LOS ANGELES – Andy Ruiz Jr. will finish 2023 without a fight, but the former unified heavyweight champion has a big appetite for a bounceback 2024 campaign.
Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) last graced the ring in September 2022 and scored a unanimous decision victory against Luis Ortiz.
In order to remain a top contender in the division and work his way up for a shot at another title, the 34-year-old Ruiz is looking to duke it out with other top uncrowned contemporaries.
One such fighter is Zhilei Zhang, the 40-year-old Chinese star who convincingly stopped Joe Joyce in April in six rounds and again in September inside three rounds.
“I think Zhang did an awesome job. Joe Joyce is like a robot. He just throws punches and doesn’t even move,” Ruiz told BoxingScene.com and other media in an interview. “I think Zhang is a really good fighter. That’s a good fight that I’ll take too.”
Ruiz remembered facing Zhang in the Olympics trials in Beijing before turning professional in 2009 – Zhang is a 2008 Olympics silver medalist.
“I lost a decision. I think I did really well, but they gave the fight to him,” said Ruiz.
If Ruiz can’t challenge Zhang, he wants to face Deontay Wilder as well as Anthony Joshua in a trilogy match.
Ruiz shocked Joshua in 2019 via stoppage to score the titles but lost a rematch against the Brit later in the year.
“When I fought in the rematch, I wasn’t good. I was overweight. I forgot everything that I was doing. Now it’s a whole different ball game. All I want to do is just show my talent and everyone is going to know who the heck is Andy Ruiz Jr. … Of course, I’ll go over there [in the United Kingdom to fight Joshua].
“I don’t think they want the fight. I think [Matchroom Boxing head] Eddie Hearn is already traumatized. He doesn’t even want to fight [Joshua] with anyone good. Unless he’s just trying to get his money.
One fight that Ruiz is not looking forward to, however, is a contest with former heavyweight titlist Charles Martin.
“He tried to call me out saying, ‘I want to fight that fat boy.’ But c’mon man. I can’t go backward. I beat the guy [Joshua] that beat him. So there’s no point,” said Ruiz. “I need to get somebody else. Somebody that will be good for me. I beat his ass in sparring with one hand when I was hurt.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.