Anthony Joshua was just handed a pretty dramatic defeat against rival fighter Andy Ruiz Jr. During their highly publicised match at Madison Square Garden, Ruiz Jr. dropped Joshua four times, taking his WBA, WBO, and IBF world titles. It was only the second time Joshua had ever been knocked out in the ring, and his first ever loss in his entire career as a professional boxer — and some fans are saying rapper Drake is to blame.
Back in March, Joshua posted a photo with Drake to Instagram, accompanied by the caption: “Bout to break the curse. #June1st.” He’s referring to the growing superstition that Drake is a “bad luck charm,” following a series of losses by high level athletes which just so happened to coincide with them spending time with the Canadian artist.
The most infamous episode in the saga of the “Drake curse” was Connor McGregor’s defeat by Khabib Nurmagomedov, a knock that the Irish MMA fighter has struggled to come back from. McGregor was photographed with Drake at the weigh-in prior to the match.
Then there are the football clubs that suffered a series of devastating losses in the aftermath of hanging with the rapper: Arsenal, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have all succumbed to the Drake curse.
Some tennis fans even attributed Serena Williams’ loss at the US Open in 2015 to the Drake curse, although Williams herself has dismissed it. In an interview with Glamour, the Grand Slam superstar said: “I don’t think that was fair. I’m the one who’s playing, who’s making mistakes or making winners. I’m not one to blame anyone else for anything. And I don’t think anyone else should either. I played a really good opponent that day. And I wasn’t at my best.”
Here’s hoping Anthony Joshua is feeling as gracious after last night.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health