Following his victory over Luis Ortiz in a WBC title eliminator, Andy Ruiz Jr has expressed his interest in facing Deontay Wilder.
In Los Angeles on Sunday, September 4, Ruiz secured a unanimous decision win after knocking down Ortiz three times during the bout.
The Destroyer dropped the 43-year-old Ortiz twice in the second round and once again in the seventh, despite a valiant effort from the Cuban who fought with a swollen left eye.
Deontay Wilder, who is set to return to the ring next month in a separate WBC eliminator against Robert Helenius, was present at ringside to witness Ruiz’s triumph. A potential victory for the Bronze Bomber could lead to a showdown with Ruiz for the right to challenge Tyson Fury for the belt.
Following his win, Ruiz called on Premier Boxing Champions boss Al Haymon to make the fight happen. ‘God willing he [Wilder] wins against Robert in October,’ said Ruiz. ‘Me and him are in the same organisation, I want to thank Al Haymon, he can make this fight happen, and let’s do it, let’s get it on.’
In 2019, Ruiz caused a major upset in the heavyweight division by claiming Anthony Joshua’s three championship belts, only to lose them back to Joshua six months later.
Expressing his hunger for more fights, Ruiz stated, ‘I do not want to be waiting. I want to fight at least three or four times a year. I’m hungry, man. I want to be a champion again.’
He added, ‘It was very difficult. I was waiting for him to load up, and countering him when he did. It was a blessing we were able to be successful.’