Andy ruiz trainer1/11/2024 Ruiz, born in Imperial, CA, to Mexican parents, was the first boxer of Mexican descent to become the heavyweight champ. celebrates his victory over Anthony Joshua in June of 2019 at Madison Square Garden. He called Ruiz “the epitome of ‘don’t judge a book by his cover.’” “This is a surprise to boxing fans and the world,” said boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, commenting ringside. But Ruiz moved well and punched hard, dropping the Brit to the canvas four times en-route to a stunning seventh-round TKO and one of biggest boxing upsets in recent memory. At a paunchy 268 pounds, Ruiz looked out of his league alongside the chiseled Joshua, who was a 1-25 favorite. The deal was done, and on June 1, 2019, Ruiz stepped into the ring against the undefeated Joshua at Madison Square Garden with four title belts on the line. At that point, Hearn reached out to Ruiz Jr., who had just beaten German heavyweight Alexander Dimitrenko on Apand said after the fight that, if given the opportunity to fight Joshua on short-notice, he’d go immediately back into camp to prepare. A half dozen marquee fighters showed interest, but all of them wanted a big paycheck, including Cuban heavyweight Luis Ortiz whose manager declined Hearn’s offer of $7 million. Team Ruizįight promoter Eddie Hearn needed a qualified and legitimate opponent for Joshua, and he needed one as soon as possible. as a younger fighter with legendary trainer Freddie Roach. In mid-April of 2019, just seven weeks ahead of a heavyweight title fight with unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua of the UK, American challenger Jarrell Miller had failed multiple drug tests and was pulled from the fight. It sounds overly simple, but the next day, Ruiz had a plan, and he was putting it into action. The next day, all the temptations went away, my mind focused and I knew what I wanted and needed to do.” “I prayed to God to forgive me for the things I’ve done, and to give me the strength to change. “I was so depressed and tired of the way I was living,” Ruiz says. Kneeling by the side of his bed, he asked God to show him the light. In the span of a little over a year, he’d gone from extreme underdog to unified heavyweight champion, only to lose the title in an equally spectacular moment of self-destruction that kept on spiraling. It began last spring with Ruiz, lost, despondent and tipping the scales at 310 pounds. Ruiz fought veteran Chris Arreola last May, winning a 12-round unanimous decision at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.Ruiz Jr. Ruiz has fought only once since coming up short against Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight title rematch in Saudi Arabia in 2019. “I appreciate every single trainer that I’ve had,” continued Ruiz, who has been trained by Manny Robles in the past. “He’s really a good guy, nice guy, who really helped me out a lot.” “I know Eddie’s not gonna be in this camp, but in the future I’m sure he is,” Ruiz told. While Reynoso may have something of an icy relationship with Garcia, who has been engaged in something of a war of words with Alvarez in recent days, Ruiz made it clear in a recent interview that he thinks highly of his former trainer–enough, apparently to float the possibility that they may work together down the line. Most notably, lightweight Ryan Garcia left Reynoso, followed by heavyweight Frank Sanchez. Widely regarded as one of the sport’s top trainers, Reynoso, who runs a gym in San Diego, has seen his stable thin in recent months. Ruiz has not been alone in his defection from the Reynoso camp.
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