Dereck Chisora revealed the bad news to Andy Ruiz Jr. last Saturday night that he won’t be getting the trilogy fight against Anthony Joshua that he wants in 2024 and that he’ll have to settle for a rematch with Joseph Parker instead.
Ruiz traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last Saturday, hoping to push for a third fight against Joshua. As Chisora pointed out, Joshua will likely face Filip Hrgovic next for the IBF heavyweight title.
AJ may give Ruiz a rematch one of these days, but it likely won’t happen until his career is about over. When Joshua starts getting beaten repeatedly again, he could look in Ruiz’s direction for a trilogy, but only if Andy is doing well and not sitting inactive.
Right now, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has built him back up with risk-free fights against Otto Wallin, Robert Helenius, and Jermaine Franklin, looking to set him up for a big money match against Tyson Fury or fight for the IBF title against Filip Hrgovic.
Ruiz’s best option for a fight would be against Parker, who is coming off a win last Saturday against Deontay Wilder.
Andy says he’d like to face Parker because he lost a twelve round majority decision against him seven years ago in December 2016 in New Zealand.
That was seen as a hometown decision for Parker, whom Ruiz outworked during the entire fight. The scores were 115-113, and 115-113 for Parker, and 114-114. That was a pretty blatant robbery, and it’s surprising that Parker didn’t take the high road by insisting his promoters set up a rematch.
Ruiz says he’s coming off of a right shoulder surgery, and he won’t be available to fight Parker until May or June of next year.
It would be up to Parker’s management if they want to go in the direction of a rematch with Ruiz because they might be hoping for something bigger against Joshua.
Ruiz hoping Parker wants rematch
“Andy Ruiz, former AJ’s best friend. So, bro. You’re back in Saudi. You and Deontay were meant to happen, but it didn’t happen. He got Joseph Parker. He boxed so s*** that I was disappointed in him. Now, you get to fight Joseph Parker,” said Dereck Chisora to iFL TV, talking to former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. last Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Hopefully, if they want it, I’m down. I was actually praying for Joseph Parker,” said Ruiz about his wanting a rematch with Parker, who defeated him by a controversial twelve round majority decision in December 2016 in New Zealand.
Parker’s promoters are likely to keep him away from Ruiz, knowing that he doesn’t match up well against him. Beating an old, inactive 38-year-old Deontay Wilder was a good victory, but Ruiz isn’t over the hill, and it would be a bad move for Parker’s career. He’d likely end up getting stopped again, like last year when he fought Joe Joyce.
Parker should fight Joyce again, but that’s another match that his promoters likely won’t want to chance it. Joyce thrashed Parker in every round of that fight.
Andy still bitter?
“I wanted him to win. I wanted him to beat the s*** out of Wilder because he was talking s*** to everybody, saying he’s going to knock this and knock this guy out, that guy out. I was super happy with Joseph Parker. He beat me the first time,” said Ruiz.
You can see that Ruiz is still bothered that Deontay wasn’t interested in fighting him recently. That fight would have happened, but Ruiz blew it by asking for a 50-50 split.
In hindsight, if Ruiz had agreed to a smaller cut, he would have been the one that beat Wilder, and that would have greatly improved his chances of getting the trilogy against Joshua. Ruiz shot himself in the foot for pricing himself out for the Wilder fight, and now he’s sitting inactive, waiting & hoping to get a smaller payday against Parker.
“I know it wasn’t a real beat, but he beat me in his hometown. I wouldn’t mind running it back. I just wanted to see if AJ wanted to run it back and get the trilogy, but maybe not,” said Ruiz.
“I will tell you right now. You are not on AJ’s radar. He’s fighting [Filip] Hrgovic right now for the IBF. He wants to be a three-time world champion. Do you understand?” said Chisora. “So, he’s not going to fight you. You’re not on his radar. I’ll be honest with you.
“So even if you look me in the eyes. He’s [Joshua] looking at something else. Nothing is going to happen, but you and Joseph Parker is going to happen now. That’s a fight that I think we should watch in Saudi Arabia next year in February. Would you like it then?” said Chisora.
“In May or June because I got operated on my right shoulder. I got to wait a month or two. You’ve been hitting it a few times, but I’m not saying it,” said Ruiz.
“I’m sorry, I apologize,” said Chisora.
“But I’m a man,” said Ruiz. “May or June, I’ll be ready. I’ll be down. Why not?
