Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua admitted that he did want a warm-up fight before his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr, on December 7 in Saudi Arabia.
The British heavyweight champion lost all three of his IBF, WBA, and WBO titles after being stopped in the seventh round by Mexican fighter Ruiz at Madison Square in New York in June.
“I just think, as much as I do want to, I just think I couldn’t because of the reputation I wanna carry in boxing.” Joshua said.
“Imagine that. This is when I’m saying, ‘I can’t go and fight no lower opponents. That’s what everyone expects, let’s do something different.” Joshua added.
In his first bout with Ruiz, Joshua, down four times, he was concussed but allowed to continue fighting by his trainer Robert McCracken.
“I knew where I was but definitely they call it concussion,” Joshua said.
“That’s what they call it. But I think concussion is a weak term. You’ve got to be stronger than it. You’ve got to fight through the concussion if you can.
“That shot on my head [to the left temple in round three] made it really difficult. If concussion is what they’re calling it, that punch that gave me concussion, made it difficult. I just remember, my hands on the ropes. It’s a practice when I’m training and stuff.
“I went to walk forward a bit. He’s got my hands here [in front of him], went to walk forward a little bit, and he got my hands, so I’ve gone back, like I thought the gumshield was going to go in.
“I thought there was going to be, like, a fight. If you notice I didn’t even have my gumshield in my mouth. And the fight was called off.” he added.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury believes if Joshua knocked back out by Ruiz in December, the fight then will fair play to the heavyweight champion.
“If he [Anthony Joshua] goes in there and gets knocked back out by Ruiz, then fair play to Ruiz,” Fury said.
