ANDY RUIZ JR aims to use his victory over Jarrell Miller as a springboard to get himself back into contention for the world heavyweight championship.
It's been nearly four years since the Mexican-American boxer shocked the sports world by defeating Anthony Joshua in an epic night at Madison Square Garden. Ruiz replaced his original opponent Miller after he tested positive for a banned substance.
Joshua and Ruiz continued their shootout in the ring with the smaller heavyweight prevailing in the seventh minute of stoppage after four knockdowns between the pair. Ruiz's reign lasted six months, however, as the Briton used a safety-first approach to beat the champion and reclaim his three world titles.
The career of Ruiz, 35-2 (22), has since been dormant, to say the least. The two battles since his second defeat had left him in no man's land. Wins over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz, both on points, failed to jump-start any ambitions.
On August 3, Ruiz and Miller would put their friendship aside, knowing that defeat for both would be disastrous. The Riyadh Season Arena card is titled Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov on an undercard that features the talents of David Morrell, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, Andy Cruz and the intriguing prospect of Tim Tszyu vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Today's launch press conference was held at Gotham Hall in New York, where Boxing news spoke with Ruiz, 34, about facing Miller.
“There were no hard feelings, no bullshit,” he said. “We are friends outside the ring but inside it's all just business. Basically, he will become [my] enemies when we are in the ring. We're going to flip that switch. This will be an interesting fight.
“He's a big guy, coming forward, he keeps throwing but I think with my combinations, my speed, my movement, my feints, everything I'm going to do is going to be too much. strength for him.”
Ruiz, who lost to Joseph Parker in their WBO title fight in New Zealand in 2016, believes another win in addition to beating Miller could put him back in the running to face the division's best Again.
“First, I have to ensure victory,” he said. “Just have to climb the ladder again. I'm not saying I'm too far away from that, but I only have to play two matches. I also want to fight Joseph Parker.
“After doing these fights to get some momentum back, I want to fight Joseph Parker, Wilder and Joshua. All of them. I just need to get back there.”
