10.05.05 – By Jim Amato: After James Toney defeated John Ruiz the dethroned Ruiz announced his retirement from boxing. My feelings were that is was a good time for John. He was the classic overachiever and it’s a good guess that he has a pretty size able bank account. Why continue? Well, evidently Ruiz had a change of heart and he has now un-retired. I can not say that I am surprised. His decision was hasty and it was made after losing his title. It was basically his frustration that led him to make a rash decision.
The question now is, where does Ruiz go from here ? I don’t think the public will buy Toney-Ruiz II. My guess is he’ll be matched with the winner of the W.B.O title bout between Lamon Brewster and Andrew Golota. Ruiz has some past history with Golota. If Brewster beats Golota to retain his title then that will add to his credibility. So would a victory over Ruiz.
What I would like to see is Ruiz take on David Tua. That one round blowout loss to Tua has been a thorn in Ruiz’s side for years. Tua is on the comeback trail now and his reviews have not been pretty. Now would be a good time to tackle Tua and try to erase the stigma of that horrid setback. If Tua wins, that would be a huge boost to David’s comeback hopes.
If not Ruiz-Tua II how about Ruiz-Tyson ? I always felt that Ruiz was made for Tyson. The last thing you lose is your punch. His legs and his reflexes have slowed but he still packs a wallop. He won’t have to chase Ruiz because Ruiz would be right there in front of him. If Tyson gets by Kevin McBride, I think Tyson-Ruiz would actually sell some tickets. Could be interesting but I doubt if we’ll ever see it.