Ruiz Jr recently defeated Luis Ortiz in a WBC semi-final eliminator bout and is now expected to square off against Wilder in a final eliminator for a shot at Fury’s green strap. Sanctioning body president Mauricio Sulaimán has confirmed that the contest will be ordered at the WBC convention later this month. Wilder knocked out Robert Helenius in the other eliminator contest four weeks ago.
Providing everything goes well against Wilder, Ruiz Jr will be next in line to compete for the only major sanctioning body belt that he hasn’t won. Ruiz Jr snatched the WBA (super), WBO, and IBF titles from Joshua in June 2019 via a seventh-round stoppage in an enthralling contest.
Six months later, however, he was comfortably outboxed from range by ‘AJ’. ‘The Destroyer’ looked sluggish on the night and came in at a career-heaviest 268lbs.
Joshua is expected to return to the ring in early 2023 against a ‘credible top 15 opponent’. Promoter Eddie Hearn recently revealed that the winner of Dillian Whyte vs Jermaine Franklin on November 26 is the ‘frontrunner’ to take on the Watford powerhouse next.
Talking about the other fights he wants to get over the line before he calls it a day on his career, Ruiz Jr gave three more high-profile names. “Tyson Fury, Usyk, and Wilder. Those are the only top ones I haven’t fought and before I retire, before I step out of the ring I want to fight with the best and I feel those are the best,” he added.