Ruiz Wants Parker Rematch – ‘I Wouldn’t Mind Running It Back’
Andy Ruiz Jr. is targeting a rematch with Joseph Parker following the latter’s impressive win over Deontay Wilder.
The former WBO heavyweight champion scuppered the plans for a Wilder and Anthony Joshua fight by dominating the Bronze Bomber to win a wide unanimous decision. The victory opened the door for a rematch with Joshua, a defeat that cost Parker his WBO title.
Joshua appears likely to face Filip Hrgovic in what would be an IBF title eliminator. But Ruiz also has a score to settle. He lost to Parker in a fight for the vacant WBO title, but he would win a world title by upsetting Joshua two years later. Since the loss to Joshua in the rematch, Ruiz has not looked the same. But a win over Parker would put him in line to fight the big names in Saudi.
Ruiz On Parker
“I wanted him to win. I wanted him to beat the s*** out of Wilder because he was talking s*** to everybody, saying he’s going to knock this and knock this guy out, that guy out. I was super happy with Joseph Parker. He beat me the first time. I know it wasn’t a real beat, but he beat me in his hometown. I wouldn’t mind running it back,” Ruiz said
Aside from the fight with Parker, Ruiz has an eye on Joshua. Their current rivalry is 1-1. Ruiz upset the plans of an undisputed fight with Wilder as he beat Joshua on his American debut to become the unified heavyweight champion. He would lose those titles in a rematch, but the defeat for Joshua left him not looking the same.
The boxer had been accused of abandoning his aggressive style in favour of boxing and moving due to the fear of getting hit following the Ruiz loss. That criticism has been removed following Joshua’s impressive win over Otto Wallin. However, facing Ruiz makes no sense since the Mexican has no belts, nor does it take Joshua a step closer to fighting for a world title.
Ruiz-AJ
In addition, Ruiz had the chance to face Wilder in a mega fight. Wilder’s team offered him a 70-30 split, but the Mexican rejected it because he wanted 50-50. The fight broke down as the WBC scrapped what was a title eliminator. Following Wilder’s poor performance against Parker, the Mexican may have missed a trick. Either way, Ruiz wants to be as active as possible. But a summer return is more likely following his recent surgery.
“I wouldn’t mind running it back. I just wanted to see if AJ wanted to run it back and get the trilogy, but maybe not. [I’ll be back] In May or June because I got operated on my right shoulder. I got to wait a month or two. You’ve been hitting it a few times, but I’m not saying it. But I’m a man. May or June, I’ll be ready. I’ll be down. Why not?” Ruiz stated
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