If Anthony Joshua beats Andy Ruiz Jr. his promoter says he might raise his middle fingers to say 'f--- you' to all his haters
- Anthony Joshua will deliver a message to his haters should he beat Andy Ruiz Jr. in their heavyweight rematch on Saturday.
- That is according to Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, who told Business Insider recently that the British fighter could sit down, raise his middle fingers, and say "f--- you" to all who doubted him.
- Joshua suffered the first loss of his professional career when Ruiz Jr. beat him in style in June, winning four world titles.
- Hearn said Joshua has since had to take flak from fans, with "people turning their backs on him."
- Hearn told us there's a lot of pressure in this weekend's world title fight, but still believes his man will win.
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If Anthony Joshua beats Andy Ruiz Jr. in their Saturday rematch in Saudi Arabia, the heavyweight's promoter Eddie Hearn expects him to raise his middle fingers as a "f--- you" to all his haters.
Joshua suffered the first loss of his professional career when he wilted in New York City in June, succumbing to a seventh round stoppage after Ruiz Jr. floored him four times.
In defeat, Joshua's record dropped to 22 wins (21 by knockout) against one loss, surrendering his WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO world titles to Ruiz Jr., the new champion.
Joshua has since put up with "people turning their backs on him," his promoter Eddie Hearn told Business Insider last week.
This has given him motivation to triumph and send a resounding message to all those who ever doubted him.
Hearn told us that Joshua was asked what he planned to do if, or when, he won this weekend. Hearn said Joshua was going to sit down, raise his middle fingers, and say "f--- you" to everybody.
Hearn said: "That's maybe how he feels now about some people turning their back on him, fans … people saying, 'He's not this, not that.' I wouldn't be surprised … he'd never retire, but I'd not be surprised if he said, 'See ya later,' maybe just binned the [world title] belts.
"'See you in a year.' Other fighters have done it where they've won a career-definining fight then said they're out.
"You come back eight, 10, or 12 months later," Hearn said. "There'll be that much less pressure. When you back? 'F--- off, bye, leave me alone. I'm having a nice Christmas, see you sometime in March,' or something. That's how much pressure there is in the fight."
There were many reasons why Joshua lost the first bout
Though Joshua was making his American debut in June, attempting to break into the lucrative State-side market with a thumping victory, it appears he did not take the challenge of Ruiz Jr. seriously and, perhaps, always had one eye on a mega heavyweight showdown with Deontay Wilder in the US, or Tyson Fury in a British soccer stadium.
"He lost that fight because he didn't believe Ruiz Jr. was a threat," Hearn told us. "He wanted to put in a grandstand finish and knock him spark out. And he weren't really motivated to fight him."
Many wild conspiracy theories were born after Joshua was defeated earlier in the year, ranging from taking a pre-fight concussion with him into the bout, to suffering a locker room panic attack. All of these were debunked by Hearn at the time.
But considering Hearn insists nothing was terribly wrong that night, what gives him so much confidence that his man wins when they come to blows once again in the newly-built Diriyah Arena, this weekend?
"What gives me the confidence is that he's a million times better than that," Hearn said. "And this time … AJ is one of those really regimental people. If you give him a problem to solve or a strategy to undertake, he'll carry it out. But if something happens that's when he'll unfold a little bit because he's got a very smart mind.
"I think in that fight he wasn't prepared for war and when war unfolded he thought, 'What the f--- is going on here?'
"This time, not saying he definitely wins, but when he gets hit on the chin and when those hands come fizzing past his head, he will know because he'll be expecting that, and know he'll come through it.
"I do believe he wins."
Should he win, it brings the two-fight rivalry to one win each. So would a trilogy be needed to decide who was better?
"Maybe," Hearn said, assessing the potential bouts in 2020 and beyond. "Depending on how it goes. If it was a really good fight and everyone wanted to see it … maybe."
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