Tag: Andy Ruiz

Andy Ruiz Jr. planning to return to the ring in August

Andy Ruiz says he plans to return to the ring in August in a tune-up bout before getting back into world title mix.

Andy Ruiz Jr. was on top of the world not long ago. Now he’s looking at a comeback attempt in late summer.

The American heavyweight said on Inside PBC Boxing that he plans to return to the ring in August. By that time, he will have been out of competition for nearly eight months. Enough time, one figures, for the sting to have subsided from his lopsided points loss to Anthony Joshua in December.

Ruiz shocked the world by stopping Joshua in their first fight, last June, but showed up pitifully out of shape for the rematch.

Now it’s be back to being serious, says Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs). His next opponent evidently hasn’t been selected but Ruiz floated a few names.

“[My handlers] mentioned [Luis] Ortiz [as possible opponents], but I think I want to have a fight before I fight Ortiz,” he said. “If not, if Tyson Fury is looking for somebody …. I just want to get a fight and then get to the big fight.”

According to The Athletic, Ruiz’s next fight will likely be against either countryman Chris Arreola (38-6-1, 33 KOs) or Adam Kownacki (20-0, 15 KOs), a popular Brooklyn-based Polish heavyweight who takes on Robert Helenius this Saturday at Barclays Center. Kownacki would pose a far greater challenge to Ruiz than Arreola, a veteran whose last bout was a wide points loss to Kownacki.

Also up in the air is who will train Ruiz. He canned Manny Robles in January. There have been rumors that Ruiz may try to work with Teddy Atlas, but nothing has been confirmed.

One thing seems certain: Ruiz will come in less than his official weight of 283½ for the rematch with Joshua. He admitted he was overweight for that fight, which hampered his ability to cut off the ring and throw combinations. He weighed 268 for the first fight.

“I think 250 would be a perfect weight for me,” he said. “I will be light, I will be fast with my hands.”

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Andy Ruiz Jr. splits with trainer Manny Robles

Andy Ruiz Jr. splits with trainer Manny Robles

Andy Ruiz Jr. will need a new trainer as he makes moves to resume his heavyweight career.

Andy Ruiz Jr. blamed himself for his poor conditioning and even poorer outing in his Dec. 7 title defense against Anthony Joshua. Turns out he reserved some blame for his trainer, too.

Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) has cut ties with trainer Manny Robles, the trainer who guided Ruiz to his historic upset over Joshua last June at Madison Square Garden in New York, according to multiple reports.

Ruiz ended up losing his belts in the rematch six months later in Saudi Arabia. Afterward, he was heavily criticized for showing up out of shape; Ruiz weighed in at 283.5 pounds, nearly 15 pounds more than his weight for the first bout. Ruiz put the blame squarely on himself, even apologizing to Robles for having not shown up to training camp on time.

Still, Robles wasn’t surprised by the news Thursday.

“I’ve seen it coming, I’ll be honest with you,” Robles told ESPN. “I’ve seen it coming during camp. I saw it coming, Andy was just doing whatever the hell he wanted to do. The dad, obviously with him being the manager, he just had no control over his son. None of us had control of him, for that matter.”

According to ESPN, Robles was informed of the news by Ruiz’s father, Andy Ruiz Sr., who said that Al Haymon, Ruiz’s influential adviser, recommended switching trainers. It’s not clear whom Ruiz will train under next.

“They apparently told them that they didn’t want the same thing to repeat itself, again,” Robles said. “It is what it is. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s not the first time it’s happened to me. I’m sure it’s not the first time it’s happened to other coaches. It happens time and time again. We always end up getting the short end of the stick. But it is what it is, you keep moving forward.

“I really believed coming into the second fight that we were going to be able to do it again. But obviously you can’t do that if the fighter isn’t there, if the fighter doesn’t want it. I did everything I could as a coach, as a teacher, as a friend, but again, as I said, if the fighter’s not there, what can I do?”

Robles maintains there are no hard feelings.

“I’ve got to tell you I’m absolutely grateful and blessed to have been able to experience everything that I was able to experience in 2019,” he said. “I mean, we made history, and I have to be thankful for that. I have to be thankful to Andy and his dad for giving me the opportunity to be part of something special, to have made history, for him to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world.”

Ruiz reportedly has been offered a fight by promoter Eddie Hearn to face Dillian Whyte but it appears that Whyte is now expected to face Alexander Povetkin instead.

Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz II most-streamed event on DAZN in 2019

DAZN announced that the Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua heavyweight rematch on Dec. 7 was the most watched sporting event on its platform in 2019.

The Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua heavyweight rematch on Dec. 7 was the most streamed event on DAZN in 2019, the company announced.

This is the first time that the over-the-top streaming service has released figures pertaining to its viewership, although it stayed mum on its total subscriber base. Its executives in the past have said that it does plan to provide those numbers anytime soon.

DAZN, which operates in nine countries, also announced that it doubled its viewership of all sports in 2019, citing 507 million streamed hours, or a 98% increase from 2018.

Three other boxing cards were among the 10 most-streamed events. No. 4 was the Canelo Alvarez-Sergey Kovalev light heavyweight title fight, followed by KSI-Logan Paul II at No. 5 and the Alvarez-Daniel Jacobs middleweight title fight at No. 10.

In all, DAZN users spent 22.6 million hours watching boxing events. By comparison, soccer, the company’s most-watched sport, logged 314.6 million hours.

According to a third party report in November, DAZN had amassed 8 million subscribers worldwide, nearly 10% of whom come from the U.S.

Here are the Top 10 most-streamed events on DAZN in 2019:

1.    Ruiz-Joshua II (Dec. 7)
2.    UEFA Champions League: Tottenham-Liverpool (June 1)
3.    UEFA Champions League: Liverpool-Barcelona (May 7)
4.    Alvarez-Kovalev (Nov. 2)
5.    KSI-Logan Paul II (Nov. 9)
6.    UEFA Champions League: Tottenham-Bayern Munich (Oct. 1)
7.    Serie A: Milan-Internazionale (Sept. 21)
8.    UEFA Champions League: Ajax-Tottenham (May 8)
9.    UEFA Champions League: Barcelona-Liverpool (May 1)
10.  Alvarez-Jacobs (May 4)

Eddie Hearn on Anthony Joshua’s likely immediate future: ‘Pulev, then Usyk’

Eddie Hearn said that if Anthony Joshua is determined to hang onto his three belts, he’ll likely fight Kubrat Pulev next.

Anthony Joshua might have had to pay a baggage fee, along with all those sanctioning fees, for the trunk of title belts he took home from his redemptive decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua had all but one of them safely back in his wardrobe, which is where they might stay for at least awhile.

Joshua is in no mood to relinquish any of them.

For weeks, there was talk that at least one of the belts would be vacated, whatever that means. Rooms go vacant. Belts don’t. It would be nice if the sanctioning bodies just vacated the word, put vacate on permanent vacation. But that’s about as likely as an end to those sanctioning fees. Anyway, let’s just say that it sounds as if Joshua isn’t prepared to move out of any corner to his regained position at the top of the heavyweight division.

Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn anticipated that Saturday’s winner would give up at least one of the belts. The promotional idea, perhaps, was that Oleksandr Usyk would have a quick and easy path to the first available belt. But Joshua wasn’t ready to give up anything to Usyk or anybody else.

On Sunday, the WBO ordered Joshua to face Usyk in a mandatory title defense. Then the IBF quickly followed with its own mandatory, ordering Joshua to face Kubrat Pulev. Hearn was expected to sort out those orders and presumably a few more during the next few weeks. He foresees Joshua back in the ring in spring.

“I think April or May,’’ he told Sky Sports. “That’s a realistic date.’’

By then, Joshua and Hearn should have a better idea about the only heavyweight fight that matters: Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury. Wilder holds the only other significant belt. Fury calls himself the lineal heavyweight champion. A Fury-Wilder rematch looms in February at a still undisclosed location.

For Joshua’s projected return in spring, Hearn expects Pulev.

“A.J. will want to maintain the belts, and if that’s the case, I think it will be Pulev, and then Usyk,’’ Hearn said.

Pulev, a Top Rank-promoted Bulgarian, was scheduled to fight Joshua on Oct. 28 in Cardiff, Wales. But he withdrew because of a shoulder injury.

Anthony Joshua could fight at Tottenham instead of occupied Wembley

Anthony Joshua’s next fight could take place in a new venue. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium officials have been keen on hosting the heavyweight.

If Anthony Joshua’s next fight takes place in his hometown of London, don’t expect it to take place at Wembley Stadium.

Promoter Eddie Hearn told The Independent that a scheduling conflict might prevent Joshua from fighting at the 90,000-seat venue, which has become the de facto home for the British heavyweight who regained his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr. this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Instead, Joshua and Co. might turn to another soccer stadium nearby.

“Wembley does not look great, date wise,” Hearn said. “Tottenham Hotspur is a nice new stadium for a U.K. fight and we have to look at it.”

The stadium, named for the popular soccer club, has a seating capacity of 62,000. It opened its doors in April.

