Tag Archives: Andy Ruiz Jr

Posted on 04/16/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Even the staunchest fans of Andy Ruiz Jr. were bemused by his opponent selection.

It was recently revealed that the former unified heavyweight champion would make his first ring appearance of the year against unheralded Tyrone Spong. Although the former kickboxing champion hasn’t competed in the sport of boxing since 2019, he happily answered the call.

Ruiz Jr. vs. Spong was set to take place on July 16th in a homecoming bout for Ruiz Jr. as the pair were expected to trade blows in Plaza de Toros in Mexico City. Despite the breaking development, Ruiz Jr. will not be facing Spong after all. Instead, the Mexican star will take on longtime heavyweight contender, Luis Ortiz.

According to Mike Coppinger of ESPN, who was the first to report on the switch of opponents, Ruiz Jr. not only agreed to face Ortiz initially, but he also signed his name on the dotted line before inking his contract to face Spong.

After stumbling upon the original news, Ortiz lambasted Ruiz Jr.

“He’s a coward,” said Ortiz of Ruiz Jr. during a recent interview with the El Nuevo Herald. “He knew how badly I wanted to fight him but he decided to take an easy route. I repeat, he is a coward.”

With the two now scheduled to face off in what’s likely to be a pay-per-view headliner in August later this year, the former two-time heavyweight title challenger is licking his chops.

Even at the age of 43, Ortiz proved that he not only has the requisite skills to compete against the upper echelon of the division but more importantly, the desire. Throughout his long and fruitful career, Ortiz has only suffered defeat at the hands of Deontay Wilder in both 2018 and 2019. Regardless of his shortcomings, Ortiz is currently on a two-fight win streak.

On the first day of 2022, Ortiz waged an all-out war against former titlist, Charles Martin. Although Ortiz was sent crashing down to the canvas on two separate occasions, he flipped the tables on his man in the sixth, as he would go on to stop the former IBF trinket holder.

Despite his attempts to face Spong, a showdown against Ortiz aligns more with the Mexican star’s current ambitions. Since scoring one of the more surprising victories in recent memory against Anthony Joshua in June of 2019, Ruiz Jr. would return to the ring in considerably less than optimal shape. As a result, Ruiz Jr. would lose a wide unanimous decision against Joshua in their immediate rematch.

While Ruiz Jr. expressed disappointment, he’s bounced back nicely, winning a wide unanimous decision against perennial fringe contender, Chris Arreola in May of 2021. Should Ruiz Jr. continue his winning ways, the 32-year-old has stated time and time again that he would love nothing more than to re-wrap his waist with championship gold.

Posted on 04/13/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Andy Ruiz Jr. admitted where he went wrong.

After shocking the boxing world in 2019 by dethroning Anthony Joshua and claiming three of the four major world titles in the heavyweight division, Ruiz Jr. rested on his laurels. As a result, the Mexican star spent the next few months over-partying and drinking far too heavily.

Vowing to regain his world titles, Ruiz Jr. recently returned to the ring to defeat a game but clearly overmatched Chris Arreola in May of 2021. For his next appearance, Ruiz Jr. expressed an interest in facing the upper echelon of the division, including the likes of Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Luis Ortiz.

But, despite those names being floated about, Ruiz Jr. has settled on longtime journeymen, Tyrone Spong. The two will officially battle it out in a Triller Club pay-per-view on July 16th, in Ruiz Jr.’s native land of Mexico.

News of the event comes from complete left field, especially considering where both men are in their respective careers. In the case of Ruiz Jr., as mentioned earlier, the former unified champion is fully entrenched as one of the heavyweight division’s biggest stars and viable contenders.

Spong, on the other hand, has been incredibly inactive as of late. The former kickboxing champion was last seen in a boxing ring in August of 2019, scoring a second-round knockout win over Jeyson Minda.

Ultimately, while Spong’s boxing career has been idle, he’s continued to compete in other sports. On January 28th, earlier this year, Spong took on Sergei Kharitonov, at Eagle FC 44, a mixed martial arts organization. Although Spong carried a spotless record with him to the octagon, he was brutally knocked out in the second round.

Posted on 03/21/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Andy Ruiz Jr. is up and roaring for a return to the ring. With a newfound hunger to regain his heavyweight world titles, the Mexican native ended his long stint on the sidelines recently, picking up a unanimous decision against Chris Arreola in May of 2021.

