@andy_destroyer13
Andy Ruiz Jr. paid tribute to Black History Month in his first glimpse for weeks but sadly looked far from being in any fighting shape.
Weeks from his last gym update, Ruiz may not be back in action until the summer, judging by his extra timber when punching the heavy bag on Instagram.
It’s a far cry from when Ruiz shocked the world in 2019 when becoming heavyweight champion. Since then, there’s been scarce anything to write home about.
Losing his titles to Anthony Joshua when pushed into a contracted rematch when he wasn’t ready, Ruiz made his comeback in 2021.
A year and a half living the lavish lifestyle he and his family could only dream of before the AJ fight double hasn’t been good for his career.
Dropped by Chris Arreola in his comeback from spending most of the pandemic lockdown going through the motions, Ruiz managed to see through a convincing win.
However, another fight in 2021 was the order of the day. It could have been Deontay Wilder had the American lost his arbitration to fight Tyson Fury. As it turns out, Ruiz got left on the shelf as Premier Boxing Champions, and Al Haymon focused on the trilogy.
Why Haymon didn’t put Ruiz on the undercard is anyone’s guess. This absence leads some to believe he still hasn’t thoroughly cleaned up his out-of-the-ring partying.
Tattoos on his buttocks to displaying his bling and soirées on social media distract from a good fighter who can be up there with the best.
Left out by Fury vs. Wilder and subsequently Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk, Ruiz should be banging on Haymon’s door to get a rematch with Joseph Parker or anyone in the top ten.
ANDY RUIZ JR ELIMINATOR
Ruiz turned down an IBF heavyweight title eliminator with Filip Hrgovic. Well, Eddy Reynoso or Haymon did, citing an injury.
‘The Destroyer’ has been inactive, though. It’s as simple as that. When Andy Ruiz Jr. is in the gym, he updates his fans on social media.
When he’s not, his channels can lie dormant for weeks and lead to worry over his fitness.
If he does announce a fight anytime soon, it surely won’t be until May or June that he trades blows again. This timespan will mark three whole years since he won the title.
In only one fight since then has Ruiz been in any condition to fight and win.
Let’s hope we see Andy Ruiz Jr. getting back to activity real soon. On his day, he can live with any heavyweight in the world. True story.
The views expressed in this article are opinions of Phil Jay.
Phil Jay – Editor of World Boxing News since 2010 with over one billion views. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
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