Ruiz's Career Wasted After Joshua Upset

Andy Ruiz has no clear path back to heavyweight relevance after years of missteps since his 2019 upset of Anthony Joshua, according to Bad Left Hook managing editor Scott Christ.

In a mailbag column published this week, Christ addressed whether Ruiz could be salvaged as a contender following his recent loss to fringe heavyweight Damian Knyba. The answer was blunt. Ruiz wasted too many years between the Joshua win and now, Christ wrote, and the toll of repeated weight gains and cuts has fully caught up to him at 37.

Four Comebacks In Five Years

Christ noted that Ruiz rode a fine line to become a true contender in the first place and could not afford the lack of discipline and focus that followed his Joshua rematch loss. The former unified champion has attempted four comebacks in five years and looked worse each time out, a trend Christ called hard to reverse. Knyba is not a special fighter or serious contender, he added, making the loss even more telling.

The column also tackled second-generation boxers, with Christ calling Hasim Rahman Jr the most disappointing legacy fighter and pointing to Floyd Mayweather Jr and Tyson Fury as the best examples of sons who exceeded fathers with modest pro careers. He noted that most successful fighters actively discourage their children from boxing, in part because the kids do not come from the same backgrounds that made the sport a way out.

Ruiz is scheduled to return later this year, though no opponent has been announced.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — Boxing Mailbag: Andy Ruiz’s future, nepo babies in boxing, and more