As the 32-year-old gears up for another run, Ruiz Jr. left his opponent selection to his undying fans.

“Who should I fight next?” Asked Ruiz Jr. on his social media account.

As the comments began flooding in, Derek Chisora chimed in with a suggestion of his own.

“Want to come to London?” Responded Chisora.

Although it appeared to be fun and games initially, promoter Eddie Hearn has become intrigued by the entire ordeal. In fact, not only does Hearn find a showdown between both heavyweight contenders a fascinating one, he recently revealed that he took things a step further.

“I want to make Chisora against Andy Ruiz,” said Hearn on Instagram live. “I made PBC an offer for that fight on Friday, they want more money, understood.”

If all goes well, a showdown between Ruiz Jr. and Chisora would pit two fighters currently heading in opposite directions. As mentioned previously, Ruiz Jr. is looking to build upon his one-sided win against Arreola. Chisora, on the other hand, has failed to record a victory since a fourth-round stoppage win over David Price in 2019.

But, despite coming up short over the past few years, Chisora has faced the cream of the heavyweight crop. In 2020, Chisora attempted to slow down the hype train of current heavyweight unified champion, Oleksandr Usyk. While he did his best to send Usyk home packing, the British native was handed a close unanimous decision defeat.

Following his bout against Usyk, Chisora fought back-to-back contests against former titlist, Joseph Parker. Ultimately, Parked saddled two more defeats to Chisora’s name.

In the end, while he hasn’t come up on the winning end too often as of late, Hearn reiterated that a matchup between Chisora and Ruiz Jr. is one that he desperately wants.

“I want to make Chisora against Andy Ruiz. I think it’s a great fight.”

Posted on 02/03/2022

By: Hans Themistode

It was a long and painful fall from grace for former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker. At one point, the New Zealand native proudly held his world title and defended it successfully against all comers. However, following back-to-back defeats at the hands of both Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte – Parker began scrambling for answers.

Subsequently, the 30-year-old has gone back to the drawing board and returned as a new man. As a result, the proud New Zealander has reeled off six consecutive victories and now finds himself firmly in the thick of things for another world title opportunity.

With championship glory within his reach, Parker reveals that he’s recently reached out to his longtime rival, Andy Ruiz Jr. The two clashed in December of 2016, with the vacant WBO crown on the line. Though their contest was extremely close, it was Parker who emerged with the majority decision victory.

Considering that Ruiz Jr. is a marquee name in the heavyweight division, Parker would love the opportunity to run things back.

“It was a close fight, the first fight with Andy,” said Parker during an interview with Behind The Gloves. “I want to make that fight. My manager David Higgins has been trying to get in touch with his management or his promotional team. At the moment, we haven’t heard back but I even text Andy myself and said ‘hey, it would be great if we can have a rematch.’ He said he’ll keep that in mind.”

Ruiz Jr., 31, has seen his standing in the pugilistic sport change dramatically since his first meeting with Parker. The Mexican native strung together a three-fight win streak before facing off against former unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua in 2019. Though Ruiz Jr. was viewed as a sizable underdog, he waltzed into New York’s Madison Square Garden and proceeded to violently rip away Joshua’s heavyweight titles via seventh-round stoppage.

Although his championship reign was transient, Ruiz Jr. has rededicated himself to the sport of boxing with the help of Eddy Reynoso and pound-for-pound star, Canelo Alvarez. In Ruiz Jr.’s first trip to the ring since dropping his heavyweight titles, he outpointed fringe contender Chris Arreola.

Despite the ups and downs of his career, Parker applauds Ruiz Jr.’s accomplishments. Still, if a sequel between the pair can be organized, Parker not only believes he’ll emerge victorious once again, but this time around, he’ll do so in brutal fashion.

“He’s done a lot since we first fought,” admitted Parker. “I’ve done quite a bit as well since we first fought. I think it would be a great matchup but I back myself to take care of business. He’s very durable and very tough. He has that Mexican style and that Mexican sort of confidence within himself but in the heavyweight division, one punch can change everything. If I land a good punch, I think I can definitely stop him.”

Posted on 11/11/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The momentum swings were enough to keep Andy Ruiz Jr. on the edge of his seat.

