Andy Ruiz Jr gave an incredibly honest response recently when asked about his past weight issues.
Ruiz, 31, will return to the boxing ring for the first time in over 16 months when he fights Chris Arreola on May 1 in California. His last bout was a rematch against Anthony Joshua in December 2019 which, as we know, he lost via unanimous decision.
Ruiz opens up
That defeat came just six months after Ruiz shocked the world by knocking out Joshua at Madison Square Garden to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles.
The moment itself was quite something, but one element of the two-fight series that many fans noted was the difference in Ruiz’s speed and weight.
In the rematch, he came in heavier and was open about his poor preparation. As a result of that, he’s now trimmed down and seems to be in the best shape of his life.
During the press conference for the Arreola fight, Ruiz spoke candidly and humourously about his weight problems.
“You know what? I’ve always been overweight,” Ruiz said. “And now that I’ve been dropping weight normally and in the right way – by eating right, not just wearing the sauna suit, starving yourself – because that’s what I used to do back in the day. But now that we’re eating the right things, we’re working on the right things, I feel amazing, man.
“I can say this – I feel amazing. I could do better stuff that I couldn’t do before because of my big gut. I had chi-chis. I had t*ts that wouldn’t let me throw the right punches and all that. But, you know, now I’m more motivated, I’m more dedicated in this sport and, you know, sky’s the limit.”
Some pundits believe a win in May could vault Ruiz right back into world title contention.
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