Anthony Joshua Picks Whyte and Ruiz Wins as Top Victories

In an interview published on Saturday, July 4, former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua named his 2015 stoppage of Dillian Whyte and his 2019 decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. as the two most significant wins of his career. The British boxer, currently training in Saudi Arabia for a July 25 bout against Kristian Prenga, cited the immense personal pressure he felt ahead of both fights.

Joshua stated that the first was a grudge match to settle a long-standing personal rivalry with Whyte, whom he had previously lost to in the amateurs. He described their 2015 professional contest, which he won by seventh-round stoppage, as the maddest fight. His second choice was the December 2019 rematch with Ruiz, where he reclaimed his WBA, IBF, and WBO titles via unanimous decision just six months after suffering a stunning upset loss. Joshua said many had advised him to retire if he lost that second fight, making the victory crucial for his career survival.

These selections are likely to surprise some observers, who often point to Joshua's dramatic 11th-round stoppage of former longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in April 2017 as his defining win. In...