Anthony Joshua boxed like Muhammad Ali against Ruiz Jr – Barry McGuigan

Barry McGuigan was reminded of Muhammad Ali when he watched Anthony Joshua’s clinical victory over Andy Ruiz Jr on Saturday night.

Six months after a humiliating knockout defeat to Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden in New York City, a meaner and leaner Joshua won back his titles in Saudi Arabia over the weekend with a skilled, disciplined display.

Although the 30-year-old finally admitted to suffering with a ‘health issue’ before the first bout, the skill and resilience on display on the dunes was a emphatic reminder of the pedigree which saw him accelerate through the world rankings to the top of the heavyweight division.

“I think this could not have been better,” The ‘Clones Cyclone’ said on Fight Night. “Hindsight is a great thing and we can see all of the things that we maybe speculated about.

“But the bottom line is; the performance he put on, the versatility – we have never seen this before.

“We saw him do a little bit of boxing in the [Joseph] Parker fight, but never move like that.

“He was like Muhammad Ali moving around like that, moving around the ring like that.

“His hands weren’t as low, but he was disciplined, he was tactically on point from start to finish.”

Despite some suggesting the Watford-born fighter may have to retire if he lost a second time, the lack of pressure or discomfort on his face was a welcome relief from the distant and lacklustre display in the Big Apple.

Utilising his physical attributes and svelte physique to its fullest advantage, Joshua controlled the range and the pace of the fight all night long.

And McGuigan was delighted by what he saw.

“It was the polar opposite Anthony Joshua to the one we saw in June in Madison Square Garden,” he continued.

“He stood and had a fight, he wanted to knock the kid out – the worst thing that could have happened was the right uppercut, left hook. Because once Ruiz dropped to the floor, he though ‘I’ve got him’.

“And he made a mistake and he paid the price for that. But he showed [in Saudi Arabia] that he’s learned from his mistakes – and that takes a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work and a lot of mental acceptance.

“To know you’ve got to change your game, to up your game and introduce something that you’ve never done before and be disciplined and hold it for those 12 rounds – that’s exactly what he done.

“Andy Ruiz…he just boxed the ears off him and he never landed a decent shot.

“And the ones he did land was when Joshua was on the move, pulling away from him so they didn’t land with the same authority as the ones that landed in June in Madison Square Garden.

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“So he boxed impeccably, magnificently and he showed us another element to him. He has moved on and advanced as a fighter, as a human being Anthony Joshua.

“And he is better for that loss.”