Connect with us

Boxing

The long-awaited return of Andy Ruiz Jr.

Published

on

Andy Ruiz

ANDY Ruiz Jr will return to the ring on August 3rd against Jarrell Miller after nearly two years of inactivity. Before the fight was announced, there were questions about whether Ruiz would fight again. While Turki Alalshikh has established his authority by producing a production line of phenomenal heavyweight fights, Ruiz has been nowhere to be seen.

In addition to the undisputed Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight, heavyweight fights like Frank Sanchez vs. Agit Kabayel, Joseph Parker vs. Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou represented a modern era in boxing. An era where the best of the huge boys regularly fought each other, either in the main event or as part of a loaded preliminary card.

With unbeaten records, interim world titles on the line, and life-changing prize money, there has probably never been a better time to stay energetic. His Excellency is well on his way to monopolizing the sport, uniting rival promoters while he sits atop the stage and watches the entertainment like an emperor in the Roman Coliseum.

One can only wonder, though, where Ruiz has been since this metamorphosis of boxing began. It’s been more than five years since “The Destroyer” shattered fans’ sense of reality when he knocked out Anthony Joshua (see below) to become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion of all time. And it’s been almost five years since Ruiz relinquished his status as unified heavyweight champion of the world in a rematch with Joshua in Saudi Arabia.

His upcoming fight with Miller will be the first time Ruiz has returned to the Middle East since that tragic defeat. It’s as if the ghost of that defeat has kept Ruiz at bay, fearing a repeat. One that could spell the end of a very successful career. But with his sights set on becoming a two-time world champion, Ruiz has decided to face his demons.

In a recent interview with Chris Mannix, Ruiz admitted to having issues with discipline. He candidly confessed that he loved the party life after beating Joshua. It’s a habit that’s not uncommon for elite boxers, especially once they achieve their ultimate goal and the gold medal syndrome sets in, in addition to the often momentary adulation from those around them that would demotivate most.

What’s more, your life outside the ring is more perceptible when you have a physique like Ruiz’s, which has been the talk of the town since he made his pro debut in 2009. The average boxing fan would dismiss Ruiz until they saw him in the ring and appreciated his lightning-fast hands, exceptional counter-punching skills with his front foot, and his ability to deliver devastating knockouts.

In 2021, Ruiz decided to drop a few pounds. He weighed 256 pounds against Chris Arreola, almost 30 pounds less than in the rematch with Joshua. However, Ruiz’s punch resistance seemed to suffer due to the weight loss, and he was dropped in the second round before rebounding to win a points decision.

The mediocre performance proved to be the validation Ruiz needed to stop cutting weight, and in his last fight against Luis Ortiz in September 2022, he came in at 268 and three-quarter pounds. Ruiz knocked Ortiz down twice, but the victory was narrow, with scores of 114-111, 113-112, and 114-111 in his favor.

Miller, however, is expected to be the first opponent to have a significant weight advantage over Ruiz. “Gigantic Baby” came in at 333 pounds when he fought Daniel Dubois, and it’s likely he’ll top 300 again. Despite being stopped by Dubois, Miller’s work rate was impressive for a man his size, and the question remains how Ruiz will handle the pressure.

Daniel Dubois breaks the will of Jarrell Miller during their heavyweight fight at the Kingdom Arena on December 23, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Indeed, Ruiz’s return is another opportunity to turn his career around. Ruiz, now 34 and turning 35 in September, has already made history by becoming the first Mexican heavyweight champion. Although some argue that he has yet to reach his full potential for the talent he possesses, a dominant win over Miller could be the catalyst Ruiz needs to return to heavyweight.

With Turki in the mix, there’s no shortage of lucrative fights on the horizon, including a potential rematch with Joseph Parker. But Ruiz needs to show he’s still motivated to get back on top.

History has shown that heavyweights tend to stay in peak condition for longer than lightweights, and many legends have continued to compete at a high level into their 30s and even 40s. However, there comes a point where ring rust and biology take their toll.

