By Max Seitelman: Andy Ruiz Jr is looking great in training in taking off weight working out on his own during the lockdown in preparing to get ready for when he starts camp.
It’s a surprise how much weight that the former heavyweight world champion Ruiz Jr (33-2, 22 KOs) has taken off with his home workouts. This is a good sign for Ruiz when he does eventually fight again.
At least now, Ruiz is in the kind of shape to where he won’t get beaten because he’s out of shape. If Andy loses soon, it’s because he’s fought someone better than him.
Andy Jr looks like he’s getting near 250 pounds if he isn’t there already, and that’s where he needs to be for him to have the mobility to win. In the first fight with Joshua, Ruiz weighed in the 260s, but he was still able to get to him to throw combinations.
In the rematch last December, Ruiz didn’t train hard and weighed 283 lbs, and had no way of winning. If Joshua had been stationary, then it’s possible that Ruiz could have won.
Ruiz can’t afford another loss
Andy Jr wants a third bout with Joshua, and he’s also interested in facing Tyson Fury, the WBC champion. Neither of those contests will be possible if Ruiz takes another defeat like the one he just suffered.
The way Ruiz looks now, he’s in better shape than his last fight against Anthony Joshua in December. He took it to heart all the ridicule and abuse he’s received since losing his IBF/WBA/WBO titles to Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) in Saudi Arabia.
The fans won’t have climbed all over the 30-year-old Ruiz if he’s come into the rematch with Joshua in excellent shape, and ready to give it 100% on the night. Andy Jr failed to do that, and subsequently, he was dominated by Joshua.
Had Ruiz Jr been in the condition he’s in now, Joshua would have had a tougher time using his Wladimir Klitschko style of defensive boxing to beat him. Ruiz was carrying too much weight for him to get to Joshua and throw combinations that he did in the first fight.
Joshua thinks he’s created a blueprint in how to beat Ruiz, and it’s up to him to prove AJ wrong.
This is what Ruiz Jr can expect from his all of his opponents:
- Constant circular movement
- Jabbing
- Tying up when he gets near
- Throwing one punch at a time
- Sticking left arm out in front to keep Ruiz from getting in close. This is an illegal tactic, but Joshua got away with it against Andy
Eyes on the prize, I’m coming back strong 💯🇲🇽💪 #teamdestroyer pic.twitter.com/ThiwfjSCci
— AndyRuizjr (@Andy_destroyer1) June 20, 2020
Possible opponents for Ruiz
It’s vital that Ruiz pick good top 10 contenders for him to fight so that he can get a title shot against Joshua or Fury. Those two are going to ignore Ruiz until he proves he can beat someone good in the division.
There would be too much criticism coming from fans if Fury or Joshua fought Ruiz until he shows that he can get serious about his weight and conditioning. Ruiz got the title shot against Joshua, given to him last time off of a victory over a weak opponent in Alexander Dimitrenko.
To get another big fight, Ruiz will need to do a lot better than Dimitrenko because that would be a weak move.
These are some guys that Ruiz needs to consider fighting:
- Luis Ortiz
- Joe Joyce
- Daniel Dubois
- Filio Hrgovic
- Dillian Whyte
- Charles Martin
- Michael Hunter