The rise of Anthony Joshua as a heavyweight superstar and how Andy Ruiz Jr. came to ruin the party

A look back on how Anthony Joshua rose to become the face of the heavyweight division before the shocking loss to Ruiz Jr.

Anthony Joshua was already three knockout wins in the world heavyweight division before he floored veteran Wladimir Klitschko with a technical knockout in the 11th round of their clash at Wembley in April 2017.

Joshua was ready a champion before that fight. Then a rising star, he had beaten Charles Martin via a knockout in Round 2 to become the IBF Heavyweight champion in April 2016.

He defended the title twice, first two months later in June with a Round 7 Technical Knockout against American boxer Dominic Breazeale and then against another American, Éric Molina via a Knockout in Round 3.

But it was the fight, in front of a post-war record crowd of 90, 000 in April 2017, against Klitschko, a modern heavyweight clash that saw Joshua hit the canvas in Round 6 before recovering to knock out his more illustrious Ukrainian that shot the Briton to worldwide fame.

Anthony Joshua rose to fame after he beat Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017

ALSO READ: Anthony Joshua gets heavyweight titles after knockout win over Klitschko

After that win, Joshua’s career experienced a quantum leap that saw him add the WBA belt to his IBF title.

Unified world champion Tyson Fury had dropped some of his titles while others were stripped from him for doping. While he was also battling addiction and depression which made him stayed away from boxing, Klitschko then decided to retire after his loss to Joshua, leaving the Briton as the face of the heavyweight category.

Joshua was the man now. British media feted him, the endorsements started pouring, so was the money.

Earnings

Anthony Joshua enjoyed a run in the heavyweight division with three wins after the Wladimir Klitschko fight [Reuters]

He pocketed up to £15million following that epic heavyweight victory over Klitschko. For his next fight, an 11th round knockout win over Carlos Takam in October 2017, he earned $10.1m.

Joshua further defended his titles with a win via unanimous decision over Joseph Parker in March 2018, a fight that earned him a career-high £18m. He rounded up 2018 with a win via a Technical Knockout in Round 7 against Alexander Povetkin, a fight that earned him another career-high £20m.

While Joshua’s career soured, contenders began to emerge in the heavyweight category. Deontay Wilder was knocking out opponents with his fearsome punching power while Fury was working his way back.

Having defended his WBC title a couple of times, Wilder was desperate for a unification bout and started calling out for a fight against Joshua after his win over Luis Ortiz in March 2018.

After a host of back and forth negotiations, both camps failed to reach an agreement over a fight which infuriated Wilder. The American was desperate for a chance to fight Joshua to prove that he is the worthy face of the heavyweight category.

"I want Joshua so I can prove to the world that I am the best. I am ready to take 10% and them taking 90%, I am just ready for the fight,” the American boxer said in an interview with the Breakfast Club in March 2018.

The continued rise of Wilder, who is a direct contrast to Joshua in personality and fighting style, presented a genuine contender for the heavyweight throne and Joshua's reluctance to meet the American in the ring brought more questions on his reputation.

Wilder further fueled his reputation with another classic fight against a returning Fury. Both fighters sent themselves to the canvas but recovered to draw the bout. Now it was Wilder and Fury waiting for Joshua.

Deontay Wilder rose while Tyson Fury returned to become genuine contenders for the throne

Meanwhile, to further expand his brand reach, Joshua decided to make his American debut against Jarrel Miller at the Madison Square Garden. Miller was however dropped from the fight after testing positive to banned substance and then came Mexican fighter, Andy Ruiz Jr.

After coming in as a last-minute replacement for Miller, Ruiz went on to deliver the biggest shock in modern history with his seventh-round Technical Knockout win over Joshua to become the new IBF and WBA champion.

It was a loss that ruined the party for Joshua.

Joshua and Ruiz will meet again on Saturday, December 7, 2019, in a fight that presents the opportunity for the Briton to come back into the conversation.

Another loss and he is done in the heavyweight division.