Anthony Joshua names Whyte and Ruiz II as biggest wins of his career
Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has identified his victories over Dillian Whyte and Andy Ruiz Jr as the most important wins of his boxing career, saying the pressure surrounding both fights made them more meaningful than his iconic triumph over Wladimir Klitschko.
Joshua's memorable victory against Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in April 2017 remains one of the defining heavyweight contests of the modern era. Entering the fight as the unbeaten IBF champion, the British star had stopped every opponent he had faced and was quickly becoming the face of British boxing.
Despite being out of the ring since losing his world titles to Tyson Fury in 2015, Klitschko proved he was still a world-class competitor. The Ukrainian dropped Joshua in the sixth round after being knocked down himself in the fifth, forcing the Briton to dig deep before producing a stunning comeback to stop Klitschko in the 11th round and unify the heavyweight titles.
However, Joshua believes two other victories had a greater impact on his career.
Speaking on DAZN alongside Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith, the 36-year-old reflected on the fights that defined his journey.
"Klitschko – a lot of pressure. Ruiz 2 – immense pressure. But what was the best win? Can I pick two?" Joshua said.
"I would probably pick Dillian Whyte – maddest fight. Good, good scrap. And then Ruiz 2, because people were saying I should retire and that, if I didn't win, I'd have no chance of getting back in the heavyweight rankings."
Joshua defeated longtime rival Dillian Whyte via seventh-round stoppage in their heated 2015 showdown, handing Whyte the first defeat of his professional career in a thrilling all-British clash.
His rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019 carried even greater stakes. Six months earlier, Joshua had suffered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history after Ruiz stopped him in six rounds to claim his world titles.
Under intense scrutiny and facing doubts about his future, Joshua responded with a composed and disciplined display in the rematch. Using his jab effectively and controlling the distance throughout the contest, he secured a unanimous decision victory to reclaim the heavyweight championship and silence his critics.
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