[tps_title]Ruiz Might Have Joshua’s Number[/tps_title]
Sometimes a fighter just has another fighter’s number.
One could argue George Foreman was just all kinds of wrong for Joe Frazier. As talented, skilled and accomplished as Frazier was, Foreman just battered him around the ring like a ragdoll over two fights in two knockout wins.
Will it be the same for Ruiz vs Joshua?
In the first fight, it appeared Joshua had the early lead coming out of the gate. During rounds one and two, Joshua mostly kept Ruiz at the end of is longer punches–especially his jab. But after knocking Ruiz down in round three, the fight completely changed course.
That’s because Joshua pushed for the knockout. It was then Ruiz landed hard counterpunches that put Joshua down for the first time. The plucky American challenger took over the fight from that point.
The question for the rematch will be whether it was just a tactical error by Josua, or a move by Ruiz to press the action more that always planned and would have happened no matter what Joshua decided.
Sometimes, a fighter just has another fighter’s number. Maybe Ruiz is just the guy who always beats Joshua.