After 12 rounds, Joshua reclaimed his titles via unanimous decision.<\/a> The fight generated approximately 1.5 million pay-per-view buys in the UK, making it one of the best-selling events in British boxing history.<\/p>\nMore importantly, Joshua had answered every question with a tactical masterclass.<\/p>\n
The Artwork<\/p>\n
Boxing News marked Clash on the Dunes with a striking painted cover in vibrant shades of yellow, gold and brown, depicting both fighters in action. The artwork was created by Hall of Fame artist Richard T. Slone.<\/p>\n
![\"Joshua](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Wegerich_Slone_Joshua_v_Ruiz_II-1.jpg\")
Image credit: Richard T. Slone<\/p>\n
The colour palette carries symbolic weight. Yellow, often associated with tension and inner unrest, reflects the nervous energy before the fight. Gold represents ambition, wealth and grandeur, while also evoking the Saudi setting. The tones collectively mirror desert sand \u2013 a deliberate reference to the event\u2019s title. Brown adds a sense of tradition and timelessness.<\/p>\n
The painting was completed before the fight, which explains why it does not reflect the eventual physical disparity between the fighters. In Slone\u2019s depiction, Joshua appears compact and powerful, almost gladiatorial, with sharply defined musculature.<\/p>\n
Both fighters are captured mid-exchange. Their expressions convey focus and intensity. Joshua\u2019s eyes are closed, suggesting deep concentration, while his punch appears to drive through Ruiz with force and intent. Ruiz, mouth open, embodies exertion and determination.<\/p>\n
The word \u201cDestroyer\u201d is visible on Ruiz\u2019s shorts \u2013 a nod to his nickname, earned through his aggressive, high-output style.<\/p>\n
The Roman numeral \u201cII\u201d references the rematch, but also symbolises Joshua\u2019s attempt to rebuild after defeat \u2014 mentally as much as physically. The loss had shaken his identity as champion. Here, he appears composed, focused and resolute.<\/p>\n
Slone\u2019s brushwork is expressive and energetic. Through colour, movement and symbolism, he transforms a sporting moment into visual history with psychological depth.<\/p>\n
The Artist<\/p>\n
Richard T. Slone, a British-born artist now based in Las Vegas, is widely regarded as one of boxing\u2019s foremost painters.<\/p>\n
A former prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Joe Frazier and a member of the famed Kronk Gym, Slone has served as the official artist of the International Boxing Hall of Fame since 1996.<\/p>\n
He has been commissioned for some of the sport\u2019s biggest events, including Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather vs Canelo Alvarez, Canelo vs Gennadiy Golovkin, and most recently Canelo vs Terence Crawford.<\/p>\n
His work has featured on numerous Ring Magazine and Boxing News covers, capturing the drama and emotion of boxing at the highest level.<\/p>\n
Personal Note<\/p>\n
I have a personal connection to this painting. I not only own it, but was also present at the fight in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
At the time, the experience felt like an adventure. The outdoor weigh-in was sparsely attended compared to other major events, and much of the atmosphere centred around the fighters\u2019 hotel \u2013 intense, but intimate.<\/p>\n
Shortly before the fight, light rain began to fall. It reminded me of The Rumble in the Jungle, where a heavy downpour followed shortly after the bout.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a trip I will never forget \u2013 and this painting remains a vivid reminder of that experience.<\/p>\n
Artwork Details<\/p>\n
Ruiz Jr. vs Joshua II
Original, 2019
Richard T. Slone
Acrylic on canvas
36\u2033 \u00d7 40\u2033<\/p>\n
Copyright Richard T. Slone. More of the collection can be viewed via Ingo Wegerich Fine Art Collection<\/a>, or on Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Boxing art collector Ingo Wegerich explores the stories behind iconic fight artwork, drawing on his extensive private collection.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":497857,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[2560,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-497856","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boxing","8":"tag-boxing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=497856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/497857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=497856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=497856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=497856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}