Andy Ruiz Jr, sitting with a freshly swollen eye courtesy of Luis Ortiz, was asked who hits harder – the Cuban or Anthony Joshua?
He was down against AJ in 2019 but not out. Last night, he boxed Ortiz to a decision win, although he ate some power punches that shook him in his boots on the way there. With that over and done with, he’s now qualified to comment on the power of both men.
Questions like this are why fans love a shared opponent between two fighters, but this time around Ruiz Jr couldn’t pick between the two. What he was clear about though, was that that neither AJ nor ‘King Kong’ are lacking in the power department.
The question from the press conference was reported by Fight Hub TV.
“I think they both hit hard, man.
I think Anthony Joshua caught me when I didn’t see a punch, and I think he put me down like that.
But with Luis Ortiz, I was cautious, I was looking at all the punches that he would hit me [with], so there was a punch when he got me good and I just seen it straight coming. But they all hit hard man, they all f****ng hit hard.”
‘The Destroyer’, who now has two wins from his last two fights, went on to say that his weight is a key factor in taking a punch. It’s an interesting take from a man whose physique is constantly under the microscope in the lead up to fights, and a good answer to fans who are often calling for him to be lighter on the scales.
“I feel the advantage that [I had to] take that punch well was because of the weight that I had on.
I think if I would have been at 250 something [lbs], I think he would have dropped me and it would’ve been a fight of me getting dropped and me dropping him. But I felt strong, I felt explosive – I was being a little too cautious because he hits hard, so I had to be smart.”
It’s not the first time the Mexican American has argued that weight loss is detrimental. He’s on the record as saying his tame performance against Chris Arreola was because he focused too much on slimming down in camp.
As for power punches, he may have a definitive answer for who hits hardest after his next fight. Rumours that he will face Deontay Wilder – should ‘The Bronze Bomber’ come through Robert Helenius next month – are gathering pace.
Known by many as one of the hardest hitting boxers to have ever laced up the gloves, Wilder will certainly be looking to make sure that his name is uttered whenever someone asks Ruiz who had the most power in their shots.