While several prominent heavyweights have been enjoying being a part of the big fight cards staged in Saudi Arabia, with the paydays to go along with these fights being nothing short of massive, one noticeably absent man is former world heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz. Now, though, “The Destroyer” has released a brief message on social media in which he says he has been given the “green light” to return to action by the doctor who examined his busted thumb.
Ruiz damaged his thumb in his last fight, this a laboured draw with Jarrell Miller, with Ruiz showing up at a hefty poundage. That fight occurred in August, and before that, Ruiz had boxed just one other time since May of 2021. Now, at age 35, Ruiz might be pretty close to drinking at the last chance saloon, and he might have to get himself together and put together two, even three good wins if he’s to get another shot at the world title.
Ruiz hasn’t taken too much punishment in his career and is a relatively fresh 35-year-old. And when he’s motivated and on his game, Ruiz, 35-2-1(22), can be dynamite, his fast hands serving him well. Ruiz – his thumb now healed – is asking fans who he should fight when he makes his ring return later this year.
“Just got the green light from the doctor. Let’s go, I’m ready to fight; who should I fight this year?” Ruiz wrote in his social media message.
If Ruiz can get back into the kind of shape he was in when he upset Anthony Joshua back in 2019, both from a mental and physical standpoint and if Ruiz can stay busy, who knows, he might feature in some more big fights. It would be an almost criminal waste of natural talent if Ruiz instead faded away and was remembered, years from now, as a fighter who had one excellent night, and that’s all (that KO win over AJ sure does seem a long time ago now).
There are many potential fights for Ruiz; he must work his way back into them.
Can Ruiz become a two-time heavyweight champion? Or, failing that, can the Mexican-American knock off another couple or three big names of the division he once ruled?