On October 9th, at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada, both Tyson Fury, and Deontay Wilder squared off for the third and presumably final time in their respective careers. In the early goings, it appeared to be all Fury as he registered a knockdown in the third. Then, in the blink of an eye, Wilder stormed back, scoring two knockdowns of his own in the four.

Though they would fight on fairly even terms for the remainder of their contest, Fury finished their encounter strong, stopping Wilder in the 11th round. With such a grueling showdown, both men will look to take a long and needed break from the sport.

While Fury appears to be heading towards a matchup against perennial contender Dillian Whyte sometime in 2022, Wilder’s future is still very much up in the air.

As for Ruiz Jr., the former unified heavyweight champion is still on the comeback trail. Since dropping his world titles to Anthony Joshua in December of 2019, six months after causing the monumental upset against the British native, Ruiz Jr. returned to the ring against fringe contender Chris Arreola.

Despite being a huge favorite, Ruiz Jr. was forced to peel himself up off the deck before nabbing the unanimous decision win. Since then, the 31-year-old was hoping to return to the ring at the back end of 2021. However, those plans were scrapped due to the former heavyweight titlist undergoing right knee surgery.

With one eye closely on both Fury and newly crowned champion, Oleksandr Usyk, Ruiz Jr. is well aware that he’s still a few fights away from challenging for another world title. Although names such as Luis Ortiz and Charles Martin are intriguing options for the Mexican native, he appears to be locked in on a future showdown against Wilder.

“I think that would be an amazing fight, me against Deontay Wilder,” said Ruiz Jr. during an interview with Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast. “We’re both a part of the same team you know. I wouldn’t mind getting into the ring with him. I feel like I can beat him. We gotta get it on.”

Posted on 11/01/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The biggest moment in the career of Andy Ruiz Jr. fills him both with pride and sorrow.

On June 1st, 2019, Ruiz Jr. climbed through the ropes as a significant betting underdog. Although many were attempting to predict the round in which he would get stopped by Anthony Joshua, Ruiz Jr. simply ignored the critics and went on to create history.

After peeling himself up off the deck, Ruiz Jr. did what many believed was unthinkable, as he stopped Joshua to rip away his world titles. With the win, Ruiz Jr. became the first fighter of Mexican descent to become a heavyweight champion.

Admittedly, the newfound fame got to Ruiz Jr.’s head. Going to the gym became an afterthought as he focused more on partying and drinking as much booze as possible. The lack of attentiveness ultimately led Ruiz Jr. to have a transient title reign as he was pummeled by Joshua in their immediate rematch six months later.

Since then, Ruiz Jr. has sat back and watched in awe as Oleksandr Usyk has created history of his own. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion has recently stomped into the hometown of Joshua, thoroughly outboxing him and winning his world titles.

Although Ruiz Jr. doesn’t know Usyk on a personal level, he’s hoping that the newly crowned champion keeps his head on straight.

“I wouldn’t want him to make the same mistakes I did,” said Ruiz Jr. during an interview with Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast. “Getting all the belts, partying, doing all the dumb stuff, and not worrying about keeping those belts.”

The road to redemption has been a long one for Ruiz Jr. After spending a year and a half on the sidelines, the former Mexican champion resurfaced with new head trainer Eddy Reynoso. A noticeably slimmer Ruiz Jr. would go on to score a wide unanimous decision against Chris Arreola on the 1st of May earlier this year.

More than anything, Ruiz Jr. is hoping that with more focus, he’ll regain those very titles that slipped through his fingers. But, in the meanwhile, the 32-year-old is fairly confident that Usyk won’t fall victim to the same pitfalls that he did.

“I’m pretty sure Usyk is gonna do the right things.”

Posted on 09/30/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Andy Ruiz Jr. may have added to his win column recently, but he endured a far more difficult time than he was expecting.

The former unified heavyweight champion ended his year and a half layoff just a few months ago on May 1st, against Chris Arreola at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson California. Despite being the overwhelming favorite, Ruiz Jr. was forced to fight from behind as he was floored in the second round.

It may not have been the start he was looking for but Ruiz Jr. finished strongly as he walked away with the unanimous decision victory.

With the heavyweight titles continuing to play musical chairs, Ruiz Jr. desperately wants to get himself back into the mix. To aid him in his climb back up the heavyweight ladder, Ruiz Jr. is hoping to lure a big-name opponent into the ring next.

