By: Hans Themistode
The swinging momentum is enough to keep Andy Ruiz Jr at the edge of the chair.
On October 9, at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada, both Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder competed for the third and perhaps last time in their careers. In the early fights, it all seemed to be Fury as he scored the knockdown in the third round. Then, in a flash, Wilder jumped back, scoring two kills of his own in four games.
Although they will fight fairly for the rest of the competition, Fury ended their encounter forcefully, stopping Wilder in round 11. With such a grueling show of wits, both men Men will seem to have to take a long and necessary break from the sport.
While Fury seems to be heading for a bout with longtime contender Dillian Whyte in 2022, Wilder’s future still holds up.
As for Ruiz Jr., the former unified heavyweight champion is still on the mend. Since dropping the world title to Anthony Joshua in December 2019, six months after causing a huge disappointment to the British native, Ruiz Jr is back in the ring against competitor Chris Arreola.
Despite being a big favorite, Ruiz Jr was forced to peel himself from the deck before claiming a decisive unanimous victory. Since then, the 31-year-old had hoped to return to the ring by the end of 2021. However, those plans were scrapped due to the former heavyweight player having knee surgery.
Keeping a close eye on both Fury and the newly crowned champion, Oleksandr Usyk, Ruiz Jr is well aware that he still has a few fights left before he can challenge for another world title. While names like Luis Ortiz and Charles Martin are attractive options for the Mexican-born, he appears to be locked in a future Wilder confrontation.
“I think it’s going to be a great battle, I’m against Deontay Wilder,” Ruiz Jr said in an interview with Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast. “We are both part of the same team you know. I wouldn’t mind joining the ring with him. I feel like I can beat him. We have to start. “
