08-21-2019, 04:23 PM
Andy Ruiz 'not in great shape' as he misses start of camp for Anthony Joshua rematch
08:51, Aug 21 2019
Andy Ruiz Jr has battled weight issues all his life and now faces a demanding fitness regime for his rematch with Anthony Joshua.
World heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr has bloated out and missed the start of the training camp for his rematch with Anthony Joshua.
Ruiz, often ridiculed for his weight issues, shocked the boxing world with his knockout of Joshua in New York in June to win the WBO, WBA and IBF titles.
He has taken time out since then and clearly has a bit of work ahead of him for the sequel set for Saudi Arabia on December 7.
"We're working on getting back together this week," Ruiz's trainer Manny Robles told ESPN.
"I was hoping it would be [Monday] but it wasn't, so we're definitely working on that right now. We didn't have a training session [Monday], but we're scheduled to start training this week.
"He's not in great shape, but he's hitting the gym back home in Imperial. He's running the treadmill, but obviously we haven't fully begun training camp.
"Once we do we have [close to] four months to get ready for a fight. That's enough time to get him in shape. Let's hope we can get him back in the gym real soon and get him going again."
Robles is working on a new plan that will involve altitude training in either California or Mexico.
"We have to figure out if I should drive over to Imperial and get things going there or if he'll come to [Los Angeles]," Robles told ESPN.
Andy Ruiz Jr used his weight to his advantage to destroy Anthony Joshua and become world heavyweight champion.
"We might start training here in LA and then move our training to either Big Bear [California] or maybe somewhere in Mexico, maybe the Otomi [a mountainous region outside of Mexico City] or maybe the mountains in Jalisco, but definitely in the mountains, at altitude.
"We'll get things going. We got more than enough time to get ready for December."
Ruiz, gifted with rare hand speed and athleticism for his size, has always made light of the weight issues that have dogged him throughout his life. He even took on a chocolate sponsorship in the wake of his win over Joshua.
The Ruiz camp remains unhappy with Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn taking the rematch to Saudi Arabia.
Hearn insists, under the contract, that he dictates the venue choice but Ruiz still holds hope of having the fight in the United States again. At worst, he may be able to leverage an even bigger payday by going to Saudi.
"If I could make the decision as far as where the fight would be I would say here in LA or Vegas, but it's not up to me," Robles said as the venue continues to be a sticking point.
"It's up to the promoters, Mr Eddie Hearn and Al Haymon to sit down and decide where and when. That has absolutely nothing to do with me. My job is just to get the fighter ready.
"But the first fight was in New York and the second fight was supposed to be in New York, or in England or Wales.
"But now all of a sudden it's in Saudi Arabia, which I'm not 100 percent sold on.
"But it is what it is; like I said, my job is to get my guy ready and soon as I have him back in the gym I'll be able to make an assessment as to where he is physically, mentally, and then take it from there."
Stuff
08:51, Aug 21 2019
Andy Ruiz Jr has battled weight issues all his life and now faces a demanding fitness regime for his rematch with Anthony Joshua.
World heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr has bloated out and missed the start of the training camp for his rematch with Anthony Joshua.
Ruiz, often ridiculed for his weight issues, shocked the boxing world with his knockout of Joshua in New York in June to win the WBO, WBA and IBF titles.
He has taken time out since then and clearly has a bit of work ahead of him for the sequel set for Saudi Arabia on December 7.
"We're working on getting back together this week," Ruiz's trainer Manny Robles told ESPN.
"I was hoping it would be [Monday] but it wasn't, so we're definitely working on that right now. We didn't have a training session [Monday], but we're scheduled to start training this week.
"He's not in great shape, but he's hitting the gym back home in Imperial. He's running the treadmill, but obviously we haven't fully begun training camp.
"Once we do we have [close to] four months to get ready for a fight. That's enough time to get him in shape. Let's hope we can get him back in the gym real soon and get him going again."
Robles is working on a new plan that will involve altitude training in either California or Mexico.
"We have to figure out if I should drive over to Imperial and get things going there or if he'll come to [Los Angeles]," Robles told ESPN.
Andy Ruiz Jr used his weight to his advantage to destroy Anthony Joshua and become world heavyweight champion.
"We might start training here in LA and then move our training to either Big Bear [California] or maybe somewhere in Mexico, maybe the Otomi [a mountainous region outside of Mexico City] or maybe the mountains in Jalisco, but definitely in the mountains, at altitude.
"We'll get things going. We got more than enough time to get ready for December."
Ruiz, gifted with rare hand speed and athleticism for his size, has always made light of the weight issues that have dogged him throughout his life. He even took on a chocolate sponsorship in the wake of his win over Joshua.
The Ruiz camp remains unhappy with Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn taking the rematch to Saudi Arabia.
Hearn insists, under the contract, that he dictates the venue choice but Ruiz still holds hope of having the fight in the United States again. At worst, he may be able to leverage an even bigger payday by going to Saudi.
"If I could make the decision as far as where the fight would be I would say here in LA or Vegas, but it's not up to me," Robles said as the venue continues to be a sticking point.
"It's up to the promoters, Mr Eddie Hearn and Al Haymon to sit down and decide where and when. That has absolutely nothing to do with me. My job is just to get the fighter ready.
"But the first fight was in New York and the second fight was supposed to be in New York, or in England or Wales.
"But now all of a sudden it's in Saudi Arabia, which I'm not 100 percent sold on.
"But it is what it is; like I said, my job is to get my guy ready and soon as I have him back in the gym I'll be able to make an assessment as to where he is physically, mentally, and then take it from there."
Stuff