Robert McCracken explains why Anthony Joshua was right not to take warm-up fight before Andy Ruiz rematch

Rematch: Joshua and Ruis Jr meet again in Saudi Arabia on December 7.
AFP/Getty Images
Tony Mogan10 September 2019

Anthony Joshua never considered taking a warm-up fight before heading into his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr, with trainer Robert McCracken explaining it was never a "realistic" possibility for the Briton.

Joshua lost his IBF, WBO and WBA (Super) titles in a shock loss to Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in June. The 2012 Olympian immediately activated a rematch clause with the two to meet again in Saudi Arabia on December 7.

Joshua's decision to go straight into that rematch has been questioned, with former trainer Tony Sims among those to suggest the 29-year-old may have been best served having one or two warm-up fights before trying to reclaim his world titles.

But McCracken, who has led Joshua's training since December 2016, believes his fighter needed to go straight back into the battle against the Mexican-American.

In Pictures | Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr | 01/06/19

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“He [Joshua] is a world heavyweight champion and he’s lost his title to Andy Ruiz, who is obviously a great fighter, but he doesn’t work to the level that AJ’s been boxing and the magnitude, the preparation and the time that goes into that," McCracken told The Sportsman.

“To go away and have two or three warm ups is probably not realistic and that’s why you go back into the rematch. All heavyweights who have lost their titles have gone back into rematches to try and get the win.

“At this level, with all the preparation, you get a couple of fights a year, it would be difficult to have a few warm up fights.

“Anthony needs to take the rematch, he needs to be 100 per cent prepared and I think it’s a fight he can win. Anthony has been a champion since 2016, now he’s lost the titles and he wants to get them back.

“That’s what happens in the sport at this level. A heavyweight champion will take the option to get his titles back and redeem himself.”

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