Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. has claimed WWE offered him the chance to have a run in the company BEFORE Tyson Fury’s services were secured.
Ruiz says the offer came in June when Fury was in preparations to make his Las Vegas debut against Tom Schwarz.
Explaining what happened, the Mexican-American said WWE wanted him after his win over Anthony Joshua on June 1st.
Andy Ruiz Jr on Tyson Fury
“They invited me to go a while back when I won the title. They invited be to go over there and check it out,” Ruiz told ESPN Deportes.
‘But you know what, boxing is my life so this is the only thing I know how to do besides being with my family.
‘I’m going to stick to boxing and accomplish more. Maybe down the line we’ll look for something else to do.”
Meanwhile, Deontay Wilder has once again made moves to set-up a massive undisputed unification.
Provided the pair come through Joshua and Luis Ortiz this year, Wilder believes it’s the biggest fight around.
“The Ruiz Jr fight is even huger,” WBC title holder Wilder stated. “Whoever wins is going to be a big fight.
“But the biggest fight is me and Ruiz Jr because of his Hispanic background, and he’s American, so he has both sides.
“Becoming the first Mexican heavyweight champion is huge because they’ve never had that before. A lot of people who weren’t alert on him, they are now.
“It’s bigger than what Joshua could ever be.”
OLYMPICS
Ruiz recently risked a two-year ban with the WBC after revealing his desire to fight at the Olympics. Something the 30 year-old has now backtracked on.
“No, it is not for me the Olympic Games, as professional boxing is where I am. I prefer to give an opportunity to youngsters who have that dream of going to the Olympic Games,” he told ESPN.
“My time as an amateur ended long ago. All my family is Mexican. I fought for Mexico, I fought for Mexicali many times.
“I could not get to the Beijing Olympics but I always represented my Mexico with all my heart!”
‘The Destroyer’ has thrown his weight behind the World Boxing Council bid to ban professional boxers from the Olympic Games in 2020.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has begun a campaign involving several high-profile figures from the sport.
On the back of Canelo doing likewise, Ruiz backed the WBC initiative.
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