“The phone has gone crazy with people saying ‘bring him here, bring him here,’” Hearn said.

Joshua is expected to face one of his mandatory challengers in Oleksandr Usyk or Kubrat Pulev.

Hearn said Joshua wants to fight back home after having traveled for both of his fights of 2019, a loss to Ruiz in New York and the victory in the Middle East.

“People have seen what we have just done in Saudi Arabia,” Hearn said, “and there are a lot of options internationally, but A.J. wants to box back in the U.K.”

Deontay Wilder on Andy Ruiz’s mentality: ‘Opposite of what it takes to be a champion’

Deontay Wilder was no fan of the way former heavyweight titleholder Andy Ruiz comported himself during and after his loss to Anthony Joshua.

Add Deontay Wilder to the mix of observers  who were displeased by Andy Ruiz Jr.’s title-losing performance against Anthony Joshua on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua pitched a near-shutout over 12 rounds to regain the three heavyweight belts he lost to Ruiz on June 1.

In a radio interview with SiriusXM Fight Station, Wilder, who holds the fourth major title, opined on what he felt were both tactical failures and character flaws on the part of the Mexican-American. Joshua worked behind his jab and moved his feet to keep away from Ruiz’s mid-range combinations. Ruiz never quite adjusted.

“Ruiz followed him all night long,” Wilder said. “With a guy (Joshua) with such a long reach, you can’t just follow him. You know what’s going to happen, a punching bag, as they call it. Just sit there and receive punches. And he did that all night.”

Wilder also was disappointed in the fact that Ruiz allowed the money and limelight to affect him after his earth-shattering upset in June. Ruiz weighed in at 283.7 pounds for the rematch, roughly 15 pounds heavier than his weight in the first fight.

“But what really got me about Ruiz was not just what he did in the ring, but what he said, as well,” Wilder said. “Because as you know, one thing that I mentioned to Ruiz when I was doing an interview on TV is, I told him, ‘Don’t get comfortable. Congratulations, but don’t get comfortable with the lifestyle and stuff. It can grab you. But you know you’re just beginning. There can be more to this for you and your family. Don’t dwell on this.’”

Manny Robles, Ruiz’s trainer, mentioned to reporters that he wanted Ruiz to start training in July, but his charge showed up in September. During the post-fight press conference, Ruiz pleaded for a third fight with Joshua and admitted that he didn’t train hard enough, saying “I think we started too late. I didn’t want to say three months of partying affected me, but to tell you the truth, it did.”

Wilder wasn’t happy about that admission.

“‘Oh, I ate too much and I could’ve trained a little harder,’” Wilder said. “Like, what the f— are you talking about. That is exactly the opposite of what it takes to be a champion. What do you mean? You were telling the world that you weren’t letting it get to your head and how it’s such a blessing. You can’t come in and say the rematch, the third fight, I’ll promise I’ll train. Like what are you talking about!”

Wilder is scheduled to face Tyson Fury in a rematch Feb. 22 on pay-per-view.

Anthony Joshua’s promoter poked fun at Andy Ruiz’s surprising weight gain

Andy Ruiz weighed in at 283.7 pounds.

Andy Ruiz Jr. pulled off the biggest upset of his career back in June when he beat then-undefeated Anthony Joshua to capture the heavyweight championship. And as you might expect, Ruiz has enjoyed life for the past six months.

When the two fighters showed up for Friday’s weigh-in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Joshua had trimmed down to a lean 237 pounds. Ruiz, though, had gained significant weight since the first fight.

He officially weighed in at 283.7 pounds — gaining nearly 15 pounds in six months — and even Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, was caught off guard by Ruiz’s weight gain. When Ruiz made a joke that he just ate lunch, Hearn poked fun at the heavyweight champion.

Hearn told reporters after the weigh-in:

“I was actually expecting him to come in a little bit lighter. But Ruiz actually said to me, ‘Ah, it’s ’cause I just had lunch.’ I was like, ‘What did you eat? Your trainer?'”

Hey, Ruiz is just loving life. There’s no shame in that … well, unless he has serious hopes of winning. Buster Douglas notably gained around 15 pounds (from 231 to 246) after upsetting Mike Tyson and lost by knockout to Evander Holyfield eight months later.

According to Chris Mannix, Ruiz will be the second-heaviest defending heavyweight champion in history.

Saturday’s main event should start around 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time.

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The Boxing Junkie Analysis: Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Anthony Joshua II

This much is certain: Rarely has a fight been more shrouded in doubt than the heavyweight title rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua on Saturday in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on DAZN. Even the locale seems to have air of uncertainty: a …

This much is certain: Rarely has a fight been more shrouded in doubt than the heavyweight title rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua on Saturday in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on DAZN.

