Ring walks for Ruiz Jr-Joshua II scheduled for 8.45pm next Saturday
Thursday 5 December 2019 21:38, UK
Anthony Joshua must overcome the mental scars of a stoppage defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr if he is to successfully regain his heavyweight world titles, believes promoter Eddie Hearn.
Sky customers: Ruiz Jr vs Joshua 2
Non Sky customers: Ruiz Jr vs Joshua 2
The British star rematches Ruiz Jr next Saturday in a spectacular second fight, live on Sky Sports Box Office, with the WBA 'super', IBF and WBO belts on the line in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
Hearn is confident that Joshua will avenge his sole career defeat in legacy-defining fashion, but remains wary of the threat that Ruiz Jr poses.
"I spoke to him (Joshua) a couple of days ago, he's in Saudi Arabia and very happy. He's trained hard and is just tapering down now, probably getting his last sparring in," Hearn told Sky Sports.
"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.
"He's put absolutely everything into this camp and couldn't have tried any harder.
"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.
"Creating a legacy has been the motivation and 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."
Watch Andy Ruiz Jr vs Anthony Joshua 2 in Saudi Arabia on Saturday December 7, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
