At 35 years old, Ruiz still has time to make another run at world heavyweight honors. His career has been a rollercoaster ride, with incredible highs and disappointing lows.
In June 2019, Ruiz shocked the boxing world. As a last-minute stand-in, he upset Anthony Joshua to become the unified world heavyweight champion. But his reign was short-lived. Six months later in Saudi Arabia, Ruiz lost the titles back to Joshua. He entered the rematch in bad shape and hugely overweight.
Since losing his championship, Ruiz has fought three times. He scored labored points wins over Chris Arreola and Luiz Ortiz, both going the full 12 rounds. His most recent bout, in August 2023, ended in a draw with Jarrell Miller. Many observers thought Ruiz was lucky to avoid defeat in that fight.
Now, it seems Ruiz is ready to get back on track. He posted on Instagram about his new diet plan:
"Gotta start now and only eat protein for 3 weeks. Getting ready before fight camp. Slow but surely. Work in progress…"
This post came with a picture of his food prep, showing he's serious about getting back in shape.
In January 2024, Ruiz got even more specific about his comeback plans. He announced:
"Just got the green light from the doctor. Let's go, I'm ready to fight. Who should I fight this year?"
Ruiz's story brings to mind the famous quote from Marvin Hagler. The boxing legend once said it's "tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5am when you're sleeping in silk pyjamas." This captures the challenge of staying motivated after reaching the top.
Some special fighters, like Floyd Mayweather, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, and Joe Calzaghe, manage to stay on top for decades. Calzaghe even made 20 defenses of his super-middleweight world title. But others, like Ruiz, fall quickly after reaching the pinnacle.
Ruiz has always been known for his toughness and hand speed. If he can get back into top shape, he might have one more shot at heavyweight glory. Boxing fans will be watching closely to see if the former champ can recapture the magic that made him a unified world champion.