Andy Ruiz Jr: “My punch permanently damaged Anthony Joshua”

Ben Mendelowitz Sports Betting Expert

6 minute read

Image Credit: IMAGN © Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun

Andy Ruiz Jr became the first Mexican-born heavyweight champion of the world when he knocked out Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden in 2019. He's been out of the ring more than in it since, but he hasn't gone quiet.

We sat down with Ruiz Jr to get his take on Fury's comeback, the state of heavyweight boxing, and what's coming next.

(This Q&A has been edited solely for clarity. No quotes have been shortened or removed.)

Key Takeaways

• Ruiz Jr says Fury was originally meant to pick him as his comeback opponent, before the fight with the Russian was agreed instead:

"It was crazy because he was supposed to pick me to fight for his return, and he ended up picking the Russian."

• Ruiz Jr claims a doctor warned him his punch had permanently damaged Joshua just two months after their first fight:

"After you hit him with that shot to the temple, he is not gonna recover. Every time he gets hit right there, something's gonna rattle in his brain."

• Ruiz Jr admits he showed up to the AJ rematch weighing nearly 300 pounds and still believes he would have won had he been in shape:

"I was almost 300 pounds. We went all 12 rounds. He got me with a lot of good punches, but I didn't fall. I didn't quit."

• Ruiz Jr is back in camp with three trainers, targeting a return and calling out Fury, Joshua and Wilder:

"I got three different trainers right there on me. So best believe, I'm gonna be in the best shape of my life in my next fight."

On watching Fury come back

What was your reaction to the Tyson Fury fight?

Andy Ruiz Jr: "I think it was a good fight, especially for him coming out from a long time since he has fought.

It was crazy because he was supposed to pick me to fight for his return, and he ended up picking the Russian.

But overall I thought it was a good fight.

But looking at that fight, I'm just like, man, if I was in there, it would've been a whole different ball game.

That's why that kind of motivated me a lot. And that's why we're right here. We're trying to get in the best shape of my life."

On the Hughie Fury offer

Tyson's cousin Hughie Fury made a fight offer to you in February. Could we see this fight happening?

AR: "That would be amazing if he did, you know? He messaged me on Instagram and he told me, ‘Hey, what if you and I get to clash?’

And I was like, ‘bro, that would be amazing. Send me the contract and let's see what you offer’.

Then we could move forward from that, but that would be good."

Back in camp with Manny Robles

You've been back in training camp. How's it going?

AR: "Everything's really going really, really good, man. And it's hard, I've totally forgotten how Manny Robles trains and how he gets all his fighters in shape.

It's no joke, man. I got three different trainers right there on me. So best believe, I'm gonna be in the best shape of my life in my next fight. And we're about to make these muscles come out, bro.

I'm really excited."

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On who he wants next

Who in the heavyweight division do you want to fight next?

AR: "I think I would love to fight any of those guys. I want to get myself in there first. You know, I want to test the waters again and I don't wanna say a tune-up fight because every person is dangerous inside that ring.

But I do wanna get a few fights in and then get a big fight with one of these guys, since I haven't fought in a while. So that's exactly why we're training hard.

I'm in pre camp before I start my real camp, so I think this is something I should have been doing in my whole professional career."

On Chisora-Wilder and what it told him

Chisora rejected the result of his fight with Wilder, citing ring conditions. What did you make of it?

AR: "I think that was a good fight. It was really entertaining from both of them.

Missing punches and moving around. So it was kind of weird, man - my trainer messaged me and called me the next day.

He's like, bro, you have to come back to the gym. You gotta get yourself together, start training.

You could beat all these guys. All of them. So what do you know? We started hitting it even harder, working out three times a day.

So I'm anxious. I'm anxious to get back in there because I know I could beat these guys."

The shot that changed Anthony Joshua

When you reflect on the decline of Anthony Joshua's in-ring career, do you attribute your victory over him as a big reason for that?

AR: "Long story short, my really good friend, who's a Doctor, told me, bro, after you hit him with that shot to the temple, he is not gonna recover.

This was like two months after I fought Anthony Joshua, the first fight.

I was like, what do you mean, doc? I think he's gonna be good. And he is like, no, he is not gonna recover. Every time he gets hit right there, something's gonna rattle in his brain. And I was like, what? No, I don't think so. And what do you know?

After he beat me, all these other fights he started losing. And so we're like, what the heck is going on?

But everyone still has that willpower and the warrior in them that they could overcome any obstacles and battles that they've been through.

Especially with Anthony Joshua, all the things that he's been through and he's still fighting. He's still breathing and that's amazing. Especially him almost dying in a car accident.

I don't have anything bad to say about AJ, but just give me the trilogy so I can redeem myself!"

The biggest lesson of his career

Which of your fights taught you the most important lessons?

AR: "I think the rematch with Anthony Joshua, because I had it all. I was training really hard. I did everything that I was supposed to do.

But after I beat Anthony Joshua, I kind of scattered around. It's like the world pulled me into that deep hole where I was over here, I was over there where I wasn't focusing.

It is like I totally forgot that I had the rematch against Anthony Joshua.

Look how beautiful God is, even with me being outta shape, I still didn't get hurt in the rematch. I was almost 300 pounds. We went all 12 rounds. He got me with a lot of good punches, but I didn't fall. I didn't quit.

But that just shows if I would've been in shape in that fight, I would've won it. I would've won it, but that's one of the biggest lessons to this day."

On Moses Itauma and the next generation

What do you make of the rise of Moses Itauma?

AR: "I think that's smart because he is still young, you know, he is still like 23, I don't know, 20 something years old.

So he is still a young fighter, and strong.

I think in a few years he's gonna be one of the top out there because of his ability, his speed, reactions and countering.

It would be a little dangerous for anybody to fight him."

Is this the strongest the heavyweight division has been in decades?

AR: "I think so, because right now there's a lot of heavyweights starting to come up out of nowhere, and good heavyweights too.

I'm pretty sure once I start getting out of the mix, these new generations are gonna start coming up and it's gonna make heavy weights great again."

On how much time he has left

As you approach your 37th birthday, how much longer can you see yourself competing?

AR: "I think two, three more years. I want to fight these big guys that I've been wanting to fight since the beginning.

So two or three more years. You have to remember, I'm still fresh as well. I haven't been in crazy wars. I haven't been knocked out or dropped.

I've been dropped by Anthony Joshua. But I'm still fresh - resting, relaxing and kicking back."

Ben Mendelowitz

Ben Mendelowitz is a data expert who has a keen interest in a variety of sports. His research has been featured in USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Patch and Fortune, amongst other media outlets. Ben is based in London, and is a big fan of Chelsea. More from Ben Mendelowitz