By Tim Parsons-
Tyson Fury believes Anthony Joshua should retire if he can’t beat Andy Ruiz Jnr for their December rematch, and may actually be right.
Unbeaten Fury whose fighting record remains unblemished told Ifltv that if Joshua cannot beat Ruiz in their rematch, he should bow out of the sport and hold unto the memory that he won a world title and made good money from the sport
Fury told IFL TV: “If you can’t beat Andy Ruiz Jr, you can’t do anything to Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder. Or any other decent heavyweight in the world.“If he can’t beat Andy Ruiz Jr in the rematch, he’s finished – DONE, finished, goodnight, bye-bye. If he can’t beat Ruiz in the rematch he needs to retire – simple as, forget about it, give it up as a bad job.
“He’s done well out of it, he’s had a few quid, he’s won a world title before and everything else that goes with it so fair play to him.
Fury is right because most experts will agree that both Wilder and the Gypsy king will beat Ruiz Jnr, thought this was also the general view before the U.S born Mexican shocked the world by defeating Joshua. However, a repeat defeat against the Londoner will almost certainly destroy any prospect of securing a great legacy, and will confirm that he is not the best in the division. Joshua was thoroughly beaten by Ruiz Jnr was after being dominated by the underdog before being stopped in the 7th round. He cannot afford to loose twice in a row to Ruiz Jnr.
It is very unlikely that Ruiz Jnr will be able to outbox Tyson Fury or stop the 6ft 9 gypsy fighter whose sheer size and unorthodox boxing style will make it very difficult for Ruiz Jnr to beat him. It is also unlikely that Ruiz Jnr will beat Deontey Wilder, although an upset cannot be ruled out against Wilder, who has a five inch height advantage over Ruiz Jnr, and a much bigger punch. However, it is Joshua who will be on the opposite corner of the new undisputed world heavyweight champion in December, and he has to win or his reputation will be gone.
Ruiz Jnr is a good fighter with a lot of experience, but Joshua has to beat him in December to remain relevant in the heavyweight division. If he suffers the kind of back to back defeat that David Haye suffered against Tony Bellew, he will need to call it a day for his own sake, just like Haye did after an exciting career. Joshua would have made enough money in the sport, but will loose his reputation, making any other victories at lower levels of the division pointless.
Joshua has noticeably trimmed down for this fight, but will have to really fight his heart out to win this rematch.
Joshua told IFL TV: “Who is he to talk? Did he help me get into boxing to tell me when I should leave at? No one can tell me when to retire except for me”.
Fury does not have to be the one who took Joshua into boxing express the valid opinion that a second defeat will mean he should retire. A second defeat will make it obvious that Joshua is not the best in the world, and when a man who has not yet proven that he is the best beats you twice, the world loosing interest in you because they thought you may have been the best.
“That’s how I look it. Unless you were the one to take me into boxing like my old man was the one that took me down to the gym.
“And if he said, ‘son, I think you should retire,’ if no one’s helped me get into it no one should tell me when to get out of it.” Nobody will need to tell Joshua to get it out, the pressure will naturally come from the public. He simply has to win in Saudi Arabia, no two ways about it.