Although countless names spread across the boxing world believed that Deontay Wilder would bounce back nicely, Eddie Hearn was a bit skeptical. Having suffered back-to-back stoppage defeats at the hands of Tyson Fury, Wilder attempted to return to the win column this past weekend as he took on surging contender, Robert Helenius.
While he was pegged as a sizable favorite, taking into account Helenius’s recent form, scoring three victories in a row, Hearn was under the assumption that the 36-year-old former champion was in a heap of trouble. However, despite Hearn’s apprehension, Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) violently ended the night of his man in the very first round.
Now, with the Alabama native back in the mix, Wilder could find himself standing across the ring from former unified heavyweight champion, Andy Ruiz Jr., something Wilder has openly embraced. Should the pair officially square off at some point in 2023, the loquacious promoter would happily tune in to witness them battle it out. In terms of who Hearn expects to emerge triumphantly, he’s firmly planted his flag on the side of team Ruiz.
“Ruiz/Wilder is a brilliant fight,” said Hearn to Fight Hub TV. “I see him beating Deontay Wilder.”
Ruiz, much to the chagrin of Hearn, presented the longtime promoter with one of his more disastrous nights just a few short years ago. On June 1st, 2019, Ruiz stepped in on relatively late notice to take on a then-undefeated Anthony Joshua in his debut on American soil.
After dropping the Mexican star in the third round, Hearn began sporting a broad grin. However, his euphoric feeling turned into one of agony as Joshua was floored a total of four times before suffering the first defeat of his career. Ultimately, that very win would crown Ruiz as the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent.
Nevertheless, Ruiz’s moment in the sun was short-lived as he would go on to lose in their immediate rematch. Since his transient run, the 33-year-old has rededicated his life to the pugilistic sport, reeling off two consecutive wins, the latest coming at the expense of Luis Ortiz.
With a collision course between them moving closer, Hearn is crossing his fingers and hoping that the business of boxing simply doesn’t put a halt to their salient heavyweight bout.
“I really like Andy Ruiz,” continued Hearn. “I thought he looked better against Ortiz, good victory. Wilder was good the other night. Helenius might be past his best but still, Wilder is very dangerous. He’s brilliant for the sport. And Andy Ruiz is a warrior. I just think Wilder vs. Andy Ruiz is a brilliant fight.”