The Clash on the Dunes wasn't quite the titanic, heart-stopping encounter people wanted it to be. Instead, Anthony Joshua produced a highly-clinical and well-calculated performance to gain his World Heavyweight Title back from Andy Ruiz Jr.
The British boxer realized early on that he would be playing into the hands of his opponent if he engages in a full-on exchange of blows. So, he decided to follow a formula of hit-and-run. Using his left-jab to great effect, Joshua used his quick foot movement to get away from Ruiz immediately after landing a blow or two.
This victory was a testament to the tactical brilliance of Joshua. He also showed great maturity in not losing his cool even on the couple of occasions when the Mexican boxer landed some good blows and when a few words were exchanged between the boxers.
What does it mean for Ruiz?
The performance of Andy Ruiz Jr was quite disappointing. He never seemed to be able to counter the very clever strategy of his opponent. He must have been surprised but as a World Champion, he is expected to be able to think quickly and counter the moves of his opponent with alacrity.
However, Ruiz, as one commentator put it, was just following his rival around the ring and not forcing him into a corner. Halfway through the fight, it was clear that Joshua was clearly having the upper hand. There was enough time for him to do something drastic and throw a new challenge to the man he defeated at Madison Square Garden. But he didn't.
With three-quarters of the match gone, Ruiz was clearly heading for a defeat. This should have been the time for him to throw caution to the wind and go all guns blazing. This also, he didn't. This may have been because he was exhausted. Finally, his bulk and heaviness came to haunt him.
So, does this mean that the victory of Ruiz in June this year a fluke? This performance certainly lends itself to that view. There just wasn't the quality in Ruiz's game that one expects from a World Champion. If he isn't a fluke, he will have to make a big comeback.
