
A peak at a picture of Andy Ruiz usually conjures up one word.
It starts with an F.
It’s not fantastic—or fabulous.
You know where I’m going here, but let’s stay positive.
Fast is the word. Then attach hands.
Former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz has very fast hands – especially for an extra-heavy-heavyweight.
Just ask Anthony Joshua.
Five years ago, big-time favorite Joshua was having his way against Ruiz, a late replacement for Jarrel Miller, who Ruiz is fighting Aug 3rd in Los Angeles.
Things abruptly changed in round three after Joshua floored Ruiz with a howitzer right hand. Both fighters looked surprised. Joshua even more because Ruiz got up and fought back.
Remember those fast hands? Ruiz snuck in a counter temple shot that caused Joshua to stumble to the canvas. Joshua was down again later in the round. He got up and made it till round seven when Ruiz let fly. Joshua went down twice more. The fight was over. “Rocky” Ruiz had done it.
He didn’t hold the title long. Six months. Joshua won the rematch by outboxing a blubbery Ruiz.
Regrets.
“That’s something that makes me to cry,” Ruiz told boxing-social.com last year. “In the rematch with me and Anthony Joshua because I didn’t do nothing right. I didn’t train. I didn’t do nothing.”
Ruiz has fought twice since the rematch loss to Joshua. He won both times, but it wasn’t easy. He defeated Chris Arreola but was down in round two. A year later he fought big Cuban Luis Ortiz. Those quick hands floored Ortiz three times, but he couldn’t keep him there.
Miller, another weight-challenged heavyweight, lost for the first time against Daniel Dubois last year. Miller and Ruiz are good friends outside of the ring. The gregarious Brooklynite called his fight with Ruiz, “The battle of fast food.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn feels Miller, known as Big Baby, will be ready for Ruiz.
“He’s back now, fought Dubois, got beat,” Hearn said to www.secondsout.com last month. “I think he’ll be fitter this time, but it’s a tough fight. Ruiz has been out for what, 18 months? You’ve got to stick it on him.
Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley had some harsh words for Miller recently.
“Miller’s fat and lazy, man. Come on, he lost to Dubois bro,” said Bradley on Pro Box TV. “If Ruiz don’t slap him around and beat the crap out of him and damn near stop him. And I know he’s been inactive or whatever, but he’s just the better-skilled fighter here, added Bradley.
“Those quick hands and that power that he possesses, he knows how to get himself into position to be able to land. Miller is what he is. He’s just a guy in there.”
If Miller (26-1,22 KOs) needed any motivation, Bradley’s assessment should inspire him. He hasn’t weighed less than 300 pounds for a fight in seven years.
“I’m sure after I get that victory me and him (Miller) are gonna go share a burger,” said Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) when speaking to The RingTV.com.
Cheers men.
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