Anthony Joshua spoke to GQ Middle East and reflected on first professional loss. Since his entry into the sport of boxing, AJ has been nothing short of dominant inside the ring. Although he has faced adversity at different points in his career, he has never failed to make a comeback.

When Anthony Joshua first met Andy Ruiz Jr. under the bright lights of the cage, he suffered a brutal defeat. The end came in the seventh round after both boxers traded knockdown blows to each other. Ruiz halted AJ’s rise to undisputed glory with the win and became the first Mexican heavyweight champion.

Anthony Joshua makes a thorough analysis

The four-belt champion looked back at the roadblock that Ruiz presented with a sense of satisfaction. In combat sports, it’s often said that a loss can teach you much more than a win. Joshua seemed to subscribe to that belief when he touched upon the loss.

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“There were certain things I was talking about perhaps two years ahead of that loss, and the defeat just showcased them. I know people say crazy things like, ‘Oh, we were planning on that loss,’ but it really was a blessing in disguise. It highlighted everything I had been concerned about. After that it was simple: these are the changes I’ve been talking about, now you need to listen.”

Anthony Joshua redeemed himself in a big way during their second bout. The rematch saw Joshua come out laser-focused as he turned the table on the man, who bested him. He regained his status as the top dog in heavyweight boxing with a decisive victory.

“I changed everything after that first fight. Losing to Andy made me rethink and restructure. I took the positives out of it, but it wasn’t easy. My training camp was six weeks of pure hell. I had new team members, I had injuries I was trying to overcome. There were so many different issues. But we got there in the end through will, determination, and intelligence.” 

Moreover, Joshua’s thirst to learn will hold him in good stead. After his rematch victory in Saudi Arabia, the doors to lucrative fights against Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder are once again open to him. He will be keen to build off his recent momentum in his upcoming fight with mandatory IBF challenger, Kubrat Pulev.