06.05.05 – John, this is a letter from a boxing fan that has a few things he would like to say to you. Our local sports network just replayed your fight with James Toney, and I watched Toney walk into the ring, followed by yourself.. I watched as you paced back and forth waiting for the names to be announced and the fight to begin, and I could watch no longer. You see, I saw the look in your eyes, the same one I had seen on the night you fought Roy Jones Jr., you had showed up to fight, and you believed you could win.
I already knew the outcome of the boxing match, the replay was almost a week after the actual fight had taken place, and that made matters worse. I felt a terrible guilty feeling rush through me as I saw you prepare, once again, to risk everything, your career, your reputation, and your health so that us fans would have another 36 minutes of boxing to watch.
I have four words to say to you John Ruiz, the first two are “Thank You.” Thank you for taking fights like James Toney and Roy Jones Jr. Fights that many heavyweights wouldn’t have taken, because they are no win situations. If you beat a smaller man, you are a bully, if you lose, you are the bully who got whipped. Regardless of what has happened in your career, no one will ever be able to say, “John Ruiz ducked that guy”, or, “Ruiz wanted more money to fight this guy”. It was you who made these fights possible, and the true boxing fan will give you credit for it.
The last two words I have for you are “I’m sorry”. I apologize for what I have written or said about you John. Many have called your style boring, and I have am among them. I cannot call your style exciting John, that would be dishonest of me, however, those that identify with you have been thrilled with the victories that you produced.
In your open letter to Vitali Klitschko, you stated that you were most deserving of a shot for his WBC belt. You put your WBA belt on the line against his title and pointed out reasons that you should be given a shot. I, like many others, belittled your rational, but I was wrong, and you were right. Your wins over Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman, and Andrew Golota gave you as much right to fight for the title as Corrie Sanders, or Danny Williams. If you have not fought someone, it was because they would not come to you, not vice versa.
You have been willing to step into the ring with every man that has challenged you, and I have called you boring for it. A man that has never stepped between the ropes to partake in a professional fight, calling a man of your resume boring, how dare I? You have said that you were never disrespectful to anyone, and that you have not been afforded the same privilege, and you are right, I have never read a quote where you disrespected an opponent, and that is uncommon in the days of trash talking, classless braggadocios like James Toney.
Boxing, and boxing fans have not afforded you the respect that you deserve John, and I hope that you are able to read this letter and know there are people out there, even amongst your detractors, that appreciate your contribution to the sport. I do not know if you are going to retire or not, but let me say this, if I had been given the opportunity to carry your gloves to the ring in any one of your championship fights, it would have been one of my proudest moments.
Best regards,
Geoff McKay