By Dan Ambrose: Andy Ruiz’s old trainer Abel Sanchez says it was hard to work with him because of his “laziness” and he feels that his new trainer Eddy Reynoso will need to keep him in the gym if he wants to have success.
The way Sanchez talks, it doesn’t sound too promising for Ruiz’s new trainer Reynoso, who could be inheriting a major problem child.ย With Ruiz’s track record, he probably should have stayed with his last trainer Manny Robles and saved himself the attention that he’ll receive if things don’t work out with Reynoso.
Ruiz has already had two great coaches, and he didn’t stick with either one. It’s not likely that Ruiz will stay with Reynoso either, especially if he uses the tough love approach to coaching him.
Is Reynoso doomed for failure?
After all, Reynoso trains Canelo Alvarez, Oscar Valdez, Luis Nery, and Ryan Garcia. Those are all serious fighters that work hard in camp. Ruiz will stick out like a sore thumb if he starts half-stepping it through training camp, and blowing off sessions with Reynoso.
Considering that this is Ruiz’s THIRD trainer, it doesn’t bode well for Reynoso because a tiger can change his stripes. It would be a good idea for Reynoso to let Ruiz know that he won’t put up with his shenanigans for long before he pulls the plug on this experiment.
Ruiz’s new trainer Reynoso is believed by some as the perfect guy to help him return him to championship status. However, given Ruiz’s checkered past, he’ll likely well initially with Reynoso before he returns to his old ways.
Sanchez coached Ruiz before he switched to Manny Robles, who he recently dumped following his loss to Anthony Joshua last December.
Like Robles, Sanchez noted a lack of “desire” in Ruiz’s training, and that was difficult for him. Sanchez states that he doesn’t want to be a “babysitter” for fighters.
“I’m not there to babysit, I am there to coach and develop you if you are willing to listen. You can’t develop someone who doesn’t want to try anything,” said Ruiz’s old trainer Abel Sanchez to Sky Sports.
“Eddy Reynoso must keep him in the gym, make him work, and get rid of the baggage around him (Ruiz’s Entourage). Andy must listen. Eddy is a heck of a coach, one of the best in boxing right now.”
Reynoso might soon be regretting accepting the job as Ruiz’s new trainer. Right now, Reynoso is likely expecting to see the same Ruiz that upset Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) last June with his 7th round knockout. However, the chances are high that we’ll instead see the Ruiz that Joshua beat with ease in their rematch last December in Saudi Arabia.
Is Reynoso doomed for failure?
“It was difficult for me because I don’t like laziness. We work too hard. I have too many people here working their butts off,” said Sanchez in talking about his days as Ruiz’s trainer. “To have one person get away with things that nobody else can? That’s not proper.
“He lacks in desire, and he doesn’t want to do things. He finds an excuse not to do something. That’s a shame because he could do great things,” said Sanchez of Ruiz.
If anything, it’s going to be more difficult than ever for a trainer to control Ruiz, seeing that he’s made a TON of money from his two fights with Joshua. Ruiz is now a millionaire, and he doesn’t need to box another day in his life.
With the millions that Ruiz made from the AJ fight bouts, he’s financially set. While some fighters are able to stay motivated after they attain immense wealth, Ruiz hasn’t shown that he’s that same type of guy.
That may prove to be difficult to keep former IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) in the gym with no boxing ging on due to the pandemic.
