By Dan Ambrose: Andy Ruiz Jr. is targetting the big dogs at heavyweight, wanting Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and, of course, Deontay Wilder.
The former unified heavyweight champion Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) has been inactive for the last year and wants to get back in action but in a big-money fight against Usyk, Joshua, Wilder, or Fury.
Unfortunately, Ruiz may need to lower his expectations and take another fight to keep busy to keep from sitting out all of 2023. None of the four names that he wants are expected to fight him.
Ruiz has been his own worst enemy by not staying active and pricing himself out for the fights he could have gotten against WBC champion Fury & former champ Wilder.
Andy reportedly asked for $20 million to fight Fury and is said to have asked for a 50-50 split to face Wilder.
Pricing himself out for those matches may have foiled Ruiz’s chances of being used as a replacement opponent for Joshua recently when his originally scheduled foe Dillian Whyte tested positive for a banned substance.
“I would like to face Usyk, I would like to face Tyson Fury, and I would like to face Anthony Joshua. We could do the trilogy,” said Andy Ruiz Jr. to Make a Move about who he wants to face next.
Four years ago, Ruiz lost his IBF, WBA & WBO titles against Joshua in their rematch by failing to train hard for the fight, which was a winnable one for him.
Andy would have come back from that fight and gotten a title shot if he’d stayed busy, but he’s only fought twice since 2019, beating Chris Arreola & Luis Ortiz.
If Ruiz had been a real go-getter, he could have fought eight to twelve times instead of twice in the last four years. When a fighter isn’t motivated to stay busy, they wreck their career, making it harder to receive the paydays they ask for.
Ruiz pushing hard for Wilder fight
“Everyone thinks he’s going to knock me out really quick, but you best believe, this chubby Mexican guy don’t give up. If you drop me, I’m going to get back up, and somehow, someway, I’m going to win the damn fight,” said Ruiz Jr. about fighting Deontay Wilder.
“Because of the money situation. They’re trying to take all the money, literally,” said Ruiz when asked why the Wilder fight hasn’t happened yet. “I just want a fair offer. I don’t want them to lowball me. Everybody tries to lowball the Mexican guys. Not this time.”
Ruiz sounds pitiful, still talking about the Wilder fight because it’s obvious that Deontay has moved on and won’t be facing him. Instead of Ruiz continuing to bang the drum for the fight with Wilder, he needs to volunteer to face these heavyweights:
- Jared Anderson
- Frank Sanchez
- Filip Hrgogic
- Martin Bakol
- Arslanbek Makhmudov
- Efe Ajagba
- Daniel Dubois
- Joseph Parker
“Nobody is going to dis this Butterbean. This Butterbean is going to get what he deserves, and he’s going to win and become champion again,” said Ruiz.
“I’m not training, and I’m not going to waste my time on Wilder. But I did have a dream that I beat him, and that’s exactly why I want to fight him. I’m not trying to be money-hungry or nothing like that. But when they’re trying to pay me the same thing that I won for my last fight [Luis Ortiz], it doesn’t make sense.”
Ruiz has been too inactive to get his asking price for a fight with Wilder, and besides, the interest doesn’t seem high on his part. If Wilder really wanted the Ruiz fight, he’d have already agreed to it.
“Wilder, if he knows that he’s going to beat me up, why not give me what I’m asking for?” said Ruiz. “If you know it’s going to be a quick fight, why not give me what I’m asking for? If he has that much confidence, why not f give me what I’m asking for?
“Wilder, I’m out here training. I don’t even want to put out any more videos because the more videos I do, the less money you’re going to want to pay me because this is the best that I’m looking. I’m hungry. I want you to come and fight me, bro. I’m not scared. Everyone out there is scared.
“Every other person you fight, fights scared against you. Not me,” said Ruiz.
