By: Sean Crose
Former world heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz returned to action Friday night as he battled Damian Knyba in Newark New Jersey’s Prudential Center. At 36 Ruiz was arguably past his heyday but then again he hadn’t been fighting much since losing the titles he had won from Anthony Joshua in 2019 later that same year. Looking leaner and possibly more serious and mature, the talented Ruiz had a lot to prove in his Friday night main event with Knyba The bout was aired live on TNT which made it so that anyone with a streaming service or cable could likely see the action live.
The question was – even if he was well prepared for the fight could Ruiz possibly be the man he was or even close to the man he was when he defeated Anthony Joshua? It had been after all six years – no, make that seven years. It could well have been said that Father Time was undefeated and it would have been correct to say so. Still boxing is the home of the comeback so it wasn’t like Ruiz was automatically finished. George Foreman after all was close to a decade older than Ruiz was this weekend when he regained the heavyweight title off of Michael Moore decades ago.
The opening saw Ruiz try to break through the towering Knyba’s jab. The second was largely a replay of the first with Ruiz pursuing and Kynba employing his jab while keeping out of range. Things were getting mundane in the third as nothing was really happening. Ruiz simply couldn’t catch his man, and Kynba seemed to be content simply avoiding Ruiz. By the 4th Ruiz was trying to turn up the heat while the crowd was starting to show it’s discontentideness. Neither man was landing all that well. By the end of the 5th the fight was at its midpoint yet neither man had done much to assert himself. Of course Knyba was clearly determined to keep avoiding his man. So far it had appeared to be a sound, if not entertaining, strategy. Garcia was able to land clean into the 6th but was only able to do so once.
At the start of the 7th there was no doubt the fight was not a thrilling affair. And then it happened. Knyba dropped his man after a vicious flurry of power punches. Ruiz somehow got up, and then was somehow able to finish the round on his feet. Like Joshua before him however Kynba learned in the 8th that hurting Ruiz is a surefire way of motivating him. For the former champion landed hard and effectively throughout the round. Ruiz went on to have a strong 9th. Was the former champion about to come back from a fight he may well have been losing?
Kynba resumed boxing in the 10th, a strategy which seem to work for him. It seemed obvious that the slower the pace was the lesser chance Ruiz would perform well. Kynba’s jab told the story of the 11th, as it had through much of the previous 10 rounds. Ruiz was unable to drop or finish Kynba in the 12th, which was something he clearly needed to do.
After the judges gave a much deserved win to Kymba, it was worth wondering if Ruiz would fight again. He had accomplished a lot in his career, but the Glory Days were clearly over. Ruiz may not have been entirely motivated on Friday but he probably was. Kymba’s size, strategy, and youth were what most likely told the tale. In the end a truly successful comeback attempt from Andy Ruiz might be too little too late.
