The former unified heavyweight champion is in advanced talks to face Damian Knyba in Newark after more than two years out of the ring
Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. is in advanced talks to face Damian Knyba on September 4 in Newark, New Jersey. The proposed bout would mark Ruiz’s first fight since his draw with Jarrell Miller and give both heavyweights a chance to rebuild momentum.
The fight would be Ruiz’s first since his majority draw with Jarrell Miller in August 2024. The former unified champion has fought just three times since regaining activity following his 2021 loss to Joseph Parker, with injuries and long layoffs continuing to stall his career.
Knyba (17-1, 11 KOs) suffered the first defeat of his professional career in January when he was stopped in three rounds by Agit Kabayel in a bout for the interim WBC heavyweight title. Before that setback, the 6-foot-7 Polish contender had built an unbeaten record while developing under Top Rank.
The matchup offers both men an opportunity to rebound. Ruiz, 36, is looking to prove he can still compete with ranked heavyweights after years of inactivity, while Knyba will attempt to bounce back immediately from the first loss of his career.
If the deal is finalized, the September 4 contest could help determine which heavyweight remains a factor in a division that continues to evolve following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate three of his world titles.
Ruiz’s career has never regained the momentum created by his upset of Anthony Joshua in June 2019. Despite earning life-changing purses from their two-fight series, he has boxed only sporadically, with inactivity and unsuccessful negotiations for other marquee bouts preventing him from re-establishing himself as a leading heavyweight contender.
Andy Ruiz Jr and Damian Knyba are in advanced talks for a fight on September 4th in Newark, New Jersey sources told The Ring’s @MikeCoppinger. pic.twitter.com/agBE1OB5c3
— InsideRingShow (@InsideRingShow) July 6, 2026