Andy Ruiz Wastes His Comeback Against Damian Knyba
Former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. suffered a disappointing loss to Damian Knyba, raising questions about his future in professional boxing. The defeat suggests that Ruiz's long inactivity and lack of conditioning have severely impacted his competitive viability.
Why it matters
The loss effectively ends speculation regarding a high-profile trilogy fight between Ruiz and Anthony Joshua.
The years have not been kind to Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-3-1, 22 KOs), but age alone did not produce the sluggish, confused heavyweight who lost to Damian Knyba (18-1, 11 KOs) on Friday night. This was the end product of sitting on his backside, spending his millions, rarely fighting, and treating his career like something he could restart whenever the mood returned.
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Ruiz had been out for 25 months following his draw with Jarrell Miller. He returned at 36 expecting his old hand speed and combination punching to reappear on command, but boxing does not work that way. His feet were slow, his output was poor, and he spent long stretches following Knyba without finding a reliable route inside.
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