Andy Ruiz Jr has been put forward as a potential opponent for Tyson Fury if a deal cannot be agreed with Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title.
As Fury’s fight date of April 29th draws ever nearer, there are concerns that the generational clash with Usyk may not be agreed.
And ‘The Gypsy King’s brother Shane told Behind The Gloves he believes former world champion Ruiz would be the perfect back up plan.
“If the undisputed fight can’t get made, Tyson still needs to fight.”
“I think Andy Ruiz Jr is a good opponent, a good name and is in good form. Fans would want to see that fight.”
Ruiz, who famously upset Anthony Joshua back in 2019, defeated Cuban veteran Luis Ortiz last time out and is now a free agent after parting ways with Al Haymon’s PBC.
Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed he was in talks to stage a bout between Ruiz and former Fury foe Deontay Wilder, after the pair were ordered to fight in a final eliminator for the WBC world title.
With regards to Fury vs Usyk, talks now appear to be entering crunch time, with Wembley Stadium recently emerging as front runner to stage the event.
The fight was initially expected to land in Saudi Arabia, however Fury was unable to agree a fee with bidders from the Kingdom.
As such, Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk flew to London for talks with Frank Warren recently in attempt to thrash out a deal.
Fury has also been linked to Joe Joyce, Francis Ngannou and even a fourth fight with Deontay Wilder, if the generational showdown with Usyk does not end up materialising.