Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. inadvertently dismissed Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in a recent interview regarding his future.
Discussing the possibility of fighting for the undisputed crown, Ruiz Jr. pointed to a massive battle with stablemate Deontay Wilder.
Ruiz must get past Joshua for a second time on December 7. Wilder first has to defeat Luis Ortiz and then Fury in back-to-back rematches.
That didn’t stop Ruiz, whether mistakenly or not, expecting Wilder to be the one in the opposite corner for all the belts.
Andy Ruiz Jr vs Deontay Wilder
“I don’t want to look past Anthony Joshua,” said Ruiz, according to Spire FM. “My eyes are on the prize with him.
“So after I win that fight, I can fight Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury. We’re on the same team, so that will be good.”
The key phrase Ruiz stated was ‘were in the same team’ – which certainly isn’t the case with Fury.
Only Wilder is assigned to the same stable under Al Haymon, meaning Ruiz is ultimately aiming for an in-house encounter with Wilder.
Mexico’s first-ever top division title holder aims high for a shock win over ‘AJ’ in New York. But faces a daunting challenge in Saudi Arabia.
The 30-year-old, as will Joshua, will be far from home when the pair collide with Ruiz, who is hell-bent on eventually winning every strap on offer.
“Of course, I’m just missing one belt. One belt to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
“That’s the goal, but I don’t want to look past Anthony Joshua. I want to defeat him one more time.
“There’s a lot of critics saying that it’s a lucky shot, that I’m going to lose. I’m using all the negative energy to positive energy, so we’re going to win,” concluded the IBF, IBO, WBO, and WBA ruler.
SUMMER
Wilder is set to make a formal announcement on his clash with Ortiz next week. At the same time, Fury II is penciled in for February 22, 2020.
Any future Ruiz vs. Wilder unification will be on the cards for around June or July, potentially in New York or Las Vegas.
It all depends on how well Fury heals from severe cuts when defeating Otto Wallin last weekend.
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