Tim Smith: Not the End for Ruiz Jr
When Andy “Destroyer” Ruiz Jr (33-2 22 KO’s) won the WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight belts on June 1 he was on top of the world. The fight made him a champion and etched his name in history as the first ever Mexican heavyweight champion. Six months later, Ruiz is largely a boxing laughing stock.
SLIPPERY AT THE TOP
Obviously all the luxury and fanfare of being the heavyweight champion of the world went to the Destroyer’s head. In boxing its’ one thing to lose, it’s quite another to quit or be ill-prepared. Now technically, Ruiz never gave up. Although, when he showed up for his rematch with Anthony “AJ” Joshua (23-1, 21 KO’s), he certainly was ill-prepared!
The Destroyer bounced around the ring at a whooping 283lbs. This was 15lbs heavier than he was in the premiere outing. To further damn himself, Ruiz admitted that he did not take his training serious, nor did he listen to his chief second, Manny Robles. As could only be expected, scores of fans and insiders have ridiculed Ruiz and labeled him an ungrateful pariah.
While Ruiz is in a tough position at the moment, it’s not the end of the world. In fact, Anthony Joshua was just in the same situation but was able to persevere and reclaim a great deal of his original luster. Keeping in tune with this line of thinking, Tim Story, Vice President of Communication for the PBC, doesn’t believe the situation is so dire for Ruiz.
LIGHT AT TUNNEL’S END
Sure, the Destroyer has his work cut out for him but Smith believes that the current boxing landscape is in his favor. From Smith’s vantage point, the heavyweight division is not all that deep. This, combined with the recent notoriety that Ruiz has enjoyed, can be levied into a useful tool.
Provided that Ruiz gets into proper shape and strings together a couple wins, he should be able to land a big fight in the not too distant future. The PBC bigwig delved into the interesting subject during an interview conducted by AB Boxing News.
“Well, he just gets back in the gym and he trains and he works out and you know he gets himself into great shape. He applies himself and gets back in there. He gets back in the rotation. And as you know, as a lot of guys have proven, a loss in this division doesn’t really hurt you because the division is not that deep.
So these guys still have to face you, everybody is still looking for live opponents…Dominic Breazeale, he lost to Joshua then came back and fought against Deontay Wilder for a title. So having lost once doesn’t necessarily hurt you, you know. So he just gets back in the rotation, and gets himself back in shape and comes back stronger.” ~Tim Smith, Vice President of Communication for PBC
Only time will tell what becomes of Ruiz’s career. Yet, no matter how it plays out, 3kingsboxing will be here to cover it.
By: Bakari Simpson
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