SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. has hit the reset button on his life and is ready to revive his career when he faces Jarrell Miller on Aug. 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
“The Destroyer” Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) last fought in September 2022, when he dropped Luis Ortiz twice to earn a unanimous decision. Ruiz, who turns 35 in September, has since been on the sidelines during the prime years of his career, having fought just twice since concluding his sequel with Anthony Joshua in 2019.
Since Ruiz beat Ortiz, he has gone through a public split from his partner that has made the tabloids, undergone rotator cuff surgery last November and had lucrative opportunities with fighters like Deontay Wilder. slip through your fingers While the rest of the division was warming up in Saudi Arabia.
Promotional free agent Ruiz, who is expecting his fifth child, has since linked up with boxing powerhouse Sean Gibbons and is adamant he is ready to bounce back and re-enter the heavyweight picture for another title run.
“I’m so happy to be back,” Ruiz said during a workout in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “I know it’s been a long minute, but things happen for a reason and now we’re here. I’m super excited to continue my mission and continue on my path.”
“I have to continue my legacy. I made history against Joshua. I made mistakes. I learned through the ups and downs and the rollercoaster of life. I feel like it’s redemption now as well. I’m super motivated and excited. The most important thing is that I’m hungry. I’m hungry for success and to become a two-time heavyweight champion.”
The enigmatic Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs) is also looking to get his career back on track after his first loss and a confrontation with the law“Big Baby” lost to Daniel Dubois via stoppage in the final seconds of a 10-round fight in December, and days later in January, he was arrested and charged with carjacking and trespassing with assault or battery.
Ruiz and Miller will always be linked beyond their next fight. In 2019, Miller was due to face Joshua but tested positive for a banned substance, opening the door for Ruiz to step in as a replacement opponent to upset the Brit and claim the heavyweight titles.
“I always salute him, there’s nothing bad to say about him,” Ruiz said of the Miller mishap that led to his life-changing opportunity. “We’re good friends outside the ring, but inside the ring, it’s a completely different thing. We’re going to flip that switch because we both want to become world champions.
“He is big, strong and comes with strong punches, but I think my explosiveness, my combinations and my speed will surely win me this fight.”
Gibbons told BoxingScene that a win against Miller would likely mean Ruiz would potentially appear on the preliminary card of the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury rematch on Dec. 21 in Saudi Arabia against Joseph Parker, Zhilei Zhang or Agit Kabayel.
“I want to train hard and stay busy. I don’t want to fight and have you not see me for two years and say ‘what happened to Andy?’ I want to be here for a long time.”
“It’s an open division right now. There are a lot of heavyweights popping up all over the place. But the main guy right now is Jarell Miller. I have to pass this test and come out victorious.”
Ruiz vs. Miller will be featured on the preliminary card of Riyadh Season’s debut event in the United States. A junior middleweight bout between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov will headline the event. DAZN, ESPN and PPV.com will distribute the card.
