Andy Ruiz Jr. has stepped back from the limelight after suffering a hand injury during his controversial draw with Jarrell Miller.
Unlike his opponent, Ruiz hasn’t been seen on social media since the fight that was co-featured on the Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov card. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh put the event together to get the Riyadh Season name into the United States domain, with one eye on making another massive heavyweight fight for the winner.
However, it wasn’t to be as Ruiz and Miller drew following a twelve-round battle. Two scores read 114-114, but Robert Hoyle’s 116-112 effort in favor of Miller was seen by many as closer to the truth.
As Miller takes the plaudits and declares himself a moral victor, Ruiz has gone off the radar amid attempts to fix his grotesque hand ailment. Ruiz has been fleeting in and out of the sport since losing his world heavyweight title to Anthony Joshua in December 2019, and the ex-unified champion’s future has again been questioned.
After his loss, Ruiz immediately referenced the hand but stated his desire to have a second fight with Miller to see a winner finally. Those intentions may not be able to be honored for months, if ever, due to the apparent severity of Ruiz’s hand, by his own judgment.
“I hurt my hand, and you can see the bone right here. It bothered me a lot from that fifth round where I kept hitting him in the head,” said Ruiz. “He’s a strong mother******. He keeps coming forward and forward. Let’s run it again. I think it was close. It was crazy, man. I haven’t fought in two years, but let’s do a rematch.”
He added, “It’s pretty exhausting when you’ve got a 300lb man coming towards me. Throwing and throwing. I think I did pretty good after not fighting in two years.”
Ruiz has given fans zero updates since then.
Given recuperation and Ruiz’s usual timeouts, that two-year absence could turn into one fight in three years [not for the first time]. By then, the Mexican-American will be pushing 36. ‘The Destroyer’ will have wasted his best years outside the ropes.
Another world title shot could prove impossible unless Ruiz can again get serious about boxing.
In contrast, Miller is willing to move to Saudi Arabia to persuade Turki Alalshikh to bankroll his retirement run. The ‘Big Baby’ has only a few years left at the top. The New Yorker wants Alalshikh to make him a permanent part of Riyadh Season.
“I’m definitely heartbroken with the result [of the Ruiz fight], but I know in my life I’ve never had anything easy. Warriors don’t quit. Everything will come to light. They can rob you, they can steal from you, they can lie to you, but Allah sees all,” said Miller.
He added, “Brother Turki said what needed to be said. He has seen it for himself who won that fight [with Ruiz]. I’m a free agent. Free at last. I have no dealings with Dimitry Salita or his promotional company whatsoever. I’m packing my bags. It’s time to move to Saudi,” he concluded.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