“We’re looking at Adam Kownacki, he’s going to be fighting in October,” said Ruiz Jr. to FightHype.com. “There’s Charles Martin, Luis Ortiz. There’s a lot of guys out there for me. I just gotta stay busy and stay active.”

Before Ruiz Jr. can re-stake his claim as one of the top dogs in the division, the Mexican native must first steadily work his way back from knee surgery. Dealing with a bothersome right knee for quite some time, the 32-year-old placed his fear of going underneath the knife behind him and underwent a successful operation.

Now, with his recovery process going as smoothly as possible, the former heavyweight titlist is hoping that he can return to the ring before the year comes to a close.

“I just had surgery, I had a torn meniscus,” explained Ruiz Jr. “I was supposed to get operated on it three years ago but I was scared. They were giving me medicine for it but the doctor told me that it’s better for me to be operated on. I feel good, I feel blessed and hopefully, I should be getting back in there in December.”

Posted on 08/31/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Andy Ruiz Jr. has a long road back to the heavyweight title. The Mexican native shocked the world when he dethroned Anthony Joshua in June of 2019 and snagged the WBA, IBF, and WBO world titles. In doing so, Ruiz Jr. made history as he was the first fighter of Mexican descent to become a heavyweight champion.

While Ruiz Jr. enjoyed the extra attention he was given, his time on top of the boxing world proved to be transient as he lost his championship status six months later in an immediate rematch.

After taking roughly a year and a half off to work on his skills and overall fitness with new trainer Eddy Reynoso, head man for pound for pound star Canelo Alvarez, Ruiz Jr. bounced back with a big-time win.

In May earlier this year, Ruiz Jr. picked himself up off the deck to outpoint fringe contender Chris Arreola. Having watched the former unified heavyweight titlist up close and personal on several occasions, Sanchez believes it’s going to be quite some time until he’s ready to challenge for another world title.

“Andy Ruiz was in my camp and he sparred some of my guys,” revealed Sanchez during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He has got to take advantage of the qualities that he has. He’s not going to be Canelo, he’s gotta be Andy. The guys in my gym, at times, kinda showed him that he has a long way to go. It takes a while, Canelo didn’t become Canelo overnight.”

With a comeback win firmly in his pocket, a long list of fighters are rumored to be in the running to face Ruiz Jr. If the 31-year-old continues to win, then at some point, he could find himself standing across the ring from former WBC heavyweight titlist, Deontay Wilder.

The Alabama native is scheduled to take on Tyson Fury in early October with a chance to regain his world title. Whether he’s successful or not, Sanchez believes that Ruiz Jr. should steer clear of the 35-year-old former belt holder.

“He doesn’t want to face Wilder, he’ll be flat on his back and be hurt. He’ll be sleeping.”

Posted on 08/11/2021

By: Hans Themistode

According to reports, Andy Ruiz Jr. could be on his way to stepping back into the ring before the year ends.

As first reported by ESPN Knockout, Ruiz Jr. (34-2, 22 KOs) is on the verge of finalizing a deal to take on former heavyweight champion Charles Martin. The two could face off as early as this coming October.

For Ruiz Jr., he desperately wants to place himself back in the championship mix. After scoring one of the biggest upsets in boxing history against Anthony Joshua in June of 2019, Ruiz Jr. saw his unexpected title reign come to an end shortly after.

A noticeably overweight Ruiz Jr. stepped into their immediate rematch six months later, lethargic and uninspired. He would lose a wide unanimous decision on the judge’s scorecards but vowed that he would turn things around.

After spending approximately a year and a half on the sidelines, the Mexican native would make his return to the ring against fringe contender Chris Arreola earlier this year in May. A conspicuous Ruiz Jr., who claims to have lost over 55 pounds, received mixed results for his performance in the ring. In the second round, Arreola landed a right hand over the top which sent Ruiz Jr. to the deck. He would, however, peel himself up off the canvas to cruise to a victory.

While Ruiz Jr. is motivated to wrap heavyweight gold around his waist once again, Martin (28-2-1, 25 KOs) is equally as eager to do the same. In January of 2016, Martin was handed the vacant IBF title after Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a right knee injury during their showdown and was unable to continue.

