Get Ready to Enjoy the Joshua v Ruiz Stream

2019 has been the year of the big boxing upset and they didn’t come much greater than the one achieved at Madison Square Garden in New York earlier this year. World champion Anthony Joshua put his alphabet of world titles on the line against fellow heavyweight Andy Ruiz Jnr and returned home without his prized assets.

The Mexican American ducked between the ropes as a supposed no-hoper, written off by everyone from bookmakers to former fighters. That wasn’t only because he was a late stand-in opponent given less than a month to prepare for the biggest bout of his life. It was also due to the fact he seemed strangely proud of his fleshy body shape that appeared to be pushing obese.

Ruiz Upsets the Odds

Followers of the noble art will be only too quick to remind us, however, that in the fight game anything can happen and in the fight game anything often does happen. In a sport where one punch can change everything, the outcome can be changed in the blink of an eye. One lazy shot, one misplaced duck, one step in the wrong direction and careers can come crashing down. That’s certainly true in the heavyweight division where big guys are throwing big punches.

It was also true for Anthony Joshua against an eerily quiet backdrop in June of this year. The Brit sent his opponent to the canvas in the third round and looked to be lining up yet another early knockout win, but things didn’t go according to plan. Andy Ruiz Jr climbed up off the desk, dusted himself down and went to work. He dropped AJ twice in round three to turn the tide and finished his man with another two knockdowns in round seven. Referee Michael Griffin had seen enough and waved the fight off, crowning a new champion in the progress.

Joshua Triggers Rematch Clause

There was much talk in the game, after the dust had settled, about a possible rematch. It had been made clear by the Matchroom Sports team, mainly frontman Eddie Hearn, that the standard rematch clause had been written into the contract. It wasn’t clear, however, if Team Joshua would push for it. Anthony had been knocked out and embarrassed by a man many believed – pre-bout – wasn’t fit to lace his boots. Not only was he knocked out and beaten, but it was done in convincing fashion.

No flash knockdown or lucky punch. Ruiz was a fully deserving champion and we now had people saying he would have no trouble doing it again, beating Joshua for a second time as the Englishman wasn’t able to adapt and improve. When it became apparent Joshua v Ruiz II would go ahead and AJ wanted it, the debate then moved to the location. Joshua had gone to America as champion, would Ruiz show the same bottle and put his title on the line by fighting in the UK?

Perhaps the bout should take place in Mexico in front of Andy’s adoring fans. He had become an overnight sensation in that part of the world, and everyone wanted a piece of their new champ. Going back to the neutral ground of Madison Square Gardens or America was another option. In the end, the decision caught everyone off-guard. Money talks, in boxing more than any other sport, and the Joshua v Ruiz date was announced as 7 December at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia. To say that raised a few eyebrows would be an understatement.

Time for Business

Now the contracts have been signed, the ink dried, the Joshua v Ruiz press conference completed and both fighters in the thick of their training camps, fans can now look forward to the big rematch. This will be the biggest fight of the year and it will pull in millions of viewers from all around the world. Everyone wants to see if Joshua can set the record straight or if Ruiz can do it again, defending his title and setting up a unification bout with fellow countryman Deontay Wilder to create a super champion.

Where can you catch the action? UK fans can follow a blow by blow account live on Sky Sports Box Office and it’s sure to be a spectacular show. The bout will be screened across the globe and there are a number of other ways to keep up to date, including a Joshua v Ruiz live stream.

This is an HD quality stream with crystal clear sound, expert commentary and no loading times. It allows viewers to watch the clash on their desktop computer at home or through a mobile device when on the move, all at the touch of a button. The actual Joshua v Ruiz time in UK is expected to be around 18:00 GMT. That will be strange, to say the least, but it will ensure a bumper audience.

If you want watch the stream for free, check out our list of sport sites offer boxing live streams.

What the Betting Sites Say

What do the betting sites make of it all and what’s the latest boxing betting? They had AJ priced like losing wasn’t an option first time out, have they been forced to rethink their strategy in the build-up to the rematch? The most recent Joshua v Ruiz odds has the Englishman as the favourite once again but there’s not an awful lot in it at the moment. Traders have been forced to give Andy Ruiz Jr the credit he deserves and have sliced his price in from earlier this year.

Anthony Joshua to tear off a strip of revenge is available at no better than 4/11 with Ladbrokes and that’s the market best price. Andy Ruiz Jr to dish out more of the same has been chalked up on the betting board as a 5/2 pick with Betfair and, again, that’s the most generous quote around. The latter will take some ignoring and is sure to attract the attention of value hunters on the lookout for a way to hurt the traders. The draw looks unlikely and shouldn’t see too many bets, even at the 33/1 offered up by Betfair.

There’s more to be had in the method of victory market. If you believe you know the winner of this bout you can push your luck and predict how they’ll achieve the result. Anthony Joshua by knockout is 8/11 with bet365 or the points win can be backed at 4/1 through Ladbrokes. Ruiz to deal another KO/TKO will net you 7/2 at bet365, the judges’ verdict a 16/1 poke (bet365).

Famous Comebacks for British Fighters

Let’s not forget, for as unpredictable as the sport of boxing is, we’ve witnessed some famous comebacks from British fighters over the years, including British heavyweights. Lennox Lewis is, perhaps, the most memorable of them in recent times. The Englishman was knocked out by little-known Hasim Rahman for only the second defeat of his career. No one saw it coming.

Lennox The Lion Lewis got his belts back in stunning fashion when handing a comeback knockout defeat to his rival in the rematch. That’s a night Anthony Joshua can learn a lot from and there will be hordes of British boxing fans hoping he can do it.