Andy Ruiz Jr became the first Mexican-born heavyweight champion of the world when he stopped Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden in 2019. With a Riyadh card to target, a message already sent to Turki Al-Sheikh, and three trainers pushing him through camp, he is not short of motivation.
We sat down with Ruiz Jr to get his take on Fury’s comeback, the biggest fights on the horizon, and what is driving him back to the top of the heavyweight boxing division.
(This Q&A has been edited solely for clarity. No quotes have been shortened or removed.)
Key Takeaways
- Ruiz Jr believes Fury was trying to get the knockout but is focused on the opportunity it opens up for him: “Hopefully he gives us the opportunity to fight him.”
- Ruiz Jr thinks Joshua can beat Fury — but only under one condition: “If Joshua prepares really well and he continues to keep training with Usyk, I think he could beat Tyson.”
- Ruiz Jr is confident he could beat Wilder and has already told Turki Al-Sheikh he is ready: “My hand is already healed. I’m gonna be ready. Help me get in there. I could beat these guys.”
- Ruiz Jr is firmly backing Pacquiao to beat Mayweather in the rematch: “I definitely feel Manny Pacquiao’s gonna win this fight and he is gonna get his revenge.”
- Ruiz Jr has his sights set on the Canelo Riyadh card and sees it as a turning point: “It’s the road of redemption in my career.”
- Ruiz Jr picks Dubois over Wardley, and the reason is personal: “I’m gonna go with Dubois just because of his dad and his family. He’s a good person.”
Was Fury’s Return Enough?
Q: David Haye called Fury’s performance “optimal.” Do you agree? Or should Fury have gone for the knockout?
“I’m pretty sure he was trying to get the knockout, but sometimes the knockouts come and sometimes they don’t.
The most important thing is that he won, he got in the ring and he’s back. He is out of retirement. So hopefully he gives us the opportunity to fight him.”
Could Joshua Finally Beat Fury?
Q: After Fury’s comeback, do you see a fight happening between him and Joshua? Who do you think would win?
“I think from the performance that I’ve seen in his last fight, if Joshua prepares really well and he continues to keep training with Usyk, I think he could beat Tyson.
But you never know in these heavyweight division fights. It only takes one punch and that could change the whole fight. So it’s definitely gonna be an interesting fight.
But I would love to fight either of them as well.”
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Wilder’s One-Punch Problem
Q: Dillian Whyte recently said that Joshua would knock Wilder out. Do you agree? Who wins that fight?
“I could see Anthony Joshua beating Wilder. Especially for Wilder, he kind of fights a little awkwardly and he does only depend on one punch. But if Wilder gets lucky and gets Anthony Joshua with one good one, he could probably get hurt since Anthony Joshua’s been down a lot of times.
But Wilder — so many times me and him were supposed to fight and it never happened.
So it was kind of disappointing seeing his fights and knowing that I could be in there and beating him.
But I messaged Turki and told him: my hand is already healed, I’m gonna be ready. Help me get in there. I could beat these guys. He just gave me a thumbs up. We’re just waiting right now.”
Backing Pac Man for Revenge
Q: Can you see Manny getting revenge on Mayweather?
“I definitely do. I definitely feel Manny Pacquiao’s gonna win this fight and he is gonna get his revenge. Especially from the past fight that he and Mayweather had, I think this one’s gonna be more exciting than the one before because I feel Pac is still good.
He’s still good, especially when he fought Mario Barrios. He fought amazingly. I feel like he won that fight. I definitely think he’s gonna beat Mayweather.”
The Road to Riyadh
Q: Canelo just announced his September 12 card in Riyadh. Do you see a spot for yourself on that stage?
“Yeah, that’s exactly why we’re working hard right now, so I can be ready. A lot of these fighters have to get ready to fight. With me, I’m trying to stay ready for whatever comes my way, but definitely I’m gonna be telling Turki to get me on there.
I’m one of the big heavyweight boxers over there in Mexico as well, becoming the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world, making history. So it would be an honor to be on that show and it’s the road of redemption in my career.”
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn: Too Fast?
Q: Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn are keen to fight each other. Who wins?
“Conor’s recent fight was a good one. That fight was more entertaining than the heavyweight division, for sure, with Tyson Fury – they went at it.
Conor Benn, him and Ryan Garcia, I think that would be an amazing fight. I still think Ryan might be a little too fast for him.
But you never know. Conor’s always going forward, always throwing punches and he’s not scared. So that’s something that I appreciate about Conor Benn. He is always going forward and he doesn’t care.”
Dubois vs Wardley: Andy Makes His Pick
Q: Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois is coming up next month. What are your predictions?
“I think that’s gonna be an amazing fight. I would love to attend that fight. Wardley right now has been having a few little wars and he has been winning. He has a really good punch.
So he and Dubois would have an amazing fight. Dubois and his family – such good people, man. They showed me a lot of love when I met them in Saudi Arabia. It could go either way because Dubois is nothing to play with.
He came out, started beating all these heavyweights. I’m gonna go with Dubois just because of his dad and his family. He’s a good person.”
The One Thing Every Young Fighter Needs
Q: You went from underdog to global household name overnight. What is the one piece of advice you would give a young fighter?
“Just to keep going, man, and to have faith. Having faith is one of the most important things a fighter or any athlete has to have. We always go through rollercoasters.
We always go through big bumps. Things that don’t go right in our career, or the things that we want are not coming our way. But if you keep believing in yourself and having faith, it’s gonna come.
Everything’s gonna be fine. God’s gonna take care of it. What did Usyk say? Being motivated is good for a little bit, but having discipline is what helps you become something different than everyone else.
So I encourage everybody: have faith, discipline, and work hard. Tell Jesus Christ to help you through all your battles and your dreams will come true.”
Time Is Ticking
Q: With just three fights under your belt since the turn of the decade, what have you learned from your time away?
“Just being with the family, man. Creating new babies. With my businesses as well – we have clinics, we have real estate.
But I have already been gone for a while. I want a piece of the cake that everybody’s biting into.
Knowing my abilities, the speed and everything that God gave me, I could win these fights. I gotta do it now because like my dad says, time is ticking. And this year is the year.”