Andy Ruiz Jr. says time away from boxing allowed him to recover physically, rebuild his life outside the ring and rediscover his motivation before launching another heavyweight run.
The former unified champion returns against Damian Knyba on September 4 in Newark after spending an extended period with his family and recovering from hand and shoulder surgeries.
“I got to work on a lot of different things,” Ruiz said. “It was good, but I got tired of being tired.”
Ruiz then contacted former trainer Manny Robles, who guided him to his career-defining upset victory over Anthony Joshua in 2019.
“I had to call Rob,” Ruiz said. “‘You think we could reunite? You think we could make history again?’”
The reunion has restored Ruiz’s belief that he can return to the heavyweight title picture. His first test will come against Knyba, with victory needed to prove that his renewed discipline can translate back into the ring.
Image Credit: PBC