JOSHUA OF ARABIA hasn’t got a romantic ring to it — but the Watford warrior could become a boxing version of desert hero TE Lawrence tomorrow night.
All Anthony Joshua has to do is kick sand in the face of Andy Ruiz Jr and return home from Riyadh with the three world championship belts safely back in his possession.
Logic tells us there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be capable of doing it.
AJ has the essential tools for the job — height, reach and power.
Unfortunately, we can’t apply logic to any sport, let alone boxing.
In the mid-17th century, English poet Samuel Butler observed: “Logic is like the sword — those who appeal to it shall perish by it.”
We can only hope Joshua has recovered sufficiently from any psychological damage he may have suffered after what Ruiz did to him at Madison Square Garden six months ago.
Despite his vehement protestations to the contrary, he must have suffered a severe blow to his psyche.
An overwhelming 25-1 ON favourite, Joshua was floored four times before being stopped in the seventh round — not only did he lose his unbeaten record and his titles — but also a great chunk of his credibility.
To add to his embarrassment, promoter Bob Arum called Ruiz a fat slob. Not surprising when he climbed through the ropes with a double chin, large breasts and a beer belly.
Ruiz claims to have lost a few pounds since but he still looks like a walking nursery rhyme — the one starting with the words “roly-poly”.
People like me who made fun of him before the first fight aren’t laughing now.
The ample Mexican proved he’s a formidable fighter who must be taken deadly seriously.
Joshua is attempting to do what heavyweights of the calibre of Jack Dempsey, Jersey Joe Walcott, Sonny Liston and Mike Tyson failed to achieve.
And that’s regain the richest prize in sport in a return battle against men who relieved them of their crown.
It will be fascinating to see what Joshua’s strategy is going to be.
Is he going to try to blast out Ruiz early and inevitably risk exposing his vulnerable chin?
Or will he adopt the far more sensible approach of keeping Ruiz at long range behind his jab, to keep his chin out of danger throughout the 12 rounds?
If he takes the second option, it’s bound to lead to a boring contest but it would certainly mean a much greater chance of victory.
Joshua would once again be a world champion, with much of his tarnished reputation restored.
AJ denies he was complacent when he faced Ruiz in New York.
But when he walked into the Garden that evening, laughing and joking with the security guards, he gave the impression he was on his way to a party.
We have been reliably informed we will now be seeing a faster, more streamlined and focused Joshua on this occasion.
But I don’t think even Joshua’s most ardent fans would be shocked if Ruiz, with fast hands that belie his bulk, exposes AJ for a second time — and finishes him inside the distance once more.
Gene Tunney did it to Dempsey, Ezzard Charles to Walcott, Muhammad Ali to Liston and Evander Holyfield to Tyson.
If that should happen, Joshua can kiss goodbye to mega-clashes with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury next year — maybe for ever.
He is said to be getting more than £60million for this Saudi saga.
But if Ruiz should triumph again, Joshua will be worth less than one of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s old worn-out camels.
Joshua is a slight 4-9 favourite and without conviction I think he can come away with a points win or a late stoppage.
But this time I wouldn’t dream of putting my garden shed on him, let alone my house!
