Masterclass in Belief and Belonging: Lessons from Anthony Joshua v. Andy Ruiz Rematch

Anthony Joshua just reclaimed his title as Heavyweight Champion of the World after successfully winning his bout with Andy Ruiz II on Saturday 12/7/19. In case you missed the first fight, Anthony Joshua (AJ) is 6’5 and muscular and Ruiz is 6’3 and well, not.

In a major upset, Ruiz took down the boxing Goliath to earn four belts and became the first Mexican Heavyweight champion of the world. The rematch was scheduled for 6 months later and Saturday was the fateful day the world watched to see who would be the better man.

Anthony Joshua lost 10lbs of muscle to be leaner and quicker while Andy Ruiz II weighted in 15lbs heavier than the first fight. After 12 beautiful rounds, Anthony Joshua was victorious, not by Knock Out but my classical boxing standards.

In the post-fight interview, Anthony Joshua was asked what strategy he employed to become the second-time willed champion. His answer shook me to my core. “keeping It simple, leads to Genius performance”. Later, he expounded that winning was not about his opponent, it was about his mindset. Belief and Humility are critical to performance, and tonight the four belts AJ Lost on June 1st came home to him.

After a grueling 12 rounds, three things stuck out to me about how Anthony Joshua dealt with adversity:

The Power of Belief

“I know I belong here”

AJ, having previously won and defended the titles did not allow this minor disruption to undo the effort, work, and belief that he was destined to be amongst the greats of Boxing. In his press conference, he said that no matter what happened, “I know I belong here” here being on top, among kings, in the top tier. Simply put, knowing where you belong is key to positioning your motivation and driving forces to accomplishing that goal.

Mind over Matter

“Nothing to do with Strategy, it’s all about Mindset”

To win the re-match, Anthony had to reassess his strengths and take on a new style to be victorious. As is the case with Mind over matter. No matter the circumstances you can and will overcome the obstacles standing in the path to where you belong.

A Matter of Discipline

“Stay consistent… because that will lead me to another victory”

Anthony’s resolve to face his opponent head-on with no excuses, no equivocation and with resolve to win. Anthony’s resolve required him to master distance boxing with the discipline to do so for 12 rounds. He also stopped weight lifting and began swimming and ultimately lost 10lbs of muscle to be lighter on his feet and more agile. Sometimes to be successful after a knock-down, we must add new tools to our arsenal that will enable us to outmaneuver the opponent.