NEW YORK – History and hype. The first was made by Andy Ruiz Jr., the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. The second was exposed in Anthony Joshua, whose reign came crashing down Saturday night in front of UK fans who witnessed their chiseled king get undressed by the most unlikely of challengers.
Ruiz entered Madison Square Garden, perhaps the world’s biggest stage, looking like he had spent more time at the dessert table than the gym. He jiggled, almost from head to foot. The UK crowd dismissed him. Then, booed. Then, sang God Save The Queen.
But neither God nor the Queen can save Joshua from the ridicule he heard after he was dropped four times, pulled down like a statue from a pedestal by a short- pudgy stand-in. Ruiz knocked down Joshua four times, finishing him in the seventh when his corner said no mas.
At one level, it was pathetic.
At another level, it was exhilarating.
At every level, it was historic. It was the biggest heavyweight upset since Buster Douglas upset Mike Tyson on Feb. 11 in 1990.
“I did this for my people,’’ Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) said. “Nobody ever gave me a chance.’’
You could probably put Douglas and Tyson among those who thought that Ruiz only had a chance to get knocked out. He did get knocked down in the third. But that only seemed to embolden him, unlike Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs), who appeared to be more interested in saying hello to American fans in his U.S. debut.
Ruiz got up and took the fight to Joshua, who never responded. He waved a jab in front of Ruiz. It looked like the Queen waving her gloved hand at adoring fans from the backseat of her London limo. Meanwhile, Ruiz knocked down Joshua twice before the third was over. Then came the seventh. Joshua was looking around, seemingly confused and unsure of the speed that powered Ruiz’ hands. The punches came at Joshua like New York cabs racing out of blind corners.
Two more knockdowns in the seventh and suddenly it was over. Joshua’s corner had surrendered. Still, Joshua smiled. But the winning in that smile was gone, at least from the perspective of the once-trusting UK fans. The genuine was gone from the grin. The fans who mocked Ruiz now directed a deeply genuine ire at their fallen hero. They booed and headed toward Joe Louis Plaza, the sidewalk that surrounds the Garden. For them, Joshua could have been just another Bum-of-the-Month that was once part of Louis’ heavyweight reign.
Does Joshua come back from this? Can he, perhaps in a rematch? Remember all the talk about a showdown with Deontay Wilder? Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn said that the inability to put together Joshua-Wilder was “embarrassing.’’
But nothing was more embarrassing than what happened to Joshua in what was supposed to be his hello to a bigger audience.
For now, it just looks like a goodbye delivered by the fast hands that made history.
Callum Smith wins in a crushing stoppage
Three rounds. Three knockdowns.
Callum Smith (26-0, 19 KOs), the UK’s WBA super-middleweight champion, must have been giving Canelo Alvarez at least three reasons to think about fighting somebody else.
At least, Hassan N’Dam was no match from Smith, who finished it with with the third knockdown, a straight ring hand that N’Dam saw and couldn’t. N’Dam was unconscious at the moment it landed. N’Dam (37-4, 21 KOs) fell like a flat board, the back of his hand slamming onto the canvas
Katie Taylor takes majority decision over Persoon in a women’s all-timer
Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon did what no woman has since Christy Martin. Martin was the original, an acknowledged pioneer of women’s boxing. Taylor and Persoon took it a step further with 10 punishing rounds fora world lightwweight title.
Taylor (14-0, 6 KOs), the popular KT to her Irish fans, won, scoring a 96-94, 95-95, 96-94 majority decision over Persoon (43-2, 18 KOs) of Belgium. Many in the Madison Square Garden crowd Saturday night thought Persoon had done enough to win. There were boos. But give Persoon credit. She fought bravely throughout 10 rounds that left her faced, battered and swollen.
Give them both credit
Hands down. it was Josh Kelly in a majority draw
It’s hard to score points with defense. But there’s a price for not practicing defensive fundamentals, and it looks as if UK welterweight Josh Kelly might have paid it on the Joshua-Ruiz undercard. Kelly (9-0-1, 6 KOs) kept his hands at his side in a Roy Jones-like posture for several rounds. Finally he put them up, but it was too late to save him from his first bout without a victory.
Kelly was left a with majority draw with Ray Robinson (24-3-2, 12 KOs), a Philadelphia fighter who opened up a cut near Kelly’s right eye. Kelly was a winner on one card, 96-95. On each of the other the two cards, it was 95-95.
UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi wins stoppage
Joshua Buatsi had the right first name. He had the right style. He had the right opponent. All of the pieces came together for the UK light-heavyweight on a card featured by Anthony Joshua’s American debut against Andy Ruiz Jr. Marco Antonio Periban, of Mexico, was no match for him.
Buatsi (11-0, 9 KOs) overwhelmed Periban (25-5-1, 16 KOs)in the fourth with a succession of punches, leaving the Mexican exhausted and defenseless midway through the round. The referee ended it at 1:39 of the fourth.
Chris Algieri wins stoppage
Chris Algieri (24-3, 9 KOs) was left with darkening welts beneath both eyes. He took punishment. But he took more than that. He took Tommy Coyle’s best shots and countered with even more, forcing Coyle’s corner to end it after eight rounds of a hard-fought junior-welterweight bout.
Algieri, of New York, scored a knockdown in the fourth. He battered Coyle (25-5, 12 KO) around the ring throughout the eighth. Just when it looked as it was over, however, Coyle, of the UK, delivered a long counter hook. It might have been Coyle’s way of saying he wanted to continue. But his corner had seen enough, saying no mas to the ringside physician and Coyle.
First Bell: Heavyweight Garden Party opens with Cissokho winning unanimous decision
Souleymane Cissokho, a quick powerful and middleweight from France, added the sound of punches to empty echoes at Madison Square, opening a Garden party featuring Anthony Joshua American debut against Andy Ruiz Jr. Saturday.
Seconds after first bell, there was little doubt that Cissokho (9-0, 6 KOs) was a better fighter than Wladimir Hernandez (10-4, 6KOs). Throughout eight rounds, Cissokho scored repeatedly, winning a unanimous decision.
Houston middleweight Austin Williams scores quick stoppage
Houston middleweight Austin Williams calls himself Ammo. He didn’t need much of that in a swing bout on the Joshua-Ruiz undercard. Williams (2-0, 2 KO) blew out Quadeer Jenkins (0-2), of Trenton, N.J., within three minutes, scoring a first-round stoppage at 2:14 of the round.