Even the locale seems to have air of uncertainty: a makeshift, 15,000 seat arena pitched in the middle of the Arabian desert in a country that still ritualizes public beheadings. What could possibly go wrong?

Whatever happens, the burning questions that opened up like Pandora’s Box on June 1 will finally – one hopes – be answered when Joshua tries to reclaim his heavyweight belt collection from Ruiz, the underdog incarnate.

At stake are three of the four major titles and a possible title-unification fight with the winner of tentative Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury matchup.

 

ANDY RUIZ JR. (33-1, 22 KOs)
VS. ANTHONY JOSHUA (22-1-0, 21 KOs)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 7
Location: Diriyah Arena, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
TV: DAZN
Division: Heavyweight
At stake: Ruiz’s WBO, IBF and WBA titles
Current win streak: Ruiz, 4; Joshua, 0
Ages: Both 30
Stances: Both orthodox
Trajectory: Both at peak
Also fighting: Michael Hunter vs. Alexander Povetkin, heavyweights; Dillian Whyte vs. Mariusz Wach, heavyweights; Filip Hrgovic vs. Eric Molina, heavyweights.
Worth watching (up to five stars)? * * * * *

 

SKILL SET

Ruiz

The fact that Ruiz can throw rapid combinations without looking like a klutz already puts him at an advantage over most contemporary heavyweights. He has a solid jab, which he threw consistently at Joshua’s chest in the first fight, and is skilled at parrying, which allows him to get closer to his opponent to unload his combinations. He may not be the most elusive fighter, but Ruiz shifts his upper body as he comes forward, which keeps the opposition guessing. He also doesn’t tip his shots. And his footwork is underrated. Against Alexander Dimitrenko, Ruiz pulled off the so-called “Fitzsimmons shift,” in which one switches stances to land a punch.

 

Joshua

Although he is fundamentally sound – Joshua can put together short, concise punches on the inside – it’s evident that he came late to the sport. The criticism that Joshua is robotic is true to the extent that he seems to overthink his strategy in the ring. Joshua is the antithesis of a “natural” boxer like Ruiz, who picked up the sport early on and whose punches arise more out of muscle memory and instinct, rather than deliberation. Joshua’s trainer, Rob McCracken, recently insisted that Joshua’s best bet is to box on the outside. But one wonders whether Joshua, a puncher by trade, can keep that up for 12 rounds. Moreover, he looked uncomfortable working behind his jab and moving off the back foot from the opening bell in the first fight.

 

Edge: Ruiz

 

PUNCHING POWER

Ruiz

Nobody ever viewed Ruiz as a power-punching heavyweight. He has gone the distance with a fair share of undistinguished journeymen in the past. Still, as it pertains to Joshua, Ruiz knows he can hurt the man, and that’s all that matters in this case.

Joshua

There is a reason Joshua was a heavy favorite going into the first fight. He is a heavyweight who can crack with both hands. Ruiz may feel emboldened after absorbing some major leather early on in the first fight, but best not to test the chin too many times. Joshua will need to force Ruiz to respect his power this time around.

Edge: Joshua

 

EXPERIENCE

Ruiz

Ruiz has been boxing since he was a child and had a largely successful amateur career. That said, outside of the Joshua win, his professional resume is pedestrian.

Joshua

Though Joshua’s ledger includes victories over a trio of top heavyweights in Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Dillian Whyte, nothing can disguise the fact that he picked up boxing at the late age of 18. His freakish power may have shored up some of his weaknesses, but he appears to be a fighter still learning on the job.

Edge: Ruiz

 

DURABILITY

Ruiz

Most fighters would have wilted after eating a right uppercut- left hook combination from Joshua, but Ruiz, who touched the canvas, was able to rebound. When Joshua followed up with a caterwauling straight hand, Ruiz didn’t blink. The Mexican, to be sure, has an iron chin.

Joshua
Though he is built like Adonis, Joshua’s chin has always been suspect, as evidenced in fights against Klitschko, Whyte and Povetkin. Ruiz merely confirmed it. Indeed, since the Klitschko win, his trainer has tried to mold Joshua into more of a finesse boxer, less open to heavy counters at close range. If only one could add muscle to the jaw …

Edge: Ruiz

 

INTANGIBLES

Ruiz

Ruiz may just have Joshua’s number. At the very least, he has the psychological advantage of having completely outclassed Joshua in the first fight. Recently, he said that there was not much he planned to change going into the rematch, and that makes sense. If it ain’t broke …

Joshua

When it was announced that Luis Pabon had been chosen to referee the fight, some observers viewed (groaned?) it as a clear advantage for Joshua. Pabon has a history of allowing fighters to clinch (see the Klitschko-Povetkin fight) while he breaks up the action. Holding, it should be reminded, is illegal in professional boxing, although it is rarely enforced. Pabon certainly has not shown much inclination to do so.

