Anthony Joshua is one of the best fighters in the world.
In 2019 he lost the heavyweight boxing title(s) to a 25-to-1 underdog, Andy Ruiz, Jr.
Six months later, Joshua beat Ruiz and won back his title(s).
I’ve always been fascinated by these turnarounds, and this example is so striking in that it was such a rapid rematch.
Joshua recently gave an interview in which he discussed what changed in his strategy:
"One has to be more versatile than to have one strategy. If you're going to war constantly, sooner or later people will figure you out, and for example, Ruiz was able to figure that style out. And I took an immediate rematch.
If I went in there and done the exact thing, I went back onto the battlefield and I prepared the same way, done the exact same thing, I would have had the exact same result. But what people fail to understand is, I boxed him [six] months later to [an] unanimous points decision to become two-time heavyweight champion of the world, and that was all that was important to me."
On followup, he was then asked how much the loss contributed to the win.
Joshua: “Everything. It changed my whole approach to the second fight which got me the victory against the same opponent. I just tackled it a completely different way, and that's what life for me is about, is learning."
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
Many thanks for the story. It is a great example of strategic thinking. As someone who writes about strategic thinking, I love such stories.
Joshua changed the way he thought about strategy, and it led him to victory.