Joshua lands with a short overhand right and then a left hook to the face of Ruiz finds its target. Two good shots, especially that left, but Ruiz still comes forward. Some would have been floored by those two in quick succession.

Ruiz is certainly not fearful of getting caught as he is based in the middle of the ring, looking to impose himself on this fights. He's already done better than five of Joshua's opponents, who all didn't get out of the first round.

David Haye
Former world heavyweight champion on BBC Radio 5 live

I was very impressed by Andy Ruiz Jr there. He did not look out-gunned and he landed a couple of cheeky shots. AJ landed a nice shot at the end and it was an even round.

Very much a waiting brief from Anthony Joshua in the opening round, seeing what his opponent has got and not prepared to take any early gambles. Not much in that round, but this is a long contest. How will Ruiz cope when Joshua lands?

Ruiz tries to dance forward and land a left in the Joshua stomach, but the Brit springs backwards to avoid the damage.

Anthony Joshua, much taller than Ruiz, who is clearly out of peak fitness just as we expected. He's nearly 20lbs heavier than the champion, despite being much shorter. But boxing is not a beauty contest and Ruiz's record demands respect.

Here we go.

"Oh Anthony Joshua," rumbles around Madison Square Garden to the tune of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army. Not long now. Not long indeed.

"For the thousands in attendance, here at the sold out Madison Square Garden, let's get ready to rumblllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeee,".

Anyone else think Buffer needs to mix it up a bit?

So that's the Mexican, British and American national anthems done.

Back to Michael Buffer: "From the most famous venue in the world, the mecca of boxing," etc etc.

No doubting that Anthony Joshua is the most popular man in this fight. By some distance. It's not just Neil Diamond that gets the crowd singing. A rousing version of 'God Save The Queen'. Spine-tingling.

Steve Bunce
BBC Radio 5 Live boxing pundit at Madison Square Garden

It almost looks like a different face Anthony Joshua is wearing. It is complete focus and nobody is laughing in his entourage, look how serious they all are.

Anthony Joshua looks focused. No more high-fives, no more fist bumps. Play time is over. Now it's the serious business. This is his first ever ringwalk outside the UK.

Joshua, in a white robe with a black collar, is heading to the ring somewhere backstage at the Madison Square Garden.

Steve Bunce
BBC Radio 5 Live boxing pundit at Madison Square Garden

Andy Ruiz Jr is a contender and he deserves his shot as much as most guys. People have tried to blow him up as a blown-up middleweight, but he's in the ring, and he will go down swinging.

Here's Joshua getting some last-minute practice in.

Even though Andy Ruiz is classed as an American on statistical boxing site Boxrec, he also has a Mexican heritage and is joined in the ring by someone waving a double-sided flag. United States on one side, Mexico on the other.

Luke Reddy
BBC Sport at Madison Square Garden

Image source, .

Did King Kong hang off the top of the Empire State?

And what did Richie Woodhall say when Joshua downed Klitschko at Wembley? “A right uppercut that would have knocked King Kong out.”

I’ve not seen King Kong knocking around this week to test that theory but I have seen Andy Ruiz Jr.

At 268lbs he is the heaviest man Joshua has faced by the best part of a stone. Has he come in nice and heavy to absorb power? I, and others here, thought he’d be around 250 lbs.

What I will say is he’s a flashy fighter. He gets close, rattles off tappy combos and wings in a left hook. It can be volumous but doesn’t look too concussive.

Not that AJ will want to take too many of them.

"Let's get this party started," that's the opening line from Buffer, the voice of boxing.

"Andy "the destroyer" Ruiz Junior" is the next line.

Boos for the challenging, even though he is an American fighting in America.