Briton Joshua stepped into Madison Square Garden this summer with 22 straight wins and three World Cup belts. Challenger Andy Ruiz Jr took the match at short notice, was mocked by many for his physique and was barely given a chance.
Still, he floored Joshua four times and took a sensational knockout victory in the seventh round.
Now the American promises to knock the big star even faster in the return meeting on Saturday.
- One stroke can change the whole match. That was exactly what happened in June. It may be a tougher challenge than the first time, but I will show my skill and talent, Ruiz Jr. told Sky Sports.
"All press is on Joshua"He predicts that Joshua will start carefully after what happened last.
- All the pressure is on Joshua and I think I will break him down again.
The speculation and rumors surrounding Joshua's recharge for the first game have been many. Among other things, information circulates that he was knocked out a few weeks before the match, and that he had a panic attack in the dressing room hours before.
He himself dismissed the knock as "a hit of luck" despite being floored several times.
- I said it was a hit from the gods. What I meant was that I train in a way that means I shouldn't have been hit by the blows at all. So that's why it was a hit sent from the gods, Joshua tells Sky Sports.
The 30-year-old Ruiz Jr. has 33 wins in 34 professional matches. The only loss came in points in his first title match, against Joseph Parker 2016.