Dave Allen (Heavyweight contender)
I think Ruiz wins again. AJ will come in lighter, sharper and with much to prove, but he doesn’t have the champion’s skill and I don’t think he can take Ruiz’s power. I see a repeat result with Ruiz breaking him down and taking him out again, this time a little later on down the stretch.
Callum Johnson (Former British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion)
I’m very intrigued to how this rematch will play out. I’m slightly favouring AJ as I did before the first fight. If AJ doesn’t get caught himself, I see him winning by KO midway.
Gareth A. Davies (Journalist)
If, as conventional wisdom suggests, AJ keeps it long and uses a strong jab and his height and reach advantages, the dunes could bring good tunes for the Briton. But he will have to keep his nerve and stick to the plan. There will be psychological issues to overcome from the first fight. Floyd Patterson came back to do it after being knocked down seven times by Ingemar Johansson. Joshua on points, or late stoppage. But if he gets into a firefight early, it’s 60/40 Ruiz.
Colin McMillan (Former British and Commonwealth featherweight champion)
This time I think AJ will be mentally prepared. The change of opponent, the perception of Ruiz as an easy fight and the early knockdown AJ scored were not in his favour. A more focused AJ should be able to withstand some tricky moments and score a late stoppage against a determined Ruiz.
