A fight between Deontay Wilder and stablemate Andy Ruiz Jr. is off the table for the time being as both heavyweights prepare for comebacks.
Wilder is on the verge of confirming his return from two defeats against Tyson Fury. On the other hand, Ruiz is attempting to stave off further stagnation of his career.
Since defeating Anthony Joshua for the top division crown in 2019, the Mexican-American has competed only twice in those three years. A combination of celebrating his victory and an unstable environment contributed to the Ruiz delay.
As his tenure threatens to halt entirely, Ruiz announced that he would battle former Wilder rival Luis Ortiz on September 4th.
Andy Ruiz confirmó que su regreso es el 4 de septiembre ante @kingkongboxing pic.twitter.com/nSUY9a0WtB
— Erika Montoya (@LaKiks) June 18, 2022
Wilder vs. Ruiz Jr.
The Premier Boxing Champions event, which looks set to be on Pay Per View, would lead Ruiz to Wilder if he can fend off the advances of the aged Cuban.
Ortiz faced Wilder twice in recent years. On both occasions, he lost when up on the scorecards.
Wilder’s superior ability to detonate one-punch knockouts meant Ortiz could not wrestle away the World Boxing Council championship.
If Ortiz can turn the tables on his fortunes and beat Ruiz, who knows whether Wilder would be up for a trilogy with “King Kong” at the back end of the year?
Regarding who Deontay Wilder may warm up against, the smart money is on Robert Helenius or Adam Kownacki. If chosen, either could happen at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Frank Sanchez is also a consideration, while Otto Wallin could be an outsider away from the PBC stable.
PBC will release further information regarding Ruiz vs. Ortiz in the coming days.
It means Wilder vs. Ruiz cannot happen until at least December, but more likely in early 2023.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
