Andy Ruiz Jr’s fast hands aren’t just catching out his fellow heavyweights, but his training team too.
Mexico’s first ever heavyweight champion is known for his speed of hand and counter punches – something Anthony Joshua learned the hard way when the pair met in Madison Square Garden in what would turn out to be one of the biggest heavyweight upsets of recent times.
In a resurfaced training clip posted by TalkSPORT‘s Michael Benson, Ruiz Jr’s power and punch velocity is clear to see.
Andy Ruiz Jr's coach showed a serious chin to stay standing after this…
[📽️ @Andy_Destroyer1] pic.twitter.com/Iczecxxzm9
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) January 1, 2023
To his credit, the man holding the pads stayed on his feet – although he did stagger for a second or two.
Ruiz Jr is currently in training for an opponent as yet unknown. Since losing his unified titles back to Joshua in an immediate rematch, the Mexican heavyweight has wins over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz.
With a goal of becoming two-time champion clear in his mind, ‘The Destroyer’ wants big fights and quickly. He’s not shy to call out the top names in the division, and was all in when the WBC ordered him to face Deontay Wilder.
The bout is to be a final eliminator to determine which fighter is next in line for a shot at Tyson Fury’s title. However, Wilder’s team have been reluctant to make the fight, instead searching for one with Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk.
With the belts tied up in a potential undisputed match, many fans are demanding the Ruiz-Wilder bout in the interim, and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ may just be forced to take it due to a lack of other options.
Whatever happens, 2023 is looking to be a mega year for the big men, and Andy Ruiz will play a part.