Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr fight prediction, undercard, LIVE stream, UK start time and betting odds

Anthony Joshua makes his long-awaited US debut against Andy Ruiz Jr in one of boxing’s most celebrated venues.

Madison Square Garden has been the home of some of the sport’s most illustrious fights with Joshua following in the footsteps of heavyweight greats in Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield when he walks out on June 1.

His meeting with Ruiz Jr, who took the fight on six weeks’ notice following Jarrell Miller’s failed drug test, lacks the gravitas of some of the venue’s past battles.

But it presents Joshua with a perfect opportunity to deliver a statement state-side.

The Big Apple is the place to be if you are a heavyweight at the minute.

WBC champion Deontay Wilder threw down the gauntlet with his vicious first round knockout of Dominic Breazeale across town at the Barclays Center last Saturday – an opponent Joshua took seven rounds to dispatch back in 2016.

In front of a demanding New York crowd, Joshua will be expected to deliver a similarly devastating performance – especially with Tyson Fury coming to town two weeks later for his meeting with Tom Schwarz.

Date, UK start time and venue

Joshua vs Ruiz Jnr takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday 1 June.

It will be another early start for UK fight fans with the main event expected to get underway in the early hours of Sunday morning – approximately 4am, depending on how undercard fights pan out.

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TV channel and live stream

The fight will be available live on Sky Sports Box Office (Sky channel 491) for the price of £19:95 for UK customers.

You can also order and stream live via PC / Desktop / Mac, NOW TV box, NOW TV Smart Stick, iPhone, iPad, Android phone or Android tablet. Visit skysports.com/boxofficelive to book.

Sky's broadcast begins at 10pm on Saturday night.

Betting odds | Provided by Betfair | Subject to change (UK and Ireland only)

Fight odds

• Joshua to win: 1/25

• Ruiz Jr to win: 12/1

• Draw: 33/1

Method of victory

• Joshua to win by decision/technical decision: 4/1

• Joshua to win by KO/TKO: 1/5

• Ruiz Jr to win by decision/technical decision: 22/1

• Ruiz Jr to win by KO/TKO: 25/1

Group round betting

• Anthony Joshua to win in round 1-4: 2/1

• Anthony Joshua to win in round 5-8: 9/5

• Anthony Joshua to win in round 9-12: 4/1

Click here for more betting odds.

Prediction

Joshua has been forced to go the distance just once in his professional career but hasn’t forced a stoppage in the first half of a fight since his third round KO of Eric Molina in December 2016.

That could change on 1 June however. Joshua would have been eager to put on a devastating show on his US debut regardless, but Wilder’s brutal KO of Breazeale may have upped the ante.

The Briton joked before that fight: “Breazeale is tough, took me seven rounds. “I hope Wilder does it in nine, so I can be like: 'Hey, I done it earlier.’”

He’ll be determined to deliver his own swift finish at MSG. Joshua to win via KO inside three rounds.

Undercard

Eddie Hearn and Matchroom are putting together an impressive undercard that includes Katie Taylor's attempt to unify the lightweight division, Callum Smith's first WBA super-middleweight title and two of Great Britain's brightest talents in Josh Kelly and Josh Butasi.

• Katie Taylor vs Delfine Persoon

• Callum Smith vs Hassan N’Dam

• Josh Kelly vs Ray Robinson

• Chris Algieri vs Tommy Coyle

• Josh Butasi vs TBC