any side, it would be happening. Concessions would be created, a line in the sand drawn. What do we have instead? Average opponents fighting the cream of the division for lesser rewards and greater risk.

Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr is not the fight we deserve (Action Images via Reuters)

Inside the ring, Anthony Joshua is a stone-cold machine who is getting better physically and tactically all the time. These developments will destroy Andy Ruiz, and there’s no doubt that Joshua skillset will give Wilder and Fury plenty of problems.

It’s not fear of the fighter stopping the big bouts from happening, but fear of losing relevancy. Boxing is fickle. An athlete can go from must-see to yesterday’s news over 12 measly rounds. If the scorecards had been correct in the Wilder/Fury fight and the Briton walked away with the deserved victory, Wilder’s stock would have dimmed dramatically. Instead, the draw increased the intrigue and the three-way jostle for true heavyweight glory continued.

The key is timing. Wilder only chose to fight Fury because he imagined that Fury had peaked. He was wrong. But that’s precisely why the world is craving for two of the big three to get in the ring together before a severe loss of skills.

It’s easy to make assumptions about champions from the keyboard in light of the dangers and riches of the sport. But we need this. Boxing needs this. We may not be getting the fight that we deserve tonight. But if it doesn’t materialise anytime soon, there are only three men whose legacy will be on the line.