Who is Andy Ruiz Jr, what is his boxing record, and when he is due to fight Anthony Joshua?
ANDY RUIZ JR has stepped in at short notice to face unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. AJ was due to fight Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller, but the American has been banned for six months after failing a drugs test for a third time. Who is Andy Ruiz Jr? ORIGINALLY from California and with Mexican heritage, […]
ANDY RUIZ JR has stepped in at short notice to face unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
AJ was due to fight Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller, but the American has been banned for six months after failing a drugs test for a third time.
Who is Andy Ruiz Jr?
ORIGINALLY from California and with Mexican heritage, heavyweight Andres ‘Andy’ Ruiz is the man tasked with dethroning Joshua of his world titles.
Ruiz had a glittering amateur career under Cuban trainer Fernando Ferrer, turning pro with a record of 105-5, whilst he also represented Mexico at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
The hard-hitting 6ft2 fighter is known as ‘The Destroyer’ and has worked in the past with legendary trainer Freddie Roach.
He was just 19 when he made his professional debut in 2009, knocking out Miguel Ramirez after just one minute in Tiguana.
Ruiz rose steadily up the ranks and won his first title four years later, taking down Joe Hanks in Saudi Arabia for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight strap.
And he defended that crown for the next two years, eventually earning a world title shot against Kiwi Joseph Parker in 2016.
Ruiz agreed to fight champion Parker in Aukland and took the champ the distance, only to lose out on the WBO belt by majority decision.
After that defeat in late 2016, Ruiz chose to take a break from the ring and was next seen in early 2018, beating Devin Vargas in a first-round blitz.
He’s since gone on to beat Kevin Johnson and German Alexander Dimitrenko.
What is his boxing record?
STILL only 29, Ruiz has been a professional for over a decade.
He has taken on 33 total fights and currently has a pro record of 32-1, with 21 of Ruiz’s wins coming by way of knockout.
That single defeat was to Parker in the WBO world title bout.
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When he is due to fight Anthony Joshua?
RUIZ will face Joshua for the BA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles.
The fight will take place at Madison Square Garden on June 1, 2019.
It will be AJ’s debut fight on American soil and his first since beating Alexander Povetkin back in September last year.