The title reign of Martin was immediately truncated though, as Anthony Joshua pummeled him over the course of two rounds. Since then, Martin has gone on to win five of his past six contests, including a sixth-round stoppage over former titleholder Gerald Washington.

Posted on 07/13/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Under normal circumstances, a fighter’s preferred time of preparation is approximately 12 weeks. However, with Tyson Fury forced to postpone his showdown against Deontay Wilder due to the WBC/Ring Magazine titlist contracting COVID-19, there July 24th date is officially pushed back.

Although it is unclear when the two will step into the ring with one another, Andy Ruiz Jr. revealed that he’s patiently waiting by the phone just in case Wilder decides he wants a new dance partner, as opposed to waiting on Fury to heal up.

“Heck yeah,” said Ruiz Jr. when asked if he’d be willing to step in on short notice to face Wilder during an interview with RoundByRoundBoxing.com. “Call me right up.”

Ruiz Jr. is more than familiar with taking high-profile fights with little to no time to prepare. In June of 2019, Ruiz Jr. watched intriguingly as Jarrell Miller was removed from his heavyweight showdown against unified champion, Anthony Joshua.

Despite only having a few weeks to prepare, Ruiz Jr. picked himself up off the deck in the third round to send Joshua to the canvas four times before ultimately stopping him. The win crowned Ruiz Jr. as the first-ever Mexican heavyweight champion. His time on top of the boxing world was short-lived though, as Joshua settled the score six months later.

Ruiz Jr. would then take a year and a half off before resurfacing with new trainer, Eddie Reynoso. So far, their partnership has worked out well as Ruiz Jr. recently scored a unanimous decision win against fringe contender, Chris Arreola on May 1st.

At the moment, Ruiz Jr. has no fights lined up. But, the heavyweight contender claims that he is still working on his craft daily. Considering the success he had last time he was given a last-second opportunity, the Mexican product believes all systems will be a go if Wilder decides to give him a ring.

“That’s exactly why we’re staying in the gym and staying ready. If they’re looking my way come and bring it I’m ready.”

Posted on 05/02/2021

By: Hans Themistode

A socially distanced packed house at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California waited patiently for the main event to begin last night. Featured, was the return of former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. and fringe contender Chris Arreola.

While most of the eyes watching them last night were simply interested in seeing how their contest would shake out, heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz was there on a business trip.

“The fight was good,” said Ortiz during an interview with FightHype.com. “The fight was really interesting. He now has the opportunity, I’ll wait for his decision. Kong is right here. I came to watch him, wished him good luck in his fight and he knows I want to fight.”

Despite Ruiz Jr. (34-2, 22 KOs) heading into their showdown as a gargantuan favorite, Arreola proved that he still has plenty left in the tank as he floored his man early in the second round and fought him on mostly even terms.

Ruiz Jr. would eventually steady himself and pull away during the second half of their contest to win by unanimous decision. The win for the former champion was his first in nearly two years. In June of 2019, Ruiz Jr. became the first fighter of Mexican descent to become heavyweight champion as he dropped and later stopped Anthony Joshua in their contest. His time on top of the boxing world, however, proved to be transient as Joshua easily out-boxed and outmuscled an overweight Ruiz Jr. in their rematch six months later.

In need of a change, the Mexican star joined trainer Eddy Reynoso and his crop of stars including Ryan Garcia and Canelo Alvarez. So far, things have gone according to plan as he has reportedly lost more than 50 pounds.

Long before Ruiz Jr. made his return to the ring, Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) expressed an interest in the two facing off. The Cuban product has effectively put two knockout defeats at the hands of Deontay Wilder behind him as he scored a first-round stoppage win of his own against Alexander Flores in November of 2020.

At the moment, what’s next for Ruiz Jr. is unclear. Shortly following his win, the 31-year-old stated that due to the nature of his close contest with Arreola, that he would have no issue with running things back. He’s also indicated that a showdown with Wilder would be high on his agenda.

Regardless of his decision, Ortiz simply wants Ruiz Jr. to know that he’s ready, willing and able to take him on next.

“I’m here waiting for Junior. I’ll wait, I’m ready for whatever may come. I’m ready for this.”

Posted on 04/30/2021

By: Hans Themistode

It was about as improbable a win as you’ll find.

