After a 15-month hiatus, Andy Ruiz Jr. expressed his desire for a lucrative fight against either Anthony Joshua or Joseph Parker, both of whom he has previously defeated. He seeks to avenge his losses and secure significant paydays.
The former unified heavyweight champion watched Joshua’s recent victory over Otto Wallin and believes that, had he been in better shape, he would have posed a challenge to Joshua. However, Ruiz feels that his period of inactivity has negatively impacted his career.
Ruiz, aged 34, has had only two matches since his loss to Joshua in December 2019. He recognizes that he is no longer part of the conversation among top fighters and is currently enjoying the financial rewards of his previous bouts with Joshua.
Ruiz expressed regret for not being able to secure a trilogy fight with Joshua and believes that his recent opponents, Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz, were not the right choices to pave the way for such a matchup.
It is unclear whether Ruiz mistakenly assumed that Eddie Hearn would arrange a trilogy bout with Joshua against aging fighters. It is evident that an error was made by Ruiz or his management in allowing him to be overlooked by Joshua, and winning against top contenders is deemed necessary to rectify this.
Ruiz’s best option might be to pursue a fight with Joseph Parker, as there may not be viable opponents for him after defeating Wilder.
Ruiz is not considering competing on March 9th against Joshua, as he believes it would not be a viable PPV selling match. Additionally, he expressed reluctance to face Joe Joyce or Jirayi Zhang, speculating that they would defeat him.
Ruiz wants a trilogy with Joshua
Commenting on Anthony Joshua’s recent win over Otto Wallin, Ruiz expressed disappointment, noting that Wallin lacked the strategy and skill required to challenge Joshua. He wishes that the opportunity to challenge Joshua had been given to an opponent with a similar fighting spirit to his own.
Ruiz also expressed his desire for a trilogy with Joshua and congratulated Joseph Parker on his victory against Deontay Wilder. He admitted that he had hoped Parker would emerge victorious and lamented not having the chance to defeat Wilder himself, attributing Wilder’s defeat to his sluggish performance.
If Ruiz wishes to compete against Joshua or Parker, he would have to face heavyweights, including Zhang Zhilei, Ajit Kabayer, martin bacall, Frank Sanchez, and Bahodir Jarolov. He emphasized the importance of staying humble and respectful towards fellow fighters, deeming any opponent as a potential threat.
Asked about his upcoming fights, Ruiz hopes to compete in the following year and expressed concern about the lack of scheduled opponents, having been out of the ring for nearly a year and a half. With such significant inactivity, retirement may be a better option for Ruiz.
Regarding an upcoming match between Usyk and Fury, Ruiz shared his predictions and emphasized the importance of a boxer’s strategy in securing victory.
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