Tyson Fury believes that Anthony Joshua will lose to Andy Ruiz Jr again and he also thinks AJ will retire if that happens.
Joshua was TKO’d by Ruiz Jr in shocking circumstances back in June, losing his WBA, WBO and IBF world titles in the process. But their rematch takes place in just under two weeks time at a purpose-built 16,000-seater stadium in Diriyah Saudi Arabia.
According to express.co.uk, Joshua is the favourite to gain back his belts but Ruiz Jr is still dangerous, as he proved in the first fight, and in training videos which have been released since.
Financially, the rematch should prove to be the biggest fight in boxing in 2019, with the fighters set to pocket close to £50 million combined.
Fury has his own world title rematch coming up with Deontay Wilder in February and he could very well fight the winner of Joshua-Ruiz at some point down the line. But the Gyspy King doesn’t have much faith in his compatriot to get the job done the second time around.
Fury told the True Geordie podcast: “When you want to start adding all these different technologies to your game, one per cent here and there, it’s a load of sh*t to be honest.
“Andy Ruiz Jr for example, little fat pig, comes in on three weeks notice, murdered every donut and taco in California, goes in with a guy who had a 12-week training camp with every sport scientist in the UK.
“[Joshua] has broken every heart monitor in sight, he’s been every cross-fit machine, been on the best diet you can get, but the fat fella goes in there and bowls him over in seven rounds.
“I see the rematch going pretty much similar to the first fight, I know they both lost some weight and there’s more time to prepare and all that, they’ll have different game plans.
“But Mike Tyson said ‘everyone’s got a great game plan until you get punched in the face’.
“I don’t think that Ruiz Jr is too good, but my opinion is he’s won already and knocked him out so he’s got a mental edge going into the rematch.
“Joshua is going into it mentally beaten already because he’s been knocked out. Boxing is 95 per cent in the mind anyway. It wasn’t a lucky punch, I gave Joshua one round out of the seven.
“Everyone has a bogeyman in their career, I think personally that Ruiz Jr is the bogeyman for Joshua.”
Fury then mentioned that retirement could be on the cards for Joshua if he loses, stating that he doesn’t need the money to continue after that.
He added: “If Joshua gets knocked out twice in a row, I can’t see him continuing to be fair. He doesn’t need the money and two KO losses is shattering to your career.”
