Boxing: Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr.

Round 1

Mike Griffin is the referee for this IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight championship. Madison Square Garden in New York City is packed to the rafters and the heavily pro-Joshua crowd is already going berserk. The bell rings and the two men meet in the center of the ring. Joshua takes a jab to the body but fires one to Ruiz’s head in return. Joshua misses a left hook but then goes back to the jab. Joshua has a straight right to the head partially blocked but eats a right in return. The reigning champ is moving away from the much shorter Ruiz, tossing out jabs to the head and body. Ruiz whips a powerful left-right hook combo but misses them both. Joshua goes back to his jab but misses his follow-up left hook. It’s not an exciting round, but Joshua wins it based almost solely on his jabs. 10-9 Joshua.

Round 2

Joshua opens the second with a jab, but Ruiz fires a right to the head in return. Joshua is cautiously moving away while the shorter Ruiz slowly walks after him. Ruiz throws a series of jabs to the body, but nothing lands cleanly. “AJ” continues to flick his left jab in Ruiz’s face, but he’s not doing any considerable damage. Joshua tags the challenger with a left hook with about 45 seconds left, but Ruiz takes it well. Another rather uneventful round, but the champ takes again. 10-9 Joshua.

Round 3

R3 Joshua begins the frame with jabs to the body. Ruiz keeps his hands held high, looking to get inside of the much taller Brit. Ruiz comes inside with a flurry, but Joshua drops him with a sharp right uppercut-left hook to the jaw. Ruiz is up and seems a little shaky. Joshua is going in for the kill but he’s blasted by a short left hook. Joshua is hurt badly and is then felled by follow-up punches from the challenger. Joshua gets back to his feet and he is very wobbly. Joshua clinches a few times to clear his head, preventing Ruiz from unloading. Ruiz chases after Joshua now, who is still incredibly wobbly. Joshua backs into a corner and jabs to the body. Ruiz dives onto Joshua in the corner and clubs away. After three more punches land, Joshua crumbles along the ropes. Finally, Joshua struggles to his feet and he’s saved by the bell in what is a wild, wild round three. 10-8 Ruiz (because he was knocked down as well).

Round 4

Round four begins and Ruiz goes right at the champ. Joshua is still shaky and backing away, trying to clear his head. “AJ” is tossing jabs to the body and then misses a huge left hook. Ruiz is in control of the pace, looking to get inside again behind his jab. Ruiz isn’t going in for the kill, effectively allowing Joshua back into the fight. The Brit is pawing his left jab, not letting his power shots go. Joshua is not looking to engage whatsoever, instead opting to move and toss out jabs here and there. 10-9 Ruiz.

Round 5

Joshua looks to have cleared his head, but he’s not letting his hands go early in the fifth. Ruiz is jabbing to the body and head, but he’s staying too far on the outside for them to land. Ruiz, with his guard high, jabs to the body and presses Joshua into the ropes. “AJ” escapes to his left, but again doesn’t punch. Ruiz is slowly stalking the champ with a minute left, looking to get inside for that powerful right hand. Joshua lands two punches to the belly and then cracks the challenger with a left hook. The punch snaps Ruiz’s head back and he’s stunned, but Joshua backs off after missing a follow-up right. Ruiz shakes off the cobwebs and fires a right upstairs that is mostly blocked. 10-9 Joshua.

Round 6

Ruiz comes right at Joshua with his jab; the champ backs off. Ruiz misses a straight right to the head, but Joshua doesn’t counter him. “AJ” is jabbing and moving now, but nothing hard is connecting. Ruiz ducks under a jab and lands a hard right to the face with 90 seconds left. They clinch, which allows Ruiz to dig a right and then a vicious left to the body. They split and Ruiz lands a right overhand right to the head. Joshua doesn’t like it and backs away, only to eat another jab and then a right to the body. Joshua looks out of sorts and frazzled at the bell. 10-9 Ruiz.

Round 7

Ruiz opens up with a left hook that lands. Joshua is hurt and stumbles into a corner. Ruiz unloads a volley of punches and sends him to the canvas. “AJ” is back up and frustrated but he’s hurt. Joshua comes right after the challenger, misses and then is dropped by another right. His mouthpiece was flung from his grill and he walks to his corner. The ref keeps asking him about the mouthpiece and Joshua tells him that he’s finished. Mike Griffin waves off the bout, igniting one of the biggest upsets in boxing in many years.

The Official Result

Official result: Andy Ruiz Jr. def. Anthony Joshua via TKO 7 (1:27), to capture the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles.