A former unified heavyweight champion is set to make his return to the ring later this year.
Not all fighters are able to deal well with the pressure of being a world champion. Some struggle to stay motivated and get back in the gym after achieving their dreams and, in some cases, winning huge amounts of money that sets them up for life.
That was certainly the case with Andy Ruiz Jr, the first-ever Mexican-American world heavyweight champion.
He picked up three of the four major belts when he scored an upset victory over Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden back in June 2019 as a late stand-in opponent after Jarrell Miller failed a drug test in the weeks leading up to the fight.
Ruiz enjoyed his win and failed to prepare properly for the rematch in December of the same year and, after coming in overweight, was soundly beaten on points over 12 rounds.
Since then he has fought just three times in six years, securing two points wins over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz and then a majority draw with Miller last time out in August 2024. Many felt that Miller did enough to win and that Ruiz, who started fast but lost momentum as the rounds went on, was extremely lucky to score the draw.
Ruiz would reveal he had suffered a broken hand early in the contest and has been recovering ever since, but has now been told he is clear to fight again.
“Just got the green light from the doctor. Let’s go I’m ready to fight, who should I fight next year?”
The heavyweight division is as active as it has been for years so presents plenty of options for Ruiz should he be able to work his way back into contention. He may look for a rematch with Miller, who is set to face Fabio Wardley this summer in the UK.
Ruiz could also be matched-up with the likes of Jared Anderson, or look to fast track himself to a world title shot by challenging highly-ranked heavyweight Agit Kabayel.
