Promoter Frank Warren has aligned himself with Carl Froch’s view that Anthony Joshua hasn’t been the same since a 2019 contest.
Joshua made his return to the ring recently following two losses to Oleksandr Usyk – a victory via unanimous decision over American heavyweight, Jermaine Franklin.
Pre-fight, Froch had pinpointed the Andy Ruiz Jr loss in 2019 as a turning point in Joshua’s career. Via his Froch on Fighting channel, the former world champion said Ruiz ‘took a part of AJ’s soul.’
“Unfortunately, he lost to Andy Ruiz. That loss to Ruiz took a part of his soul, destroyed him, made him nervous.
OK, in the rematch he got the win, he outboxed him in Saudi by moving and keeping safe to get the points win, but it wasn’t a performance that convinced me that he believes in himself. He was fighting scared, on his back foot and did what he had to do to get the win, fair play to him.”
It’s something promoter Frank Warren agrees with. Reflecting with IFL TV after the fight, he echoed Froch’s opinion.
“Yeah I agree with him on that. I think before the Ruiz fight a couple of times he was getting caught a lot in fights, wobbling a few times. I think the Ruiz fight – guy who come in at the last minute, week of the fight or whatever it was – that just took everything out of him.
He’s not looked the same fighter since to me, and, as I say, he boxes more tentatively now. He doesn’t box with any real assurance in any fight.”
There was plenty about the Ruiz fight to unnerve ‘AJ.’ It was an American debut for the superstar, and his would-be opponent, Jarrell Miller, tested positive for a whole host of steroids a matter of weeks before.
With the fast-handed Ruiz stepping in, the public who weren’t aware of him as a fighter simply looked to his physique and branded it a walkover for ‘AJ.’
In reality, Ruiz presented a tougher test than Miller likely would have – especially when Joshua had to cope with the last minute change from a slow, plodding heavyweight to a quick, relentless Mexican.
He lost via seventh round stoppage that night, and, as Froch says, despite winning the immediate rematch, perhaps hasn’t been as gung-ho since.