Andy Ruiz Jr. CAN become a world champion again

By Boxing News - 03/26/2020 - Comments

By Aragon Garcia: Sergio Mora and Chris Mannix are two of many who believe that Andy Ruiz Jr. can become a heavyweight world champion again with the right trainer and dedication.

Ruiz Jr. (33-2, 22 KOs) is going through a hard period in his professional career having lost his IBF/WBA/WBO titles to Anthony Joshua last December in Suadi Arabia. For that important rematch with Joshua, Ruiz came in overweight at 283 lbs and lacked the speed, mobility, and the conditioning to fight the way he needed.

Ruiz Jr. without a trainer having cut ties with his coach Manny Robles recently, and there’s a possibility that he could add the well-known trainer Teddy Atlas as new cornerman.

One thing that’s working for Ruiz Jr. now is there’s a lull in boxing. No one is fighting now because of the coronavirus, and that potentially give Ruiz Jr. extra time to find a trainer and lose weight.

Andy Ruiz needs to get his hunger back

“Yeah, it seems like forever but we got to know Andy Ruiz, and he wasn’t supposed to be that challenger,” said Sergio Mora to DAZN USA on Ruiz being the replacement for Joshua. “AJ wasn’t mentally ready for Ruiz. The second time around we saw what happened. He outboxed Ruiz.

“And he needs to do exactly what Wilder needs to do. He needs to regroup, get a fight in between, refocus and get that hunger back. That’s easier said than done, especially with a fighter that’s lazy if that’s what you want to call him or maybe eating too many Snickers in between fights, and gaining that much weight.

“He needs to get that confidence back as well and get a fight vs. a fighter like Adam Kownacki, who just suffered his first loss as well. There are so many fighters. Charles Martin, another fighter in the PBC stable. There are fighters, heavyweights, Chris Arreola is another one in the PBC stable.

“These are the type of fighters that are first of all exciting, fans would love to watch them, and they both need a win. The winner of that fight [Ruiz vs. Arreola] would deserve a title shot. But for right now, just on personality, character, and temperament, no. Andy Ruiz Jr. does NOT win another world title,” said Mora.

With a fortune estimated at $10 million, Ruiz Jr. doesn’t have the same hunger than normal non-wealthy fighters have. If Ruiz Jr. is going to get that hunger back, he needs to get away from his home environment. Ruiz has got to tough it without his toys and live the life of a spartan.

Ruiz can win another world title

“I disagree, I think Andy Ruiz is well-positioned to win another world championship with his career right now hitting it’s prime,” said Chris Mannix. “Remember, Andy Ruiz is 30-years-old, and yet, he looked awful against Anthony Joshua. He did not train properly.

“And he let all the trappings of being a heavyweight champion get to him,” Mannix said of Ruiz. “He looked like Rocky Balboa after he beat Apollo Creed. And he let everything kind of ease off and didn’t have that same metaphorical hunger to go out there and fight like a true champion.

“I remember, Sergio, what Ruiz was before his first Joshua fight. He was a guy that went life and death, nip and tuck with Joseph Parker. He just missed out on winning a world title there. And he beat Kevin Johnson, he beat Alexander Dimitrenko by knockout. He was building some momentum and then went into Madison Square Garden and knocked out Anthony Joshua.

“This is a guy that clearly has talent, and has a solid amateur background. He has always shown talent at the professional level, but just not the stuff behind you that backs it up.

“I think he needs to get the right trainer like Teddy Atlas and get himself back in shape. The fact that eventually the heavyweight title will be fragmented once again. Andy Ruiz still has years to win a heavyweight title, so I think, yes. He will win a world championship,” said Mannix.

In Ruiz’s loss to Joshua, he still showed glimpses of the fighter that had beaten him by a 7th round knockout last June. What kept Ruiz from winning was his weight, and him hesitating when attacking Joshua.

Andy needs to string some victories together

“There you go, wanting to change trainers again,” said Mora about Ruiz Jr. “As soon as he suffers a bad loss, do not change trainers. It has nothing to do with his trainer. It had everything to do with inside his mind and inside his wallet. He made $10 million+.

“He went from having no money, insufficient funds to millions of dollars in the bank,” said Mora about Ruiz. “You don’t get that education as a boxer and you don’t get that education as a fighter growing up poor.

“So all that you’ve been fighting for and working for and that finally hits you, and you wouldn’t know anything about that because you grew up with a golden spoon in your mouth, you want to enjoy it.

“You want to enjoy it. You want to go to every party, every red carpet, every music video in his case. Afterward when everything is taken away from you, then you get back to the drawing board and get that hunger back. And that’s what he needs to do.

“You don’t want to go for the big fights right now. You want to string a couple of victories, get that hunger back and show people that you can still use those fast hands, and show people that you can lose some weight. Get in better shape. Not only come in and fight and win. but prove it with your body frame as well,” said Mora.

Ruiz Jr. needs wins over Charles Martin, Chris Arreola or Adam Kownacki to get back into the thick of things.

It looked like Ruiz Jr. was trying to pace himself so that he wouldn’t gas out, and he let Joshua have too much space to land his jabs.

Ruiz can train with Atlas in New York

“It’s called a ‘silver’ spoon, idiot, and I didn’t say he should fire his trainer,” said Mannix about Andy Ruiz Jr. “I said he already DID fire his trainer, so now he needs to gt a new one that maybe be able to motivate him a little bit better.

“Maybe get out of Southern California, and maybe train with Teddy Atlas down in Long Island, and maybe get in Teddy’s gym and get out of your comfort zone and establish yourself. I think Ruiz has the talent to become champion once again,” said Mannix.

“It seems like forever ago that Andy Ruiz was a unified heavyweight champion. he was the belle of the ball last June when he won the three pieces of the heavyweight title off of Anthony Joshua. He lost in the rematch last December, and he came in overweight. And he fired his trainer after that.

“He currently has no trainer at this point, and now he’s out there looking like one of the other heavyweights [Deontay Wilder] in the PBC stable. Will Andy Ruiz win another heavyweight world title?” said Mannix.

Training with Atlas in Staten Island would be good, as long as he’s careful. With the New York now reportedly the epicenter of coronavirus cases, it could potentially be risky for Ruiz to train there right now. If Ruiz Jr. is careful, he can minimize his risks.

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