Since winning the unified heavyweight world championship from Anthony Joshua in 2019 and then losing it later the same year, Andy Ruiz Jr has done very little at the business end of the blue ribbon division.
Ruiz was last out in a close points victory over aged Cuban contender Luis Ortiz last September, though has been in talks in 2023 to face Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, though neither fight has materialised at this stage.
Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has weighed in on the talks for Ruiz to face his charge, and claims the Mexican American simply priced himself out of the clash, as well as a potential shot at Fury.
In a recent interview with Boxing Social, Scott accused Ruiz of “hiding behind the business of boxing.”
“Andy Ruiz did business with us the same way he attempted to do business with Tyson Fury, he out priced himself.”
“He wants to act like he wants this fight, but it’s just big name association. Fighters and their team, they hid behind the business aspect of boxing, and it’s the perfect time to hide behind business because everyone is in to instant gratification – and that is what Andy did.”
“It’s frustrating. And the more and more I talk about it, the more it gets frustrating.”
Wilder vs Ruiz was ordered as a final eliminator by the WBC at the very beginning of the year, though even this could not force through a fight between the pair.
Speaking of inactivity, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has also been out of action since autumn 2022, when he destroyed Robert Helenius in less than a round at the Barclays Centre in New York.
Despite fans being assured a barnstormer between Wilder and Anthony Joshua was “locked in” for this December, that long overdue fight also appears to be on the rocks for now.