Sports
Anthony Joshua to defend titles against Andy Ruiz Jr on June 1, but who is the Mexican-American heavyweight
Andy Ruiz Jr is set to be officially announced as Anthony Joshua’s new opponent for June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 29-year-old Mexican-American is expected to step in after Jarrell Miller failed three drugs tests and was ruled out of the fight.
Ruiz Jr has had 33 professional bouts so far, and also fought an extensive amateur career including an Olympic qualification attempt in 2008.
As a pro, he’s lost just once to Joseph Parker and now feels ready to step up in class again after rebuilding.
You can find out all you need to know about Andy Ruiz Jr below.
During his time in the amateur ranks, Andy Ruiz Jr racked up a record of 105-5.
In Mexico, he was the best young heavyweight around, partly due to the fact that the country seldom ever produces top fighters in the uppermost weight classes.
Ruiz went to the qualification stages for the 2008 Olympics but didn’t make it to the games as he was beaten by the likes of Oscar Rivas (Dillian Whyte’s next foe) and Michael Hunter (another touted potential AJ opponent).
Andy Ruiz Jr Boxing Record
As a professional, Ruiz Jr is 32-1 (21 KOs).
Following his failure to qualify for the 2008 Olympics, he turned pro the following year and spent the next seven years learning his craft in the pro ranks.
With a record of 29-0, Ruiz Jr was ordered to face Joseph Parker for the WBO heavyweight world title – his sole loss to date.
Since then, he has rebuilt with three wins and was in the spotlight at the perfect time last Saturday night, as his triumph on Danny Garcia’s undercard gave him the perfect platform to call out Anthony Joshua.
Andy Ruiz Jr vs Joseph Parker
When Tyson Fury vacated his two remaining titles in 2016, Ruiz Jr was in prime position to contest one of them – the WBO.
He was ordered to face fellow rising contender Parker for the belt and travelled to his opponent’s back yard in order to do so.
Parker won the bout by razor-thin majority decision (115-113, 115-113, 114-114) as Ruiz started fast but faded in the middle rounds. His late second wind wasn’t adjudged to be enough to secure him the title.
Andy Ruiz Jr vs Alexander Dimitrenko
Last Saturday (April 20), Ruiz Jr fought his third bout back since the defeat to Parker.
He beat Alexander Dimitrenko, forcing him to retire from the contest at the end of the fifth round.
As he’s been training, Ruiz jumped straight back into camp after two days off and is now readying himself to face Anthony Joshua.
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