Andy Ruiz Jr. made his way to the ring on June 1st, 2019, seemingly, without a prayer in the world. Waiting on him, was unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua. As most of the betting public waited patiently to see what round Ruiz Jr. would get knocked out in, the Mexican star had other ideas.

Ruiz Jr. (33-2, 22 KOs) would dust himself off following a third round knockdown, only to drop Joshua four times before ultimately stopping him in the seventh. With the win, Ruiz Jr. became the first fighter of Mexican descent to win a heavyweight title. But while he was proud of the achievement, his moment in the sun proved to be transient as Joshua easily took care of business in their rematch six months later to reclaim his world titles.

With many now under the impression that his win was nothing more than a lucky punch, Ruiz Jr. appears determined to prove his doubters wrong.

“Andy wants to prove to everybody that it wasn’t just coincidence or luck or a fluke,” said former four-division champion Mikey Garcia during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He wants to make sure that he gets that title shot again.”

The road to that aforementioned title shot begins this Saturday night as Ruiz Jr. steps into the ring for the first time in roughly a year and a half against fringe contender, Chris Arreola. The two are set to bang it out in the center of the ring with a chance to move up the heavyweight ladder on FOX pay-per-view.

In an effort to prove that he is no longer the same fighter that walked into his rematch against Joshua as both overweight and unenthused, Ruiz Jr. has hooked up with world-renowned trainer, Eddy Reynoso. With the pair working with each other for well over a year, the former heavyweight belt holder has made drastic physical improvements. Regardless of his outward appearance, Garcia has always stood firmly in his corner. He rose to his feet and cheered loudly as Ruiz Jr. took care of business the first time around against Joshua. Garcia also criticized Ruiz Jr. for his lack of discipline as he came into their rematch grotesquely overweight.

Now, with his close friend getting into the best shape of his life, Garcia believes there’s no doubt that he’ll once again drape gold around his shoulders sooner rather than later.

“Definitely, I think he can. If he stays dedicated I definitely think he can. He has to get past Chris but I definitely think he can. Look, he’s got fast hands, he has the power to do it just like the first time. He’s got a great trainer with Eddy and he seems to be very disciplined. He slimmed down, losing 30 pounds is a lot of f*cking weight.”

Posted on 04/29/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Deontay Wilder has been mostly out of the public eye ever since suffering a devastating knockout defeat at the hands of Tyson Fury in February of 2020. On the night, Wilder was dropped numerous times before ultimately succumbing in the seventh round and forfeiting his WBC heavyweight crown.

Besides a back and forth war of words with former co-trainer Mark Breland, Wilder’s future plans have been mostly kept under wraps. Although a date for his return has yet to be revealed, the Alabama native posted a video of himself training for the first time since his defeat.

While many in the boxing world were anxious to see Wilder sporting a pair of boxing gloves in over a year, Andy Ruiz Jr. was particularly interested in seeing what he’s been working on. The former unified heavyweight titlist couldn’t help but nod his head in approval when discussing what he saw from the short video clip.

“He looks pretty good,” said Ruiz Jr. during an interview with FightHype.com “And he has a new trainer as well. We all have our little struggles but he’s looking good.”

Ruiz Jr., 31, is just a few days away from making his own return to the ring when he takes on fringe contender Chris Arreola at Dignity Health Sports Park, in Carson California on FOX pay-per-view.

For Ruiz Jr., he’ll look to show that he’s dedicated to his craft after losing in embarrassing fashion to Anthony Joshua in December of 2019. Although Ruiz Jr. made history in becoming the first fighter of Mexican descent to win a heavyweight world title six months prior, he admitted that he lost his way and enjoyed the fruits of his labor for far longer than he should have.

If everything goes the way he envisions it, he’ll jump back into the win column with big fights lined up in his future. Amongst them, he hopes, is a showdown with Wilder.

“If they want to fight, I’ll be willing to fight.”

Posted on 04/28/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Andy Ruiz Jr. has always been a rather large individual. The Mexican native and former heavyweight champion of the world never allowed his physique to impede his ability in the boxing ring though. However, after pulling off the monumental upset against Anthony Joshua on June 1st of 2019, Ruiz Jr. gained several more pounds.

