It has been almost two years since Andy Ruiz last fought but now the former world heavyweight champion is set to make a return to the sport on a massive card in August.
Ruiz’s most famous night came in June 2019 when he shocked the world by beating Anthony Joshua for the unified world heavyweight titles.
He knocked the Brit down several times at the fight in Madison Square Garden to lift the WBA, WBO and IBF world titles and then went straight into a rematch in December that year.
Ruiz rather enjoyed his time as champion too much and didn’t go into the fight in great shape so ended up losing a wide 12-round points decision.
He has since only fought once despite often being linked with big-name opponents like Deontay Wilder, and last time out he fought in September 2022 and got a unanimous decision win over Luis Ortiz at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
News has now emerged via Boxing Scene however that he could be set to return on the undercard of the proposed world title fight between Israel Madrimov and Terence Crawford, who is on a mission to become a four-weight world champion.
34-year-old Ruiz, whose record sits at 35-2, 22 KOs, hails from California and adds star power to the Crawford-Madrimov card as he seeks to mount a comeback to challenge against champions such as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
Ruiz’s opponent is reportedly set to be former contender Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, who struggled with weight issues in his December 23 loss to Daniel Dubois in Saudi Arabia. If true, the combined weight of these two big men could be over 600 pounds on fight night.
In addition to Crawford’s headline bout, the event is slated to feature the first 140-pound title defence by Mexico’s new WBA 140-pound champion, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz.
Cruz clinched his belt with a sensational eighth-round stoppage of former champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero on March 30, in the co-main event to Sebastian Fundora’s junior middleweight title triumph over Tim Tszyu in Las Vegas.
Cruz emerged as the favoured fighter among fans which is what has prompted his team to express a desire for a swift return. Reportedly, Cruz’s opponent on August 3 will be Mexico’s Jose “El Rayo” Valenzuela who defeated Chris Colbert in December.
Another potential matchup being discussed for the card is a farewell bout for former three-division champion Abner Mares in a trilogy clash against his Los Angeles rival, four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz.
A formal press conference to unveil the card is scheduled for Wednesday in New York.
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