Some losses can be more challenging to handle than others.

Throughout the years, different boxers have had varied responses to their first defeat in the ring. For some, it serves as a learning experience and a stepping stone to greater success, while for others, recovering from a loss can be difficult.

In the case of Anthony Joshua’s surprising defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019, the Briton came back much stronger in their second fight.

Joshua was knocked down several times and took many hits in their first bout at Madison Square Garden. However, in the rematch later that year in Saudi Arabia, he boxed from a distance, stayed safe, and secured a shutout victory on the scorecards.

Since then, Joshua has experienced two more losses in highly technical 12-round fights against Oleksandr Usyk. Despite these setbacks, he rebuilt his career with a series of four wins, leading to a fight with Daniel Dubois for the IBF world championship in August this year.

Meanwhile, Ruiz has fought only a couple of times since, defeating Chris Areola and Luis Ortiz by unanimous decision.

In an interview with TheRingDigital, Ruiz was asked about his motivation. He revealed that his loss to Joshua drives him.

“You know what keeps me motivated? When Anthony Joshua beat me in Saudi Arabia, I wasn’t prepared, I wasn’t training right. It kind of haunts me a bit, so now I’ve got to be prepared for every single fighter. It still haunts me; that’s why I want that trilogy with him. For me to even talk about that, I’ve got to get back in the groove.”

Next, Ruiz is set to face the 300-pound Brooklyn fighter Jarrell Miller in August.