Three-time WBC heavyweight title challenger Chris Arreola can certainly relate to Andy Ruiz Jr’s party lifestyle after his shock victory over Anthony Joshua last year, but has no sympathy for how his Mexican-American rival forfeited his titles in the rematch.
An out-of-shape Ruiz lost his WBA Super, WBO and IBF crowns to Joshua on the cards last December in Saudi Arabia, and admitted afterwards that he had started training later than expected after spending a large amount of time partying and enjoying the good life as champion.
Veteran Arreola, who is in talks to face Ruiz next, once embarked on a similar recreational lifestyle though the 39-year-old maintained that his rival needed to “mature” now for the sake of his boxing career.
“I would have probably been doing the same thing. You got to remember this. One month he fights against [Alexander] Dimitrenko for $10,000, $8,000. Six weeks later, he’s fighting for $4 million,” Arreola told Sky Sports.
“Ten weeks later he’s fighting for $10 million. How do you expect him to be a humble man? We come from nothing. I come from nothing. Having that kind of money, I wouldn’t know and I didn’t know how to handle myself!
“So no, I don’t have no sympathy. I understand where he comes from and I understand what happened. You live and learn. I was drinking Corona, I was partying. I would show up whenever I wanted to show up to the gym.
“I would come up with excuses on the way to the gym,” he continued. “I would say that my car needs an oil change. I need new tyres. You know there’s always an excuse. Like I said, it comes from having nothing and then having everything.
“I don’t think Andy has the time to mature. I think he has to change now. A little maturity and a whole lot of humble.”