WEIGHT, WHAT?
Andy Ruiz Jr weighs-in 15lbs HEAVIER for Anthony Joshua rematch despite incredible transformation – with Twitter stunned
ANDY RUIZ JR has weighed in at an astonishing 20 STONE ahead of his hotly-anticipated rematch with Anthony Joshua on Saturday night.
The snickers-loving heavyweight champion was already the second heaviest defending heavyweight champion of the world EVER - but is now even heavier - only beaten by seven foot Russian Nikolai Valuev.
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TOP FIVE HEAVIEST HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS OF ALL TIME
With Andy Ruiz Jr weighing in at over 20 stone, we examine the five heaviest heavyweight champions of the world
5) Lennox Lewis - 251lbs, 7th February 1997
Brit Lennox Lewis is the last heavyweight to hold the undisputed title. And it was back in 1997 that he recorded his heaviest weight when he faced Oliver McCall for the vacant WBA title. Lewis is regarded by many as the greatest British boxer ever.
4) Anthony Joshua - 254lbs, 29th October 2017
Brit hero AJ weighed in at a career-heavy 254lbs when he fought Carlos Takam in Cardiff back in 2017. It was Joshua's first fight since the career defining victory over Wladimir Klitschko, and despite being heavier than first hoped - Joshua stopped Takam in tenth round.
3) Primo Carnera - 260lbs, 29th June 1933
The 1930s Italian legend won 89 of his 103 career fights, and it was in 1933 that he reached his heaviest- when he won his first and only world title with a sixth round knockout of Jack Sharkey.
2) Andy Ruiz Jr - 268lbs, 1st June 2019
Ruiz Jr stepped in at the last minute to replace Jarrell Miller, and shocked the world with his incredible victory at Madison Square Gardens. The man labelled "chubby" by Eddie Hearn knocked an out-of-sorts Joshua to the floor times before the referee stopped the fight in the seventh round.
1) Nikolai Valuev - 324lbs, 17th December 2005
Who could forget the seven foot giant, "Beast from the East" that was Nikolai Valuev. The enormous Russian beat John Ruiz in 2005 weighing an astonishing 23 stone. The former heavyweight champions of the world enjoyed a successful career, going 50-2 before retiring in 2009.
Back in July the Mexican-American vowed to lose some of his flab in time for the rematch, by cutting out three-patty hamburgers and his beloved Snickers bars.
He was supposed to have changed his diet to be eating mushroom omelettes and chicken salads.
But the 30-year-old's body transformation has failed spectacularly - having put on over a stone since June.
There is now over three stone between the fighters, with Anthony Joshua having weighed in at 16 stone 13 lbs.
Even when rumours were rife of Ruiz Jr's weight loss, promoter Eddie Hearn called it spot on that fans were being "fooled".
He told iFL TV: “I thought he looked quite tubby.
“I actually thought he looked heavier than he did previously.
“Make your own mind up. That clip that I saw, which was him training in San Diego, I didn’t think that he looked slimmer than he did last camp.
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“There was one picture of him leaning forward.
“The old ‘lean forward’, tucked back, with a little pout, can make you lose half a stone. Maybe he’s done that.”
And fans on social media were stunned by the weigh-in.
One commented: "Andy Ruiz weighing a HEALTHY 20st 3lbs geezer put on over a stone in weight from the first fight, my man's enjoying the champ life at heavyweight".
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LATEST BOXING NEWS
While another scoffed: "Don't tell me Andy Ruiz has constantly been in the gym that's a disgraceful weight, definitely not been training as hard".
Another joked: "Can someone get me an approximate weight of Andy Ruiz's sombrero? This is vital intel."
The fight will get underway at around 9pm GMT tomorrow in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Joshua's career weights
- Emanuele Leo - 16st 6lb
- Paul Butlin - 16st 8lb
- Hrvoje Kisicek - 16st 5lb
- Dorian Darch - 17st 3lb
- Hector Alfredo Avila - 17st
- Matt Legg - 16st 12lb
- Matt Skelton - 17st 1lb
- Konstantin Airich - 17st 2lb
- Denis Bakhtov - 16st 12lb
- Michael Sprott - 17st 2lb
- Jason Gavern - 17st 7lb
- Raphael Zumbano - 17st 10lb
- Kevin Johnson - 17st 10lb
- Gary Cornish - 17st 11lb
- Dillian Whyte - 17st 7lb
- Charles Martin - 17st 6lb
- Dominic Breazeale - 17st 5lb
- Eric Molina - 17st 11lb
- Wladimir Klitschko - 17st 12lb
- Carlos Takam - 18st 2lb
- Joseph Parker - 17st 4lb
- Alexander Povetkin - 17st 7lb
- Andy Ruiz Jr - 17st 9lb
- Andy Ruiz Jr - 16st 13lb
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