Trainer Eddy Reynoso believes that former IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr can become a world champion again if he dedicates himself the way that he requires from all his fighters in his stable.
Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) recently began training with Reynoso after having dumped his previous coach Manny Robles in the bitter aftermath of his lopsided 12 round unanimous decision defeat to Anthony Joshua last December.
Ruiz dumped Manny Robles after his loss to Joshua
After the way that Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) embarrassed him in taking him to school in Saudi Arabia, Ruiz, 31, decided to swap out Robles in favor of a new coach. After a searching period, Ruiz selected Reynoso, who is mainly known due to him being the trainer of Saul Canelo Alvarez.
Ruiz had inactive since his defeat to Joshua ten months ago, but he plans on fighting in early 2021 against an opponent still to be determined. He’d like a third fight with Joshua, but that’s not going to happen until he gets a few high-quality wins under his belt.
It won’t be easy for Ruiz to get another title shot
Ruiz won’t get another shot at Joshua by beating 39-year-old Chris Arreola, a fighter that was recently mentioned as a possible option for his next fight. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said that the only way Ruiz gets another fight with AJ is by beating good fighters. Thus far, Ruiz has been doing nothing and putting out many video clips on social media of his workouts.
“Andy Ruiz has a goal to become a world champion again and he has shown me that he is serious about this comeback.
“If he has the discipline and commitment that I require in my fighters, I have no doubt that we will conquer the big crown again,” said Reynoso to Fight News.
It’s going to be near impossible for Ruiz to become a world champion again because the top fighters now know how to beat him by using movement. Ruiz has short legs, and he’s a round body that moves slowly. For Ruiz to have success, he needs to face heavyweights that are stationary and looking to trade.
It’s too bad that Ruiz didn’t get a title shot against Deontay Wilder when he held the WBC title because he’s a guy that stands in front of his opponents.
As long as Ruiz could handle Wilder’s occasional right hands, he’d beat him. Unfortunately, Wilder is no longer a world champion, and he’s in the same boat as Ruiz in terms of lacking the ability to beat the current champions.
Reynoso has got his work cut out for him in trying to make Ruiz a world champion again, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can make that happen. Once Ruiz starts getting beat, will he look in another direction for that magical trainer that can make things as they once were for him?
I hate to say it, but Reynoso will last as long as Ruiz is winning. Once he takes a loss or two, Reynoso will be probably be given his walking papers. By that point, the decision might be mutual for Ruiz to move on. Most of the guys Reynoso trains are fighters with great careers.
Ruiz would stand out like a sore thumb if he starts losing left and right to the top heavyweights. Right now, Ruiz will be alright because he won’t be matched against anyone tough, but when he does get put in with a talented heavyweight, we could see him exposed once again.
Oscar Valdez is going to have problems against Berchelt
Reynoso also trains former WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs), who has moved up to 130 and will be challenging WBC super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt (37-1, 33 KOs) on December 12.
“Oscar Valdez vs Alacrán Berchelt will be a war,” said Reynoso. “Both are great warriors but I feel that I have a complete fighter in Oscar. He has more tools, he can box, he can counterpunch and he can go forward.
Berchelt is a great champion but has only one style and that is to come forward. Oscar can do that too. He can bang and has power in both hands. We have a great game plan,” said Reynoso
Valdez is starting to look like a shot fighter, and he’s tackling the wrong guy at 130 in Berchelt. Reynoso’s game plan needs to be the greatest ever for Valdez to keep from being bludgeoned into submission by Berchelt.
Valdez will likely lose badly to Berchelt in a knockout loss. Reynoso is a good trainer, but he doesn’t walk on water. His fighter Canelo would likely have many losses on his record if he didn’t get lucky with the judges’ decisions in fights against Gennady Golovkin, Austin Trout, and Erislandy Lara.
If Canelo had been fighting other top guys like David Benavidez, Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, and Artur Beterbiev, his record would resemble a journeyman.
Reynoso is a good trainer, but he’s not someone that can make a flawed fighter into an invincible one. Canelo looks good because of the match-making.