Despite coming in as a huge underdog, Ruiz Jr. (33-2, 22 KOs) picked himself up off the ground to drop and later stop Joshua in the seventh round, becoming the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. Ruiz Jr. took his celebrations a bit too far following the victory as he partied hard and barely trained for their rematch which took place six months later. As he stepped onto the scale, Ruiz Jr. weighed 283 pounds, 15 more than what he originally weighed six months prior. On fight night, Ruiz Jr. was thoroughly outboxed and he appeared to be lethargic and sluggish during their contest.

Since then, Ruiz Jr. has worked hard to rebuild his body. With new head trainer Eddy Reynoso in his corner, the Mexican product looks noticeably slimmer, weighing in at 257 pounds. Thanks to his weight loss and new training methods, Ruiz Jr. is feeling better than ever before.

“It feels good,” said Ruiz Jr. during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “I have abilities that I didn’t know I had you know. I can bob and weave, duck more, I can slip the punches. The speed I always had but the ability that they’re showing me is something that I couldn’t do before so it feels amazing.”

While Ruiz Jr. tips his cap in the direction of Reynoso for all of his help, he would be remiss if he didn’t mention pound-for-pound star, Canelo Alvarez. The two have been seen on numerous occasions working side by side with one another. In addition to that, Alvarez has also been an open book, often lending advice to an open-eared Ruiz Jr.

“Before, I used to train when I had a fight coming but Canelo has been telling me that I have to be training even when I don’t have a fight. I have to be training like if I have a fight, just train so we don’t have to get ready.”

At the moment, Ruiz Jr. is set to return to the ring for the first time since his lopsided defeat at the hands of Joshua when he takes fringe contender Chris Arreola at Dignity Health Sports Park, in Carson California on FOX pay-per-view this Saturday night.

Ultimately, Ruiz Jr. would love to use a win over Arreola as a stepping stool to bigger fights. Most notably, a third showdown against Joshua. If however, Ruiz Jr, had simply walked into their second contest in the shape he’s in today, he firmly believes there would be no need to ever face Joshua again.

“I would’ve still been champion. I know exactly what to do and what not to do now. I went all 12 rounds being overweight and not training. Thank God I didn’t lose like the way I made him lose on June 1st. Everybody wants to see the trilogy.”

Posted on 04/24/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Arreola has sat back and listened as boxing fans are already playing matchmakers. In the mind of many, fantasy showdowns involving former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. and several of the top names in the division are on the verge of taking place.

Standing in the way of those fantasy matchups is long-time contender Chris Arreola. The two are slated to face off in a FOX pay-per-view event on May 1st, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Despite giving up the advantage in terms of youth, speed and championship status – Arreola is unafraid of what Ruiz has up his sleeves. In the mind of the veteran contender, what he brings to the table is something a bit unique.

“My biggest asset is my heart and my balls,” said Arreola during an interview with Premier Boxing Champions. “I don’t back up from no one, I come and fight and just give it my all. I just bite on that f*cking mouthpiece and keep coming. That’s what I bring to the table.”

For Ruiz, his return to the ring has been a long and difficult road. In June of 2019, the Mexican native upset the odds in not only defeating Anthony Joshua but ultimately stopping him in the seventh round of their contest. With the win, Ruiz became the first Mexican fighter to win a world title.

The victory turned Ruiz into a celebrity overnight. He quickly made the rounds on television talk shows and became a regular in the party scene. While he had every right to enjoy his victory, Ruiz admitted that he took things a bit too far.

“I think I ate everything,” said Ruiz during an interview several months ago with TMZ Sports. “That’s why I gained so much weight. Just being with my friends and just celebrating, drinking a few more Coronas than I should have.”

Coming into their rematch six months later, Ruiz appeared grotesquely overweight, tipping the scale at 284 pounds. His inability to stop partying and dedicate his time to the gym cost him as Joshua easily outpointed him to win back his world titles.

Since then, Ruiz rededicated his life to boxing, teaming up with famed trainer Eddy Reynoso, head man of pound-for-pound star, Canelo Alvarez.

Recently, Ruiz has been seen sporting a much more trimmer look. But while Arreola tips his cap to his opponent for getting in much better shape, he believes all of his hard work will ultimately be in vain.

“I see myself winning this fight. I just been working hard, there’s no shortcuts just hard work. In order to beat me you really, really, really gotta beat the shit out of me.”