Anthony Joshua hailed for revenge win as Wladimir Klitschko leads tributes for new heavyweight champ
WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO led the tributes to Anthony Joshua after the Brit recaptured the heavyweight championship of the world.
On a night of desert storms, AJ found an oasis of calm to to outclass Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia, the flabby Mexican who had ripped away his belts in a New York mugging six months ago.
Learning his lessons from that stunning defeat, Joshua showed the intelligence to keep his distance and allow his superior technique to earn a unanimous points victory.
And 43-year-old ex-world champ Klitschko, who suffered defeat to Joshua at Wembley in April 2017, was among the first to congratulate the Englishman.
He tweeted: “Attaboy keep on punching!”
England football legend and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker tweeted: “Congratulations to @anthonyfjoshua the 2 time world heavyweight champion. Intelligent performance and comfortable victory.”
Former American boxer Andre Ward, who held multiple world titles at two weights, wrote: “Congrats to Anthony Joshua for mentally bouncing back and fighting a controlled disciplined fight. The style of boxing ‘they’ say no one wants to see, seems to always be the answer in the end. Hit and don’t get hit!”
Watford football club, Joshua’s hometown, tweeted: “And the new… Congrats, @anthonyfjoshua! Back where you belong!”
And Eddie Hearn, AJ’s promoter, wrote: “Can I get a 2 time!? Couldn’t be more proud!”
After reclaiming the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world titles, Joshua said: “I said I didn’t want to get too carried away but it is emotional.
“This is about the public, and about British boxing. They won tonight and we created history by opening the floodgates.
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“To Andy Ruiz and his family and team, love and respect and I want to see him in the ring again because he is very talented.
“l can box but I like to fight. I’m a warrior at heart, and sometimes when you’re used to knocking a man out, it can happen to you.
“I’m a man that has made mistakes and when I was on losing path in life, I matured and bounced back.
“After I took my loss I had to mature as a fighter. Life is in boxing and that is why I love it because they go hand in hand.”
