Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr: The hard work starts now for Britain’s fallen giant after shock defeat

Ruiz ignored facts, stats, six-packs and bookies the world over to win. It was a dream ending for the Mexican – and a shock to the system for Joshua

And now the hard work starts for Anthony Joshua after a shocking night of pain and confusion ruined his carefully scripted Madison Square Garden party in New York late on Saturday night.

A man called Andy Ruiz Jr, a late replacement, a kid bullied at school for being fat and a man selected as the perfect sacrifice for Joshua’s American takeover, is the new IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion of the world. Ruiz ignored facts, stats, six-packs and bookies the world over to win. It was a dream ending for the big lad who fights under a Mexican flag.

He is the most unlikely looking champion: flabby, smiley, relaxed and a happy tourist here in New York where he promised to fight until the bitter end. He kept his word and broke Joshua in one of boxing’s genuine shocks.

Joshua was stopped on his feet, unsteady and largely unresponsive in his own corner with about ninety seconds left in round seven after stumbling up from his fourth knockdown. He was talking to the referee, communicating but clearly nothing was making any sense to the big lad and he left the referee no alternative but to stop the fight. Joshua stood there, passive, his eyes wide and his body finished with fighting for the night. At 2am, as Joshua left the glorious hall, he told me he was ready to continue when the fight finished: “The referee asked and I told him I could fight. I respect his decision,” he said. He still seemed as bemused as everybody in the Garden, which looked sold-out, with everybody listening or watching. Ruiz and his tight team were the only people not in shock. “I knew I would win – I believed,” said Ruiz.

The brutal truth is that Joshua had no real or clear idea about where he was after he was caught and dropped in round three. He is not the first boxer to fight several rounds without any idea what is happening or where he is. The fight ended there in many ways, at that point in round three and after that Joshua was a walking blank in a fight where he was battling a lost cause without any real awareness. He just kept fighting.

In round three, after two cautious but calculated rounds, Joshua connected cleanly with a beautiful left hook and Ruiz, whose feet were level at the time, went down heavily. It was the first time in 34 professional fights, and over one hundred amateur fights, that Ruiz had ever been dropped. Ruiz was up quickly, his eyes looked clear, but we all thought at ringside that the fight was going to plan and that a grinning Joshua would land again and it would be over. How wrong everybody was.

Ruiz was over after less than sixty seconds, he sucked in deep breaths and as Joshua moved forward to end the fight, Ruiz let his fast fists fly and that is when a left hook, a right and a few other punches sent Joshua tumbling. The round was only 95 seconds old; it was already defying expectations. Joshua was hurt, badly hurt.

Just before the bell to end the third round, Joshua was down again, his legs in revolt and he fell to his hands and knees. It looked over, but Joshua beat the count and stood motionless when the bell – and a hesitant referee – saved him. In round four and five Joshua circled the giant ring, a 24-foot monster, and probably nicked the rounds. However, in the sixth Ruiz found Joshua’s body, that muscled fortress that is the opposite of the fat tummy Ruiz owns, and the champion was hurt. Ruiz was smiling at the bell, Joshua gulping in air and teetering unsteadily.

In round seven Joshua went down face first and jumped up far too quickly. His instincts and not his brain had taken over his survival. Everybody was standing when Joshua went down again. He spat out his gumshield, bought a few extra seconds and then lifted his vast body up for the fourth time. The ring was a frozen stage then, Ruiz was ready, the referee went to Joshua and they talked, had their conversation of the numb and then it was over. The Garden debut was ruined. Nobody moaned, Ruiz howled.

They will fight again in November or December in either Los Angeles or Las Vegas. “The better man won tonight – let’s see about the rematch,” said Joshua. There will be problems with the sanctioning bodies and their mandatory challengers – there just might be a nasty feeding frenzy and when it is over, a new Joshua will fight. It has been a lot of fun so far and it will probably get even better, but nobody will ever forget what Ruiz, the massive underdog, did in the Garden ring. Also, nobody will quickly forget what Joshua failed to do. “I will be back,” he promised. I believe him. And then he left the wonderful venue without making one excuse.