Andy Ruiz Jr. says the fight against Luis Ortiz will show he’s going to be a heavyweight champion again
Via Dan Ambrose: Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. says his fight against Luis Ortiz on September 4 will demonstrate that he will be world champion again. Cards will be displayed on the FOX Sports pay-per-view from the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles.
There are a few good fighters in the lower ranks, Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz and Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela, but unfortunately, they don’t fight each other.
Ruiz is going the wrong way if he wants to prove to his fans that he’s going to be world champion again because he’s fighting the wrong kind of opponent and he’s not competing often enough.
Ruiz (34-2, 22 KOs) is battling 40th in a row for a second straight in ‘King Kong’ Ortiz after beating 40-year-old Chris Arreola last May.
Moreover, it will 16 months since Ruiz last fought when he faced 43-year-old Ortiz on September 4. Ruiz fought for the last time with Arreola, and he was kicked out of the ring because 17 months.
Motivation to stay active is not there for Ruiz, and it looks like he wants another day of pay from Anthony Joshua after fighting him twice and getting rich from those two fights.
If Ruiz beats Southpaw Ortiz, it won’t prove that he will be world champion again. On the contrary, it will prove that Ruiz is just looking for Joshua’s payday.
“This is my chance to prove to everyone that I will be the heavyweight champion of the world againAndy Ruiz Jr talks about his fight against Luis Ortiz, 43.
“I am very motivated against a great fighter like Luis Ortiz, so my fans can expect to see me at my best. Everyone wants to see this fight, and we’re going to give everyone a fight on the night of the fight,” said Ruiz.
Ruiz is rated #5 WBC, and he would be appreciated more if he fought more often. When you’re only fighting every 16 to 17 months with older fighters, it’s hard to get promoted quickly.
If Ruiz and his promoters at PBC are counting on him to land a title with a win over Luis Ortiz, they will have a rude awakening. Ruiz will need to beat a solid boxer, preferably one in his 20s or early 30s.
Don’t be surprised if Ruiz’s next opponent is a 41-year-old man Kubrat Pulev if he beats Derek Chisora next month on July 9 in their rematch.
Underlined:
- Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz vs Eduardo Ramirez
- Abner Mares vs Miguel Flores
- Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzeula vs Jezreel Corrales
Former 3-division world champion Mares (31-3-1, 15 KOs) is about to take a four-day break since his unsuccessful 12-round unanimous decision against Leo Santa Cruz in 2018.
That’s a long time to be out of the ring, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Mares lost to Miguel Flores (25-4, 12 KOs) in their 10-round bout. Flores has lost 2/3 of his last 3 games in defeats to Santa Cruz and Eduardo Ramirez.