The bookmakers are heavily favoring Ruiz to fight Miller. But when the bell rings in the first round, the boxing world will officially know whether they are welcoming back a prodigal son who went astray but belongs in the heavyweight elite. Or a shell of a fighter. Someone whose best days are behind him.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Tyson’s conqueror, Danny Williams, was “never considered” for Morrison

Published

on

Kenzie Morrison Danny Williams

World Boxing News has learned that Danny Williams was never considered for a fight against Tommy Morrison’s son Kenzie on November 9.

WBN has learned from a source that Williams was scheduled to face Morrison next month when he returns to action at Firelake Arena in Shawnee. However, promoter Tony Holden confirmed what WBN initially reported, namely that Williams had been offered for the fight.

BoxRec also briefly placed Williams within Morrison’s record on November 9, before removing the former British champion. Williams famously knocked out Mike Tyson in 2004, but has since lived off his victory despite losing his British license more than a decade ago.

Holden, who represents Morrison and is looking for an opponent for the competition in three weeks, explained the situation exclusively to WBN.

“I never confirmed William’s story and I never considered him,” Holden said. “I said no when a local promoter suggested it.”

Williams, 51, last fought in August 202, losing for the 33rd time in his career. With 88 professional fights under his belt, Williams seems unable to turn down a payday despite his advanced age.

Morrison, a power puncher who has stopped 19 of his 21 wins, will look for his next conquest elsewhere. The fight with Mike Balogun remains on the table for 2025 after it was postponed from its original October date.

Balogun, who knocked out Kenzi’s brother Trey in the first round, claimed Morrison was pulled from the fight to spare him the loss.

Holden denies this view.

“Even though this post isn’t up to my standards, I’m going to write it anyway. Mike Balogun falsely claimed that I pulled Kenzie Morrison out of the fight because I was afraid he would lose. Please allow me to correct you, Mr. Balogun,” he stated.

“The decision was not made by Kenzie. Let’s raise the stakes and make it fascinating. If you emerge victorious this month, Kenzie will fight in November.

“We may decide this early next year. If your confidence remains unshaken, we can place a significant bet. Watch Kenzie take revenge on her brother and end your career.

Balogun, a former San Francisco 49ers linebacker, responded to Holden by increasing his salary for a potential collision next year.

“No matter how fair and honorable your decision was, just remember that ‘yesterday’s price is not today’s price,’” said the 2010 undrafted pick.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Andrew Moloney is confident that if given the chance, he would have beaten Phumelele Cafu and Kosei Tanaka

Published

on

Andrew Moloney (left) attacks Pedro Guevara – photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Few people were more disappointed than Andrew Moloney when Kosei Tanaka lost his WBO super flyweight belt to Phumelele Cafu at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Monday night.

The 33-year-old Australian veteran was hoping to get a shot at beating Tanaka in the lucrative Japanese market.

Those dreams were dashed when South Africa’s Cafu delivered the performance of his life, knocking out Tanaka in the fifth round and finishing the fight strongly, beating the four-weight world champion by split decision.

“The plan was to target the WBO and really chase the Tanaka fight, but it all fell apart on Monday night,” Moloney (26-4-1NC, 16 KO) told The Ring. “I think the WBO is probably still the direction we go, but I’m not sure if they have a rematch clause or if Tanaka will take it. But after watching the fight yesterday, I would be really confident that I could fight one of these guys and win. We would like to follow this path.

“I would love to fight Tanaka in Japan as a four-division world champion. He’s definitely someone I’ve looked up to and wanted to fight for a long time.

“Last night was a little hard to watch. The way he performed, I’m more confident than ever that I have what it takes to beat Tanaka.

I assume there will be a rematch and I hope that Tanaka will regain the belt and I will be able to return to the ring and climb the rankings, and maybe this fight will still happen.

Tanaka entered Moloney’s orbit four years ago when he debuted at 115 pounds. Earlier this year, it looked like they were also on a collision course, with Moloney being number one in the WBO rankings. However, when an offer was made for the vacant IBF lightweight title fight between Vasily Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr. in May in Perth, Western Australia, Moloney felt he couldn’t turn her down.

This decision ended in disaster. Moloney faced Carlos Cuadras, who withdrew from the fight with a ruptured Achilles tendon and was replaced by Pedro Guevara. Moloney entered the fight with a torn bicep and was largely reduced to boxing with one hand, which circumscribed his punching power.

