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Home » Heavyweights beware the return of a humbled, dangerous Andy Ruiz Jr.

Heavyweights beware the return of a humbled, dangerous Andy Ruiz Jr.

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Andy Ruiz Jr. had lost twenty pounds before Christmas as the ex-heavyweight champion of the world plots a return to the big time alongside Canelo Alvarez.

Joining Team Canelo to work with Eddy Reynoso is a masterstroke for Ruiz. Training with the pound-for-pound king and his respected coach.

It’s no secret that Ruiz needs discipline. There’s nobody with more drive in the sport than Canelo.

As Ruiz nears an official confirmation of his return to action, the top division will have to sit and take notice of a fully fit ex-unified ruler.

The weight being the biggest hindrance to Ruiz’s success is the most-talked-about subject surrounding Mexico’s first-ever heavyweight champion.

The trouble is, Ruiz was already massively overweight when he shocked Anthony Joshua in June 2019. Ruiz was called up late to the party following drug-test drama involving Jarrell Miller.

When the five-week offer presented itself, Ruiz had over six kilos of flubber he doesn’t usually carry into the ring. He got rid of some, but not all.

Andy Ruiz Jr.
Ed Mulholland

When he entered Madison Square Garden that night, Ruiz was at least fifteen pounds overweight. He still managed to batter Joshua into a seventh-round submission.

Therefore, what could Ruiz do if he gets back down to a fighting shape around the 250-pound mark? – With his fast hands, Ruiz could be a problem for anyone in the division.

ANDY RUIZ JR. FUTURE

Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, and a rematch with Joshua are all in the pipeline after 2022. After which, the undisputed crown will almost certainly fragment.

If he can win two or three big fights over the next eighteen months, Ruiz will firmly be in the frame. Reynoso will aim to keep his feet on the ground to make that possible.

What he needs now, though, is a date and something to keep him focused. Al Haymon will undoubtedly be working on that.

We can expect the usual Premier Boxing Champions announcement for the first six months of the year over the next few days unless something has drastically changed.

That will include returns for all the major PBC stars on FOX and Showtime, potentially sparking a build-up to Ruiz eventually battling Wilder in a world title eliminator.

Humbled since the Joshua loss, everyone at 200 pounds plus needs to beware of the wounded animal Andy Ruiz Jr.

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