A former unified world heavyweight champion has put himself forward for a clash with Jake Paul following the cancellation of his exhibition with Gervonta Davis.
The 28-year-old former YouTube star was scheduled to face Davis in a ten-round exhibition bout at the Kaseya Center in Miami on November 14, but the fight was scrapped after Davis became the subject of a civil lawsuit regarding domestic allegations.
Paul now finds himself in search of a brand new opponent although the fight date has now been pushed back to December, giving the world-ranked cruiserweight plenty of time to prepare for his new rival.
Whilst there have been a number of fighters that have expressed an interest in facing ‘The Problem Child’ in December, another man who appears to be keen on replacing Davis is former unified WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr, who famously defeated Anthony Joshua back in 2019.
In a recent interview with Covers, Ruiz named himself when asked who he would like to see Paul next, before claiming that it would take him just ‘four rounds’ to defeat Paul.
“I think I would like for him to fight me … I think I would like to see him fight a tough fighter – somebody that’s on his level and in the same weight class.
“I think [it would last] like four rounds. I think I would be pressuring him, hitting him in the body, feinting, throwing my combinations. I think four rounds.”
Ruiz is currently preparing to make his long-awaited return to the ring, over one year on from his last bout which came against countryman Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller.
The 36-year-old from California sustained an injury to his right hand when he fought to a draw against Miller in August 2024, although it is being reported that the former unified heavyweight champion will make a comeback in the early stages of 2026.
