Anthony Joshua’s former nemesis Andy Ruiz Jr overcame an early setback to beat Chris Arreola in his return to the ring on Saturday night in California.
Ruiz staged a comeback at boxing, having been out for a year since conceding the world heavyweight championships back to Anthony Joshua in their rematch in December 2019.
A bout he previously won – by a unanimous decision before being made to bit the dust some months later, after gaining weight and blaming “partying”.
Ruiz Jr looked to have struggled against Arreola when, in the second round, he was forced onto a knee after taking an overhand right.
‘The Destroyer’ survived but the third round became a dramatic shoot-out with both men landing power punches.
Eventually, Ruiz Jr adjusted and settled into the fight as a counter-puncher, dominating the final stretch.
The judges scored it 117-110, 118-109, 118-109.
He had also shed considerable weight since his fights with Joshua.
“Chris is a veteran and a hard puncher,” said Ruiz Jr. “We did what we had to do tonight. We got the victory that we wanted. I was at my lowest point and now I have to climb the ladder again. I’m thankful for the victory and I’m ready to move on to the next.
“He got me with a good clean right hand in the second round. I was too overconfident and dropped my hand a bit. Hats off to him.
“We just kept pushing and pushing. I switched up and started focusing on counter-punching and working the body.
“I felt a little rust and I know other fighters can relate to that,” said Ruiz. “If he wants to run it back, we’ll run it back with him.”
