By: Hans Themistode
They aren’t deafening in their criticism but Chris Arreola can hear his doubters loud and clear.
Despite being at the ripe old age of 40 and riding a two-fight losing streak, Arreola believes he still has plenty to offer the boxing world.
“Mother f*ckers out there are hating and shit,” said Arreola during an interview with ESNEWS. “Calling me old and shit.”
In 2016, following an eighth-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Deontay Wilder, Arreola spent the next two and a half years on the sidelines. Once he made his return at the tail end of 2018, the heavyweight contender reeled off two consecutive victories. With momentum firmly on his side, Arreola attempted to halt the heavyweight hype train of Adam Kownacki.
Yet, despite Arreola throwing 1,125 punches, a record for a heavyweight bout, he suffered a wide unanimous decision defeat. Although it wasn’t the result he was ultimately looking for, Arreola returned to the ring earlier this year against Andy Ruiz Jr.
Heading into their mid 2021 heavyweight clash, Arreola stated on numerous occasions that if he was unsuccessful in his attempt to defeat the former unified titlist, he would officially hang up his gloves for good.
Pegged as a sizable underdog, Arreola appeared to be on his way to scoring the monumental upset. In the opening frame, the California native landed a flush 1-2 combination. As a result, Ruiz Jr. hit the deck.
Nevertheless, despite his early success, Ruiz Jr. rallied back to pull out the victory. While Arreola believed his time in the sport of boxing had subsequently expired, the soon-to-be 41-year-old has a change of heart.
More than anything, Arreola still dreams of wrapping heavyweight gold around his waist. As the fringe contender thinks to himself, he fondly remembers the date November 5th, 1994. On the night, 45-year-old Hall of Famer George Foreman regained his heavyweight crown, scoring a tenth-round stoppage victory over Michael Moorer.
As Arreola continues to reminisce, his self-belief only grows as he believes that his heavyweight title dreams are far from over.
“I still got four or five more years left, until 45 like George Foreman. He won the title at 45 so I still got time.”