Edge: Ruiz

 

PREDICTION

The fight will play out similarly to the first fight, with Joshua moving tentatively around the ring as Ruiz stalks him. Joshua will have early success using his size and length to keep the shorter Ruiz at bay. Eventually, Joshua will begin to tire, as he customarily does, in the second half of the fight. Ruiz will turn up the pressure, cutting the distance to land quick-fire combinations against which Joshua will have little defense.

Ruiz TKO 8

Andy Ruiz Jr. says he made no significant changes for Joshua rematch

Andy Ruiz Jr. said he has made minor adjustments but will be in the rematch the same fighter who stopped Anthony Joushua in June.

Andy Ruiz Jr. is doing exactly what a lot of people thought he should do after his demolition of Anthony Joshua in June: more of the same.

Ruiz stunned the boxing world by putting Joshua down four times before stopping him in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden in New York. His main objective for the rematch Saturday in Saudi Arabia has been fine tuning.

“The same thing,” Ruiz said when asked what he has done differently in this camp. “Training, making some adjustments, but we got all the tools, all the same things. So we’re focused mentally and ready for December 7.”

Many people have suggested that Ruiz (33-1, 22 knockouts) will have a massive psychological edge over Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) in the second fight because of his dominance in the first one.

That’s not how the Mexican-American is approaching the rematch.

Andy Ruiz worked out with trainer Manny Robles in front of fans and media Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

“I could (have an advantage),” he said, “but I don’t want to underestimate any fighter because I respect every fighter that comes into the ring. We all risk our lives here to provide for our loved ones, so I’m just excited for Saturday to have a really good fight.”

And a really good victory.

“I didn’t want show off too much on what we’re working on,” he said. “I wanted to give a little mix there. We’ve been training really heard, working on different stuff, so (with) the speed, the pressure, the angles, everything we’ve been working on, hopefully December 7 we will get that victory.”

Anthony Joshua trainer Rob McCracken: ‘There’s no room for error’

Anthony Joshua trainer Rob McCracken believes the best chances for beating Andy Ruiz on Dec. 7 is for Joshua to use his height and length.

Don’t expect Anthony Joshua to brawl when he faces Andy Ruiz in their highly anticipated rematch Saturday in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia  on DAZN.

According to Joshua’s trainer, Rob McCracken, the game plan is for the musclebound Joshua to box the rotund, yet quick-fisted Ruiz on the outside. No senseless trading on the inside.

“Ruiz is an underrated world-class fighter, but if you’ve got the height and reach, like Josh, you must use it,” McCracken told The Guardian in a recent interview.

The approach makes sense, given Joshua’s troubles in the first fight. Joshua had dropped Ruiz midway through the third round and was looking to close the fight when Ruiz whacked him on the right temple with a hook on the inside. It led to the first of four knockdowns before Ruiz earned a stoppage in the seventh round.

McCracken has been criticized in some corners for negatively impacting Joshua’s style, converting the natural puncher into a safety-first boxer in the mold of Wladimir Klitschko. But McCracken, who has been with Joshua throughout his amateur and professional careers, believes the occasion rightfully calls for a bit of caution.

“There can be no fooling around,” McCracken said. “The minute you don’t, you’re open to quick, powerful hooks off these heavyweights. And Ruiz is one of the best.”

McCracken also pointed out that Joshua had some trouble with smaller, quicker heavyweights in the amateur ranks, and Ruiz fits that profile.

“(Joshua has) beaten numerous small, mobile heavyweights, and he’s lost to a couple of them,” McCracken said. “Sometimes fighters are just good. Ruiz has good technical ability. He can measure the distance. Knows how to defend. Got a half-decent jab, good timing and speed.”

McCracken said he respected Ruiz’s ability even before he pulled off the upset. In fact, the trainer admitted that Ruiz was not high on his list of possible opponents to replace Jarrell Miller, who was scheduled to fight Joshua in the summer but tested positive for PEDs.

“I wasn’t keen on Ruiz,” McCracken said. “I much preferred a couple of other opponents.”

Still, McCracken believes his man has the right tools to beat a path to victory – provided he follows the strategy to a tee.

“(Joshua) knows that if he does everything right,” McCracken said, “he’ll win, but there’s no room for error.”