Via Robert Segal: Undisputed former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr will return to the ring after 16 months of layoffs to face Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz on FOX pay-per-view on September 4, Labor Day at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.
Two-time world title challenger Ortiz (33-2, 28 KOs) struggled in his final match, having to leave the ring twice to rally for a sixth round knockout win. in front of the former IBF champion Charles Martin previous January.
Ortiz’s strength is still there, but his legs have stiffened with age, and he can’t move around the ring or get off shots like he used to.
However, you cannot count Ortiz in this fight, as Ruiz Jr is a one-hit-wondera boxer got lucky against reckless IBF/WBA/WBO champion Anthony Joshua to knock him down.
That would never have happened if Joshua hadn’t scorned Ruiz, as he was informed after three weeks as a replacement.
In a rematch in December 2019, Joshua easily beat a low-performance, poorly trained player 283-lb Ruiz. It was the end of Ruiz’s six short months as a world heavyweight champion.
Since that defeat three years ago, Ruiz has only fought once, showing little ambition with his career after cashing in on two fights with Joshua.
Ruiz’s net worth is estimated at 10 million dollars, which may have to do with the fact that he’s only fought once in the past three years. If Ruiz is living on a paycheck, it’s safe to say he’ll be busier from 2019.
Placing Ruiz against 43-year-old Ortiz on PPV is a risk for FOX, as at least it’s not a pay-per-view worthy match. This is a fight that Ruiz should have waged in 2020, not 2022.
They are counting on Ruiz’s fan base from the short span of time he’s held three world championships to buy the match against Ortiz. Ruiz was not a famous boxer before his miraculous knockout victory in the seventh round over Anthony Joshua in June 2019.
In what has now become the template for former IBF, WBA & WBO heavyweight champion Ruiz (34-2, 22 KOs), he is battling another heavyweight on PPV after a long break. competition.
In Ruiz’s previous fight, he came back after 17 months of being fired and defeated the 40 year old journeyman Chris Arreola by unanimous decision of 12 rounds last year in May 2021. It was Ruiz’s first fight since losing the IBF/WBA/WBO title to Anthony Joshua in December 2019.
Just waiting for the time to face Luis Ortiz, 43, Ruiz increases his chances of winning because he lost 2 years ago to the solid Cuban boxer, with better technique.
Don’t be surprised if Ortiz wins this match as he can still punch and crave another title shot. Even at his age, he is said to be more talented than Ruiz.
