Deontay Wilder facing Andy Ruiz Jr. in Las Vegas this spring got more complicated this week as reports surged on Canelo Alvarez’s return.
Despite initially giving up his regular Cinco de Mayo date due to injury, Canelo has made a massive u-turn and since wants to fight on home soil.
Should Canelo choose to face Briton John Ryder on May 6 in his hometown of Jalisco, that move puts huge doubt on Wilder vs Ruiz.
Due to a Pay Per View clash, it could prove impossible to simultaneously stage Canelo vs Ryder and Wilder vs Ruiz.
Premier Boxing Champion boss Al Haymon will be seething. The Vegas date is already booked with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
When securing the calendar mark, it was assumed that Canelo was out of the picture. He previously confirmed that he won’t return until September.
Deontay Wilder vs Andy Ruiz Jr. date
The former pound-for-pound king has thrown a spanner into already delayed talks between Wilder and Ruiz. It’s no secret that Wilder has threatened to explore other options unless a date gets announced soon.
Wilder may have to look at the week before Canelo on the famous strip. Either that or move his event to New York or Los Angeles.
But having faced a long wait, the whole debacle won’t please fans awaiting news of the heavyweight title eliminator.
The pair earned their spots with victories over Luis Ortiz [Ruiz] and Robert Helenius [Wilder adding to his knockouts] in September and October, respectively. Four long months have passed since with no word on when or where Wilder and Ruiz will collide.
With Ruiz’s track record of easing off in the gym, further delay will only jeopardize the Wilder fight’s completion.
Ruiz has one fight left on his contract with PBC. Therefore, Haymon will not want to risk the most lucrative top-division battle outside of the titles falling apart.
Cinco de Mayo
Staging Wilder vs Ruiz on Cinco de Mayo in Las Vegas made the most sense with Canelo out of action. Mexican fans descend on Nevada in their droves whenever one of their own is headlining the date.
Initially, Haymon wanted Wilder vs Ruiz on March 25. But when the constant blockages kept popping up, the promoter opted to put David Benavidez vs Caleb Plant into that slot.
Wilder vs Ruiz not taking place on that initial date now looks to have blown up in both their faces. With either further holdup expected or a complete rethink of the whole event.
With Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk already dragging its heels and Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia a mess, the boxing fraternity isn’t catching any breaks.
Currently, only two of the top six heavyweights in the world have a date in the first six months of this year’s schedule. They are Wilder’s rival Anthony Joshua and fellow UK puncher Joe Joyce.
Boxing fans continue to hold their breath.
