In a matter of three fights, Andy Ruiz has gone from underdog, to champion, to disappointment, to a person in the hunt for a comeback. However the comeback is off to a superb begin.
Ruiz (34-2, 22 KOs) recorded his first win in practically two years Saturday as he defeated Chris Arreola (38-6-1, 33 KOs) through unanimous determination in a 12-round, non-title heavyweight bout. All three judges scored the combat, which came about at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park in Carson, California, for Ruiz through scores of 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110.
It was an necessary evening for Ruiz, 31, who upset Anthony Joshua to grow to be the primary Mexican heavyweight boxing champion in 2019, solely to present his titles again in an instantaneous rematch. After his weight ballooned to 310 kilos following the loss, Ruiz teamed up with Canelo Alvarez and coach Eddy Reynoso. He got here into the combat 27 kilos lighter than his previous combat.
“Chris had all of it. He is a veteran and a tough puncher,” Ruiz mentioned. “We did what we needed to do and we gained the victory. Bear in mind, I used to be on the lowest and I needed to come again. We did what we needed to do. Thank God we obtained this victory and on to the subsequent.”
Though the judges’ scores confirmed a dominant evening by Ruiz, it was something however straightforward. Arreola, 40, of Los Angeles, knocked Ruiz down early within the second spherical with a proper hand. Ruiz recovered, however Arreola damage him once more close to the tip of the second and to start with of the third. The early offense drew a loud response from the sold-out crowd of three,940.
“He caught me with a superb proper hand, I dropped my fingers a little bit bit,” Ruiz mentioned. “I used to be overconfident. Tops off to him. Chris caught me with a superb one, however I saved going. I felt a little bit rust and I do know different fighters can relate to that.”
After the preliminary adversity, nonetheless, Ruiz settled in properly. He started focusing on the physique extra within the fourth spherical and let his jab take over within the seventh. Halfway by means of the latter spherical, Arreola winced and rotated his left shoulder in an obvious harm. He shook out his left arm once more within the 11th spherical, however instructed referee Jack Reiss and followers afterward he was high quality.
“I obtained hit a pair instances within the shoulder and it type of threw it off. No large deal, that is part of boxing,” Arreola mentioned. “I completely respect the judges, however right this moment — I am going to all the time say magnificence is within the eye of the beholder, they like butterface right this moment, every part is fairly however their face. Did he win? Tremendous. However do not inform me you are gonna solely give me two or three rounds.”
This isn’t the primary time Ruiz has survived an early knockdown in a giant combat. When he upset Joshua in 2019, he recovered from a knockdown within the third spherical and knocked Joshua down twice in that very same body. Arreola’s pictures had been definitely vital, however because the combat progressed, the physique work, Arreola’s age and probably the shoulder harm robbed him of his pop.