By: Hans Themistode
Under normal circumstances, a fighter’s preferred time of preparation is approximately 12 weeks. However, with Tyson Fury forced to postpone his showdown against Deontay Wilder due to the WBC/Ring Magazine titlist contracting COVID-19, there July 24th date is officially pushed back.
Although it is unclear when the two will step into the ring with one another, Andy Ruiz Jr. revealed that he’s patiently waiting by the phone just in case Wilder decides he wants a new dance partner, as opposed to waiting on Fury to heal up.
“Heck yeah,” said Ruiz Jr. when asked if he’d be willing to step in on short notice to face Wilder during an interview with RoundByRoundBoxing.com. “Call me right up.”
Ruiz Jr. is more than familiar with taking high-profile fights with little to no time to prepare. In June of 2019, Ruiz Jr. watched intriguingly as Jarrell Miller was removed from his heavyweight showdown against unified champion, Anthony Joshua.
Despite only having a few weeks to prepare, Ruiz Jr. picked himself up off the deck in the third round to send Joshua to the canvas four times before ultimately stopping him. The win crowned Ruiz Jr. as the first-ever Mexican heavyweight champion. His time on top of the boxing world was short-lived though, as Joshua settled the score six months later.
Ruiz Jr. would then take a year and a half off before resurfacing with new trainer, Eddie Reynoso. So far, their partnership has worked out well as Ruiz Jr. recently scored a unanimous decision win against fringe contender, Chris Arreola on May 1st.
At the moment, Ruiz Jr. has no fights lined up. But, the heavyweight contender claims that he is still working on his craft daily. Considering the success he had last time he was given a last-second opportunity, the Mexican product believes all systems will be a go if Wilder decides to give him a ring.
“That’s exactly why we’re staying in the gym and staying ready. If they’re looking my way come and bring it I’m ready.”