Hearn: AJ must conquer mental scars of first loss
EDDIE HEARN believes Anthony Joshua will win his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr, but the promoter says conquering any mental demons lingering from the first fight will be key to his hopes.
Joshua lost his unbeaten record and WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight world titles after being stopped by Ruiz in June in one of the biggest upsets in modern boxing history.
The fighters will meet again in Saudi Arabia next Saturday with Hearn tipping his fighter to seize back his belts, providing he has laid to rest any doubts created by the first fight.
‘He has trained hard and is just tapering down now, probably getting his last sparring in,’ Hearn (below with Joshua) said. ‘It took him a while to get over the defeat, he had to ask himself some questions, but the way he has bounced back is admirable. Creating a legacy is the motivation. I believe he will win and when he does, it will be sweet.
‘It’s tough, though. It’s a 50/50 fight. He has to overcome that mental warfare of being stopped by Ruiz Jr last time out.’
Joshua was criticised following his shock defeat in New York but Hearn believes the 2012 Olympic champion deserves huge credit for refusing to duck the challenge of getting straight back in the ring with Ruiz.
‘He’s put absolutely everything into this camp and couldn’t have tried any harder,’ he added. ‘This isn’t a guy shirking a challenge. It’s not a guy asking for an easy warm-up fight.
‘Time and time again, he has gone in at the deep end before his time. He’s doing it again. A warm-up fight is not in Anthony Joshua’s vocabulary.’