Anthony Joshua Listed as -350 Favorite in Rematch With Andy Ruiz Jr

• Andy Ruiz Jr scored one of the biggest upsets in recent boxing history when he TKOed Anthony Joshua in the 7th round on Saturday Night
• Joshua had a rematch clause in the contract and the two are expected to fight again in the near future
• Is it a good bet that the former champion bounces back from his first career defeat?

In my pre-fight picks article, I got the 7th-round prediction correct, I just missed entirely on who it would be winning the bout between newly-minted champion Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua.

Ruiz Jr shocked the boxing world by knocking out Joshua to steal his title belts, and sportsbooks have already listed odds on the rematch.

Ruiz Jr vs Joshua II Odds

*odds taken 6/3

The odds look much different than the first time around but the new champion, Ruiz Jr, is still a considerable underdog.  Where and when the fight will take place is still a mystery, but Joshua did have a rematch clause so another bout between the two should eventually happen.

If you want my advice, I’d jump on the value Ruiz Jr is offering before it’s too late.

.@GGGBoxing shares his thoughts on Ruiz Jr.'s historic upset and explains why he thinks Joshua was too focused on building his brand pic.twitter.com/6YAVRyYZhC

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 3, 2019

Ruiz Jr Deserves Credit For The Win

When an undefeated champion with Joshua’s popularity loses, it’s going to steal some of the headlines, but this stunning loss is stealing them all.  Ruiz Jr is only being mentioned in joke pieces that comment on his weight issues and that’s undervaluing the incredible performance from the 29-year-old Mexican-American had.

He’s now 33-1 with 22 KO in his career and is deserving of the titles he holds.  Was he a surprise victor? Of course.  But the reality remains that the only blemish on his record is a majority-decision loss to Joseph Parker, while Joshua now owns an ugly TKO defeat.

“Ever since I was 7 years old, fighting in the amateurs, my dad used to give me a @Snickers before every fight.” — New heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz Jr., whose pre-fight meal was a steak & Snickers, seems in line for a nice candy bar endorsement. pic.twitter.com/XeXroUJIAz

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 2, 2019

He may be out of shape and he may own a questionable pre-fight routine, but it’s absolutely a reality that Ruiz Jr has a strong chin and a penchant for competing like a warrior when the going gets tough.

Betting against him in a rematch may not be wise, especially when siding with a repeat performance would come with such a prosperous payday.

Was Joshua Too Focused On Life Outside The Ring?

Could Anthony Joshua be the next version of Ronda Rousey?  Think of the comparisons.  A once dominant fighter with an undefeated record, knocked off by a big underdog while seeming to focus on life away from the ring (or octagon).

The parallels are definitely there and it’s not a lock that Joshua will rebound and reclaim his titles.  Until we know the extent of his injuries in the fight Saturday night, it’s tough to blame him too much, but it certainly seemed like there was a point where he decided he didn’t want any more of Ruiz Jr.

"Andy Ruiz just showed the division is more wide open than people realize … "

—@maxkellerman on Andy Ruiz Jr. defeating Anthony Joshua pic.twitter.com/IiuS0Cg5Yz

— First Take (@FirstTake) June 3, 2019

Joshua only ended up in this fight because he continued to delay a super-star showdown with Deontay Wilder.  Perhaps it’s for the best that he wasn’t in the ring with a man as powerful as Wilder on Saturday night.  This was ugly but could have been a whole lot worse.

In any event, I’m siding with Ruiz Jr whenever these two end up back in the ring together.

PICK: Ruiz Jr (+275)