The weigh-in for the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr is complete, and Ruiz Jr is considerably heavier than his rival.
The two go head-to-head for a second time in Saudi Arabia on Saturday 7 December and have now completed the final weigh-in before they meet each other in the ring.
Joshua will be hoping to reclaim the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles he lost to Ruiz Jr earlier this year.
Much Heavier
The Watford-born star stepped onto the scales first and weighed in at 237lbs, which is over 10lbs lighter than he did before his seventh round defeat in New York in June.
Next onto the scales was Ruiz Jr, who weighed in at 283lbs. That means the Mexican-American has gained 15lbs since June, and will go into the fight carrying over 3 stone more weight than his counterpart.
🤯⚖️ Andy Ruiz Jr vs Anthony Joshua rematch weigh-in results:
🇲🇽 Andy Ruiz Jr – 283lbs
🇬🇧 Anthony Joshua – 237lbs📈 Ruiz 15lbs heavier than first fight.
📉 AJ 10.8lbs lighter than first fight.— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) December 6, 2019
Intense Training
Joshua has been going through an intense training regime as he tries to get back to his best and regain the world titles he lost, and this will be the first time AJ weighs in under 17 stone for the first time since 2014.
It has been speculated that the reason for Joshua’s loss may have been that he was too heavy, and lost the agility and explosive power that catapulted him to the top.
But the 30-year-old has undergone a massive body transformation in the weeks leading up to the fight, looking lighter and leaner than he did when he faced ‘The Destroyer’ the first time round.
This is the lightest Anthony Joshua has ever weighed ahead of a world title fight.
It was also thought that Ruiz Jr would weigh-in lighter than he did before, as he was recently shown in a public workout looking quick and sharp. But despite a 12-week training camp the current champion seems to have put on more timber.
Weights for tomorrow’s fight…
– @anthonyfjoshua: 16st 13lbs
– @Andy_destroyer1: 20st 3lbs
AJ’s weigh-in was the lowest of his career so far, compared to Andy Ruiz who’s gained a stone since last time!#RuizJoshua2 pic.twitter.com/8JsWZKBx8h
— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) December 6, 2019
More Timber
It was also thought that Ruiz Jr would weigh-in lighter than he did before, as he was recently shown in a public workout looking quick and sharp. But despite a 12-week training camp the current champion seems to have put on more timber.
The two will face-off in Diriyah in what will be a huge spectacle, and with a huge gulf in weight between the two, who knows what will happen when they come together for a second time.
(Featured image source: Instagram/ Sky Sports and Twitter/ The Sportsman)