In what will probably go down as one the most exciting sports stories of the year, Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-1, 22 KOs) has officially stripped Anthony Joshua (22-1, 22 KOs) of his heavyweight titles after taking down the British fighter in a seventh-round TKO during a match in Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (June 1st).
"I just want to thank God for giving me this victory. Without him this wouldn't have been possible," Ruiz said post-win. "This is what I have been dreaming about. This is what I have been working hard for, and I can't believe I just made my dreams come true."
To further add to the depth of this win, Ruiz was a late replacement in the match having just four weeks to prepare after Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller failed three drug tests. Now, the Mexican fighter joins the ranks of WBC champion Deontay Wilder and the undefeated lineal champ Tyson Fury.
"Big respect to Andy, big big respect," Joshua said. "[He's a] good fighter. Thank you America. Thank you everyone for coming out this evening. Sorry I let my friends down, sorry I let my supporters down."
He would go on to add his regret that he didn't get to defend his titles against Deontay Wilder instead. "But it wasn't," the Brit conceded. "It was Andy Ruiz, and he deserves it, and the fame and fortune he's about to receive [...] This is boxing. It's all the same. It just wasn't my night. It was Andy Ruiz's night. You know what? It's good for the TV. It's good for DAZN. It gets people watching."