With the Mexican flag unfurled behind him, a humble Andy Ruiz Jr. sat down at the post-fight press conference podium equally as shocked and charged up as the crowd that was waiting to greet him.
Sure he was in the ring when it happened, but he was still wrapping his head around the fact that he was actually the unified heavyweight champion of the world.
"I'm still pinching myself to see if this is real" Ruiz said jokingly.
It's real.
Ruiz, who was an underdog by as much as 25-1 at some sportsbooks, actually beat the undefeated Anthony Joshua in a fight he only had about one month to prepare for. With his win he put himself in the category of upsets that are remembered as much by the names as they are by the numbers.
Sure 42-1 is the holy grail (Buster Douglas' shocking upset over Mike Tyson in 1990), but tonight Ruiz took center stage. In the past 30 years of boxing, Ruiz's upset tops some of the most iconic ones, especially in the heavyweight division:
- 2003 — Corrie Sanders 2nd-round KO vs. Wladimir Klitschko: 20-1
- 2001 — Hasim Rahman 5th-round KO vs. Lenox Lewis: 20-1
- 1994 — Frankie Randall split-decision win vs. Julio Caesar Chavez: 15-1
He topped all of them and he knew exactly what it meant for the people who were willing to put some money down on him:
“Everybody that bet on me gonna make some serious money”
–Andy Ruiz to @WorldWideWob after the fight pic.twitter.com/ep0LjHruwP
— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) June 2, 2019
Now everyone will remember the numbers associated with Ruiz. As for the rematch, the clause will almost certainly be triggered, according to Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn.
One thing we know for certain, you won't be getting 25-1 odds on Ruiz again.
