On This Day: Mexico’s First Heavyweight King Was Crowned
On 1st June 2019, Madison Square Garden witnessed what many call the greatest heavyweight upset since Buster Douglas floored Mike Tyson. Andy Ruiz Jr., a last-minute replacement with 25-to-1 underdog odds, did the unthinkable: he stopped the undefeated, sculpted champion Anthony Joshua to become the first-ever Mexican heavyweight champion of the world.
It was a night that proved once and for all that in boxing, you should never judge a book by its cover.
The Replacement with a Dream
Anthony Joshua’s original opponent, Jarrell Miller, had failed multiple drug tests, leaving the champion’s U.S. debut in jeopardy. Enter Andy Ruiz Jr. With his rounder physique and soft-spoken demeanour, Ruiz was mocked by social media trolls and written off by experts as a "stay-busy" fight for the British superstar.
During the pre-fight build-up, Ruiz famously mentioned his love for Snickers bars, leading many to believe he wasn't taking the opportunity seriously. But beneath the surface was a fighter with lightning-fast hands and a granite chin.
The Round That Changed Everything
The fight began as expected. In the third round, Joshua landed a thunderous left hook that sent Ruiz to the canvas. The crowd roared, expecting the underdog to fold. But instead of staying down, Ruiz stood up, looked Joshua in the eye, and went to work.
Less than a minute later, Ruiz landed a massive left hook of his own that scrambled Joshua’s senses. He dropped the champion twice in that round alone. The "Mecca of Boxing" was in a state of pure shock; the hunter had become the prey.
The "Destroyer" Delivers
For the next four rounds, a concussed Joshua tried to regain his footing, but Ruiz, fittingly nicknamed "The Destroyer", refused to let him off the hook. In the seventh round, Ruiz dropped Joshua twice more.
After the second knockdown of the round, Joshua retreated to his corner, appearing disoriented. The referee, Michael Griffin, waved the fight off. Andy Ruiz Jr. jumped for joy, having secured the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO titles in one of the most stunning turns of events in sports history.
A Hero for Mexico
With that victory, Ruiz made history as the first boxer of Mexican heritage to hold a world heavyweight title. In a country with a rich tradition of legendary lighter-weight fighters like Julio César Chávez and Canelo Álvarez, Ruiz had finally claimed the "Big Prize" for Mexico.
While Joshua would later win the titles back in a rematch, that night in New York remains a legendary "Cinderella Story." It was a reminder that heart, chin, and hand speed matter far more than a bodybuilding physique.
