Deep in training camp for his fight with Luis Ortiz, Andy Ruiz Jr hits the pads with blistering speed.
Draped in a t-shirt with a doughnut across the front – perhaps a cheeky nod to comments on his fluctuating weight in the past – the former heavyweight champion presents a focused picture in the gym.
A clip on the PBC YouTube channel shows ‘Destroyer’ throwing swift and aggressive combos.
Ruiz Jr’s hand speed is trademark. It was a lightning quick left hand that shook Anthony Joshua in their first fight, and from there he went on to stop AJ in the seventh round.
The Mexican fighter didn’t have long with the belts, though. It was in an immediate rematch where his commitment to the boxing lifestyle was questioned, and Joshua outboxed him over 12 rounds.
This training footage, as short as it may be, should give fans some hope that the former champion is taking his camp seriously. He has a tough test ahead of him in Cuban veteran, Luis Ortiz, who is coming off a stoppage victory against Charles Martin.
Since losing the belts, Ruiz has recorded a decision victory over Chris Arreola that wasn’t without its struggles. Fans will be looking to see more of the fast and fearless fighting style that was on display that night in Madison Square Garden when he left the arena as champion of the world.
Should Ruiz come out on top when he faces Ortiz, there are plenty of fights there for him in the future. A bout with PBC stablemate, Deontay Wilder, seems the easiest to make.
Ruiz and Ortiz meet in the ring on September 4 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and the fight will be shown live on FOX Pay-Per-View in America.