The possibility of Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua 3 resurfaced this week after Ruiz said he wants the rivalry settled with a trilogy bout, believing it offers the clearest path for both heavyweights to regain relevance in boxing’s title chase. Ruiz made the case publicly as both former champions continue searching for a defining next step in a crowded heavyweight landscape.
That matters because the division has changed dramatically since their two-fight series in 2019, with Tyson Fury now retired again, Oleksandr Usyk still setting the standard, and a long list of contenders fighting for position behind them. A Joshua-Ruiz rubber match would not crown a champion, but it would carry real weight in determining who still belongs near the front of the line.
Ruiz said a third meeting has to happen because both fighters saw their careers altered by those first two bouts. He maintained that he beat Joshua the first time and blamed himself for the rematch loss, saying he failed to take the second fight seriously enough and gave Joshua too many opportunities. Ruiz also insisted that if he enters a third bout fully prepared and in top condition, Joshua would not beat him.
The backstory is already built in. Ruiz shocked the sport in June 2019 when he stepped in as a late replacement at Madison Square Garden and stopped Joshua in the seventh round in one of the biggest heavyweight upsets of the modern era. Six months later, Joshua boxed cautiously and efficiently in Saudi Arabia, winning a clear unanimous decision to take back his belts.
For Joshua, a third fight would be about proving the first loss was an outlier and showing he can still handle pressure against a dangerous counterpuncher. For Ruiz, it is about showing that his career did not peak on one unforgettable night in New York. American fans would likely buy into that storyline quickly, especially because Ruiz remains one of the few U.S.-based heavyweights with mainstream name recognition.
If the fight gains traction, the biggest thing to watch is whether it becomes a true eliminator for one more run at the heavyweight elite—or simply the final answer to one of boxing’s strangest rivalries.