Anthony Joshua underestimated Ruiz says Eubank Jr but AJ’s pal predicts ‘great comeback’ in rematch

ANTHONY JOSHUA underestimated Andy Ruiz Jr and was destroyed in battle by a Trojan horse, Chris Eubank Jr has claimed.

The Brit super-middleweight watched the 19st Mexican arrive in New York looking like a gift-wrapped opponent for Britain’s undefeated WBA, IBF and WBO king.

But the chubby Snickers-loving underdog laid siege to AJ and dropped him four times before the referee rescued him in the seventh.

And Eubank Jr, 29, says his friend can bounce back after dropping his guard and being suckered by one of the oldest tricks in history.

He told GMB: “He's a good friend of mine and I know him as a person.

“I myself have dealt with defeat in the past and any champion fighter worth his salt is going to make a great comeback, after learning from his mistakes.

“There are a lot of rumours and speculation but in my opinion he underestimated the danger from Andy Ruiz and maybe did not prepare mentally or physically for the fight and it cost him. He was a Trojan horse.”

Eubank Sr, a British boxing hero of the 1990s and possible psychic, even claimed to have predicted the giant upset.

The 52-year-old former world champ said: “I wrote two tweets the day before the fight saying Andy Ruiz Jr is a wolf in sheep's clothing.”

Unlike AJ, who criticised the credibility of Tyson Fury’s two round opponent Tom Schwarz on an Instagram video, the Eubanks were full of praise for the Gypsy King's Saturday night performance.

The 6ft 9in Traveller made his Las Vegas debut draped in American Stars and Stripes and celebrated his one-sided win by belting out Aerosmith's I Don't Want to Miss a Thing in the ring.

And both extrovert fighters celebrated his showmanship. Jr said: “I think for boxing he is great because we need characters.

“He has been through hell and back in the last few years and to come back and do what he did against Deontay Wilder was very impressive. I was there ringside and that is what being a fighter is all about."

And monocle-loving Eubank Sr backed the 30-year-old to keep showing off his theatrical side.

He said: “I thought the showmanship was how a fighter was supposed to behave and it kind of worked for me.”

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