Andy Ruiz Targets Joseph Parker Rematch But Refuses To Look Past Jarrell Miller
Andy Ruiz Jr says he would “love to run it back” with Joseph Parker, but the former unified heavyweight world champion insists he’s not looking beyond Saturday’s opponent Jarrell Miller.
Ruiz (35-2-0 22 KO) makes his long-awaited return to the ring at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles this weekend as part of a massive Riyadh Season card headlined by Terence Crawford’s world title fight against WBA super-welterweight champion Israil Madrimov.
The Mexican-American has not fought for almost two years, a combination of fitness and personal problems keeping him sidelined. He underwent shoulder surgery in November last year on a torn rotator cuff and faces the dangerous Miller (26-1-1 22 KO) in his comeback fight.
While not looking beyond Miller, Ruiz has called out Parker having lost a narrow majority-decision to the New Zealander in 2016 for the vacant WBO world title.
Ruiz Not Underestimating Miller
“For me next it’s Jarrell Miller; god willing we get that win and hopefully I’d love to run it back with Joseph Parker,” Ruiz said. “I’d love to get that rematch. Of course, I rate Jarrell Miller. Any fighter inside that ring is dangerous. You can’t underestimate nobody. We’ve got to be prepared. We’ve got to be ready for whatever comes our way. We’ve just got to get that win.”
Following his loss to Parker, Ruiz bounced back in spectacular style. After reeling off three straight wins, the Californian stepped in at the last minute to face unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in June 2019 after initial opponent Miller failed a drug test.
Expected to be cannon fodder for Joshua’s Madison Square Garden debut, Ruiz flipped the script in stunning fashion, climbing off the canvas in the third round to stop Joshua in the seventh and claim the IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight belts.
His reign didn’t last long, though, as AJ avenged the defeat in the immediate rematch six months later with a comfortable points win in Saudi Arabia.
Ruiz Career Derailed By Fitness And Personal Problems
Since then, Ruiz’s career has been derailed. He’s fought only twice in the past four-and-half years, picking up points wins over Chris Arreola in May 2021 and against Luis Ortiz in September 2022.
Parker, on the other hand, has experienced a rollercoaster few years. After losing his world title in a unification bout with Joshua in March 2018, his career looked to be fading into obscurity following defeats to Dillian Whyte four months later and to Joe Joyce in September 2022.
However, the New Zealander is enjoying a superb revival and has won his past five fights, including a 12-round masterclass against Deontay Wilder and most recently a majority-decision win over Zhilei Zhang to become the WBO’s interim heavyweight champion.
“The main thing is just getting the victory, getting back in action and getting ready to fight those big boys,” Ruiz added. “Me personally I would like to have two fights, against people that are in the top ten or top fifteen.
‘It’s All Business, Nothing Personal’
“I’ll fight against anyone else after this fight. I just want to fight the top guys man. Joseph Parker is doing amazing things right now. He beat Wilder and he beat Zhang. I’d love to fight him too.”
Before a rematch with Parker can become a possibility, Ruiz must first get past Miller, who has been by far the more active fighter in recent years. The New Yorker fell to his first professional defeat last time out when he was stopped in the final round by the now IBF world champion Daniel Dubois.
“Back in the day [Miller] did call me out,” Ruiz revealed. “We were in Detroit, I just got done winning this fight, he went up the ring and he wanted to fight me. I was like, ‘you know what, let’s do it right now, let’s do it, I’ll put on the gloves and we’ll get it on’. After the years passed we actually became, I don’t want to say super good friends, but we kind of became friends.
“We’re friends outside of the ring but inside the ring it’s business. Jarrell; it’s time man, it’s time buddy. It’s time to get back in the ring. I’ve seen what you did over there in Saudi Arabia, and now I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do man. It’s all business, nothing personal. Let’s get it.”
