Boxing
Ruiz Jr.'s weight loss journey means more than a boxing return — it's part of his spiritual reawakening
Ruiz vs. Knyba live on DAZN - TONIGHT
NEWARK, N.J. — Andy Ruiz Jr. took the scale at the Prudential Center on Thursday and registered 254.3 pounds.
That was just under the weight longtime trainer Manny Robles targeted to DAZN News the day before as Ruiz’ sweet spot range of 255 to 257 pounds.
"I'm back and I'm here to stay"
Watch behind the scenes at Andy Ruiz's training camp
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Following a two-year hiatus, Ruiz (35-2-1, 22 KOs) will make his return to boxing Friday night when he clashes with Polish giant Damian Knyba (17-1, 11 KOs) at the same Newark, New Jersey venue, and live on DAZN and TNT.
Whatever transpires in that bout, just getting ‘The Destroyer’ back to this point marks a significant victory in the 36-year-old’s career and life.
Since shaking up the boxing world with a massive seventh-round TKO upset of Anthony Joshua to become the unified heavyweight champion in June 2019, Ruiz has only had four fights. A sordid cocktail of excess partying, trainer changes, injuries and subsequent surgeries led to that inactivity.
If the former unified heavyweight world champion was going to see an about face, he needed to make real changes. The first was reacquiring the services of Robles, who guided him the night he shocked the sport by knocking out the then-undefeated Joshua.
Ruiz ready to take advantage of open division
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Assessing the situation, the veteran trainer realized that it wasn’t going to take a typical 10-week or 12-week training camp to get Ruiz back on track. Instead, it was going to take several months. So, they began their journey back together at the start of the year, with Robles making no concessions.
“‘I’m not coming to you, you gotta come to me’ and that’s exactly what he did,” Robles told DAZN News earlier this fight week, detailing his demands for Ruiz to train out of his Knockouts Boxing gym in Southgate, a suburb of Los Angeles, California.
“When he committed to moving to my neck of the woods, I said ‘OK, I think we got something.’”
For his last fight, which ended in a majority draw against Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller in August 2024, Ruiz tipped the scale at 274.4 pounds. So, Robles knew he couldn’t just throw Ruiz into the rigors of training. He eased him back into it, instead.
“Take it slowly, but surely,” Robles said. “I had to gradually break him in. Instead of being in the gym seven, six days a week, I’d have him come in the gym maybe every other day. Break him in.”
With time, strength & conditioning was added to Ruiz’ roadwork. Then, Robles incorporated boxing into the routine. Sparring sessions were brought into the fold as the final piece of preparation.
“I knew it was going to take a lot of work,” Robles said, “a lot of effort for him to get to this point.”
Nearly nine months of work that not only resuscitated Ruiz’ career, but marked a hub in his rebirth in life. As Ruiz grinded his way back, he began attaching other conscious changes around his gym work with Robles.
“I had to die my old version and become new,” Ruiz exclusively told DAZN News. “That’s exactly what I did now. I got baptized, I got married. I feel good, man. I feel mentally and spiritually really good.”
Part of these life shifts also included Ruiz shedding the number of people around him.
“I don’t have too many yes men in my crew no more,” Ruiz conceded. “My entourage is the people that want the best for me and they’re going to tell me ‘Hey, Andy, I don’t think you should do that, I don’t think you should do this … you should do this.’”
Thursday’s weigh-in was a promising indication that ‘The Destroyer’ is primed for another run, beginning with Friday’s night’s clash with Knyba as Ruiz’ first bout since signing a multi-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing in July.
“I’m not where I want to be at, but I’m a lot better than where I was,” Ruiz said.
“I want to get abs one day,” he added with a big grin. “I want to be looking like Superman.”
Convincingly conquering a 6-foot-7 colossus in Knyba would have Ruiz tapping back into the superpowers he once flashed before the boxing world.
Do all signs point to a promising performance from Ruiz?
Analysis: DAZN News’ Mark Lelinwalla
Andy Ruiz Jr.’s weight of 254.3 pounds Thursday is a glowingly positive sign.
After reaching the height of his career in the monumental win over Anthony Joshua, Ruiz weighed in at 283.7 pounds for their December 2019 rematch.
Lethargic, he was kept at the end of Joshua’s jabs, unable to use his vaunted hand speed to get within the stick and consequently surrendering the unified titles he had won six months prior.
So, tipping the scale below 255 pounds is significant for the 36-year-old Ruiz. In fact, one would have to rewind to his May 2021 fight against Chris Arreola for the last time ‘The Destroyer’ registering close, at 256 pounds.
All this being said, Ruiz hitting below the circled weight target set by Robles means his discipline is realigned with his lofty goal of becoming a two-time heavyweight world champion. Ruiz did the work to get here. The remainder must be resolved in the ring, beginning with phase one against Damian Knyba in a fight that will be telling.
If Ruiz can convincingly win, he suddenly re-enters the conversation as a real threat in boxing’s glamour division. I’m eager to see what he makes of his latest opportunity in his first fight in over two years. In talking with Ruiz, everything professionally and personally seems to be gelling at just the apt time.
If his hand speed and chin remain his best two attributes, Ruiz will be equipped with the great equalizers he needs to excel during this twilight of his career. Let’s see how much destruction ‘The Destroyer’ can lay to waste in his latest comeback.
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Britain's Conor Benn looks to become a world champion for the first time against US superstar Ryan Garcia on Saturday, September 12.
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