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Malik Scott, the head trainer for former WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, revealed that former unified beltholder Andy Ruiz is as a potential interim-opponent – before his fighter steps in the ring for a showdown with British star Anthony Joshua.
Wilder and Ruiz were ordered to fight last year, in a WBC final eliminator.
The fighters have not come close to reaching an agreement and there is no official word if the two sides are actually in discussions.
Wilder has been out of the ring since October, when he blasted out Robert Helenius in the first round.
The dangerous puncher stated in a recent interview that he planned to return to the ring by the month of September.
Ruiz himself has been out of the ring since September of last year, when he picked up a twelve round decision win over Luis Ortiz. In the last few months, Ruiz has been going through a very public divorce.
Scott cautions that while Ruiz is a frontrunner for Wilder’s next ring return, anything can change at the drop of a dime.
“That’s the buzz fight right now and it’s looking like that might be the route we end up going,” Scott said to ES News.
“Deontay is in the position where so many big fights are lined up that anything or any opponent can possibly change. Andy Ruiz is definitely one of the main options right now and we’ll see where it lands at. In my opinion I’d like to see it at the Crypto Center and I like Vegas.
“We’ll see what happens, we’ve still got Anthony Joshua on the menu – all of them on the menu. Ruiz, Joshua, Usyk, and they all will get the same treatment. Big fights and exciting times.”