With Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua otherwise engaged, former WBA Super, WBO and IBF champion Andy Ruiz Jr. is being offered another route back into the heavyweight title picture.
WBA Regular champion Manuel Charr (31-4, 17 KOs) has revealed that talks are set to take place with Ruiz’s representatives regarding a contest later this year.
A podgy, listless Ruiz was last seen dropping a unanimous decision to Joshua in Saudi Arabia last December, having upset the Brit with a spectacular seventh round stoppage in June 2019. Ruiz has since teamed up with Eddy Reynoso, trainer of Canelo Alvarez, and appears to have regained his previous fire and motivation.
A fight with Charr, who has not made a defence of his WBA title since November 2017 (that is not a typo!), now appears a legitimate option for Ruiz who has also been in talks with fellow Mexican-American Chris Arreola. Yet Charr is optimistic that a deal can be agreed.
“I hope it’s serious because I talked to my promoter Erol Ceylan and his partner is Al Haymon [Ruiz Jr’s advisor],” Charr, 35, told Sky Sports. “He works very close to Al Haymon.
“Erol Ceylan is right now in Turkey. He will fly next week to the USA to talk personally to these people and I hope he can make this fight happen.
“If any opponent gives you a chance for the world title fight, you say no or do you say yes? Make this fight happen, I’m ready for you. If you want, do this fight. I will risk my belt. I don’t need an easy fight. Fight me.”
The WBA had previously ordered the Germany-based Charr to face its ‘interim’ champion Trevor Bryan with purse bids held in March, but the Covid-19 Pandemic has, perhaps, offered another route for the champion to monetise his lightly-regarded belt.
“No-one can stand in the way because I’m world champion and [Ruiz] is top five. He’s No. 4,” added Charr. “I hope this fight will be in the US, or in Mexico, or UK.”
Charr’s belt has limited recognition with only Fury (WBC) and Joshua (WBA Super, WBO and IBF) having any genuine credibility as heavyweight champions.