Still, Moloney felt he did more than enough to win, and was shocked when Guevara was declared the winner by split decision. He was so disappointed that he announced immediately after the fight that he was leaving the ring, but a few days later he withdrew these comments.

It was a breakthrough moment in his career.

“Looking back, it’s a wonderful thing, but watching the Tanaka-Cafu fight made me think that maybe I would do a lot of things if I could turn back time a little bit,” Moloney explained.

“Before my last fight, I was number one in the WBO rankings and I rejected the option of waiting to fight Tanaka. But the opportunity arose to fight Guevara in Australia for the interim WBC title on a major card, and to be candid, I kind of regretted that the Tanaka fight was hanging in the balance, but ultimately we decided to stay busy and take the opportunity to fight in Australia.

“Also, the injury before the fight was another thing I thought about: will I undergo surgery, keep the top spot and wait for Tanaka, but I made the decision to go ahead with the fight with Guevara. Looking back now, maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. And looking at the way Tanaka fought last night, I thought maybe I should have waited. I’m sure I could beat Tanaka and take the belt away from him.

“So I take some consolation, but unfortunately you can’t turn back time.”

It’s been a frustrating year for Moloney, but he’s still hitting the gym and his team is working to get him another fight. The window of opportunity to box again this year is closing quickly, but he still hopes to return to the ring in December, most likely in his native Australia.

“I really hope so,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been working on. I have been training strenuous at the gym for some time, quite a few months. I hope to return before the end of the year.

“At this stage it will probably be December. I’m trying to block something, but so far no luck. I’m still training away as if the fight was to take place in December, the team is currently working on it and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to finish it.

“I just hope we can get out before the end of the year, get back into the winner’s circle and start climbing the rankings again.”

Moloney, who fought at bantamweight for the first three years of his professional career before dropping down to super flyweight, surprisingly, said he would even consider moving up to another weight class given the right opportunity.

“It’s a tough time in the super flyweight division,” said Moloney, the eighth challenger to The Ring’s 115-pound title. “There’s a lot going on and it’s always strenuous to plan which route to take because everything changes so quickly. I’d pick Bam Rodriguez to beat Guevara, then there’s talk of a rematch between Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez on Up-to-date Year’s Eve. And then there’s talk of Bama, if they win, fighting the winner of that game in unification. The WBO seems to me the fastest way to win the title, so that’s the path we will follow.

“We have also rejected for some time the idea of ​​moving up to flyweight and getting crack there. There’s also some engaging scene going on there right now, but it’s still uncertain. I’d probably feel a little better at super flyweight, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Cafu and Tanaka, but like I said, I’d feel comfortable and confident against either of them, so hopefully he can make it it will happen sooner rather than later.”

Continue Reading

Boxing

Doubts that fuel 19-year-old Benjamin Johnson

Published

on

Despite an impressive amateur resume, welterweight Benjamin Johnson of Springdale, Maryland, enters the professional ring with a shoulder injury.

Johnson will face Kevin Pantoja in a four-round fight at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Maryland, promoted by his trainer Lamont Roach Snr’s NoXcuses Promotions. The fight will be broadcast on Saturday on ProBox TV.

Johnson, 1-0 (1 KO), spent just 2:23 in the ring in his professional debut, displaying the quick, aggressive hands that won him multiple national titles. However, 19-year-old Johnson feels an advantage, believing he is being overlooked by his NoXcuses Boxing Gym teammates.

Pantoja, 1-1, 27, has never stopped being a professional – Johnson aims to change that.

“People underestimate me,” Johnson said. “It’s been like that since I was an amateur.”

He added that this underestimation increases his motivation in the gym. Johnson is determined to prove his worth not only to himself, but also to those who doubt him or, worse, don’t recognize him. “I never felt like I was recognized as that guy, so I feel like I’m underappreciated,” Johnson said of his amateur and now professional career.

Johnson sees the fight as a key step in his career, compared to feared forward David Benavidez by some teammates and touted by others as one of the most ready-to-fight prospects in the country.

“I train as much as I can,” Johnson said. “It’s about making a statement. The way you win shows people what you’re capable of, and I’m ready to show my best.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending