Two proud fighters from Mexico will square off this coming Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, as Andy Ruiz Jr. take on Chris Arreola. Which warrior will earn a win? Check out our preview of this heavyweight bout below.
Andy Ruiz will return to action for the first time in over a year. He last saw action in December of 2019 when he tried to defend his WBA heavyweight title but failed against Anthony Joshua, losing via unanimous decision. Ruiz had enjoyed short-lived mainstream fame when he defeated Joshua in shocking fashion, scoring a TKO win in their first title match back in June 2019. When he lost to Joshua, it seemed that the life of being a three-belt champion was too much for him to handle, as he came into the rematch not in top form, resulting in a lopsided loss. Since then, Ruiz refocused and is expected to be back in a much better shape. Ruiz is already quite familiar with Arreola, having sparred before with the former heavyweight title contender. Ruiz has even changed trainers, as he now fights under Eddy Reynoso’s tutelage. Ruiz has never been knocked out before. He can withstand the hardest hits, as shown by his two fights against the chiseled Joshua. At 40, Arreola might not have the power to bring Ruiz to the ground.
Not a few people might be surprised that Arreola is still active in the business. He hasn’t fought in over a year just like Ruiz, and the last time he was inside the ring, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Adam Kownacki back in August 2019. His last win was against Jeanpierre Augustin in March 2019 via TKO. Sure, Arreola is old and not the fighter he was before when he was challenging for heavyweight belts, but a well-timed straight or one good combination could spell the difference in his fight against Ruiz to his favor. Arreola is taller by an inch and has a two-inch reach advantage over Ruiz. Arreola is also fueled by a desire to score a huge win now that he’s undeniably in the twilight of his career. In an interview, Arreola said that he’s not fighting Ruiz “for a paycheck,” and is instead looking at this fight from a more personal perspective, knowing that Ruiz accomplished what he failed in the past — to be the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world.
