Andy Ruiz Jr. will be back next month for one of his uncommon fights against Jarrell Miller, which will take place on August 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
(Source: Matchroom Boxing)
Former IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) was selected by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh to fight on his stellar card in one of the best events the US has seen in years.
Ruiz will need to show some class if he wins this fight against Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs) and suffers his third defeat. The 36-year-old Up-to-date Yorker Miller is hungry and wants to add Ruiz’s name to his resume so he can fight on the cards of Turka.
Miller needs this win more than millionaire Ruiz, who has earned $10 million from his two fights with Anthony Joshua and additional money from headlining fights with Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz over the past three years.
The dough Ruiz earned for Joshua is likely the reason he hasn’t stayed vigorous. Ruiz no longer has to struggle to make a comfortable living in an exclusive Southern California neighborhood.
Ruiz Jr. vs. Miller will be fought on the undercard of Terence Crawford vs. Israil Marimov on ESPN+ PPV. This is a great opportunity for both heavyweights to get noticed by fans and continue to be added to future events hosted by His Excellency.
“I never predicted a knockout, but if a knockout happens, it happens. I’m just here to win and get the win,” said Andy Ruiz Jr. mediadiscussing his fight with Jarrell Miller on August 3. “All the Mexican fighters are the main guys.
Miller was knocked out in the tenth round by his last opponent, 26-year-old Daniel Dubois, on December 23 last year, but he is a teenage heavyweight who has more power and is in top form compared to the 34-year-old inactive Andy Ruiz.
“We’re all warriors out there, risking our lives to feed our families and fulfill our dreams. Everyone wants to be a world champion. It’s just dedication, discipline and tough work,” Ruiz Jr. continued.
“The mission starts now and I have to continue the legacy that I have. On June 1st, I made history [in 2019] against Anthony Joshua. I made mistakes and I learned. I’ve been through the ups and downs with a lot of rollercoasters in life,” Ruiz said, referring to the struggles he’s faced over the past five years.
Assuming Ruiz Jr. wins against Miller, he needs to focus on fighting three to four times a year if he wants to have a chance to fight one of the popular British fighters, Joshua or Tyson Fury, before they retire. If Ruiz disappears for two years after the Miller fight, Joshua and Fury will likely retire by then, and he will lose his chance.
Ruiz needs to look good beating Miller and then target one of the top contenders, Argit Kabayel or Jared Anderson. If he beats one of those two guys, he’ll be in the top five in the division and could fight for a world title.
“Now it’s also redemption. So I’m super motivated, super excited, and the most vital thing is I’m hungry. I’m hungry to succeed and hungry to become a two-time heavyweight champion of the world,” Ruiz continued.
Ruiz said he was “hungry” after his last fight with Luis Ortiz in September 2022, but he disappeared for two years. I would be surprised if fans see Ruiz back in the ring before 2026.
His Excellency is the only person who cares about Ruiz staying vigorous because he likes to be well paid and he will not let the fans forget about him and stop being a candidate to become a major star.
“It’s open now. It’s an open division now,” Ruiz said when asked about the heavyweight landscape. There are so many heavyweights coming out left and right, and the main guy is Jarrell Miller, before I start calling out other heavyweights.
“I think Jarrell Miller is the biggest challenge in front of me right now. I have to get a win. I have to win this fight. I know it’s really vital for both of us and I believe we’ll get that win,” Ruiz said.
It’s good that Ruiz realizes there’s a chance he loses this fight to Miller, as many fans see him as the underdog in this one. Miller has looked better in his recent fights than Ruiz has in the last five years, and he may need a knockout or a series of knockdowns to win.
“This is the first event that His Excellency Turki has brought here, so I’m really content. I even flew out to talk to him and for him to give me the opportunity to fight here, and that’s exactly what he did,” Ruiz said.
His Excellency Turki must like Ruiz since he uses him in his events. It shows how much of a die-hard boxing fan he is because most fans have forgotten about Ruiz,
“So now I have to focus, train tough and stay busy. I don’t want to fight and then you won’t see me for two years. ‘What happened to Andy?’ But I want to be here for the long haul,” Ruiz said.
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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