Andy Ruiz Jr.’s Rare Appearance: A Heavyweight Clash Against Jarrell Miller

Andy Ruiz Jr. is making one of his rare appearances next month against Jarrell Miller in a fight on August 3rd at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

(Credit: Matchroom Boxing)

The former IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) has been picked out by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh to fight on his stellar card in one of the best events the U.S. saw in years.

Ruiz will need to turn in a vintage performance if he comes through this fight against Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs) and will suffer his third defeat. The New Yorker Miller, 36, is hungry and wants to add Ruiz’s name to his resume to keep fighting on Turki’s cards.

Miller needs this win more than the millionaire Ruiz, who earned $10M from his two fights against Anthony Joshua and additional money from his headliners against Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz in the last three years.

The dough that Ruiz made for Joshua is likely why he has not stayed active. Ruiz no longer needs to fight to live comfortably in an upscale neighborhood in Southern California.

Ruiz Jr. vs. Miller will be fighting on the undercard of Terence Crawford vs. Israil Marimov on ESPN+ PPV. This is a great opportunity for both heavyweights to get noticed by fans and to continue to be added to future events held by His Excellency.

“I’ve never predicted a knockout, but if the knockout comes, it comes. I’m just here to win and become victorious,” said Andy Ruiz Jr. to the media, discussing his fight against Jarrell Miller on August 3rd. “All the Mexican fighters are the main guys around.

Miller was knocked out in the tenth round by his last opponent, 26-year-old Daniel Dubois, on December 23rd last year, but that’s a young heavyweight with more power and at the top of his game compared to the 34-year-old inactive Andy Ruiz.

“We’re all warriors in there and risk our lives in there to feed our families and to make our dreams come true. Everybody wants to become a champion of the world. It’s just dedication, discipline, and just working hard,” Ruiz Jr. continued.

“The mission begins now, and I have to continue my legacy that I have going on. I made history on June 1st [in 2019] against Anthony Joshua. I made mistakes, and I learned. I’ve been in my ups and downs with so many rollercoasters in life,” said Ruiz, hinting about the problems he’s dealt with in the last five years.

Assuming Ruiz Jr. wins against Miller, he’s got to focus on fighting three to four times a year if he wants to get a chance to fight one of the popular British fighters, Joshua or Tyson Fury before they retire. If Ruiz disappears for two years after fighting Miller, Joshua, and Fury will likely be retired by then, and he’ll have missed his chance.

Ruiz needs to look good beating Miller and then target one of the top contenders, Argit Kabayel or Jared Anderson. If he beats one of those two guys, he’ll get ranked in the top five in the division and be able to challenge for a world title.

“Right now, it’s a redemption as well. So, I’m super motivated, super hyped, and the most important thing is I’m hungry. I’m hungry for success, and I’m hungry to become a two-time heavyweight champion of thie world,” Ruiz continued.

Ruiz said he was “hungry” after his last fight against Luis Ortiz in September 2022 but disappeared for two years. I would be surprised if fans see Ruiz back in the ring before 2026.

His Excellency is the one guy who ensures that Ruiz stays active because he likes to be paid well, and he’s not going to be given how he’s been forgotten by fans and is no longer main event material.

“Right now, it’s open. It’s an open division right now,” said Ruiz when asked about the heavyweight landscape. There are so many heavyweights popping up left and right, and the main guy is Jarrell Miller before I start calling out any other heavyweight fighters.

“I think Jarrell Miller is the biggest test right now in front of me. I got to become victorious. I got to win this fight. I know it’s really important for both of us, and I believe we will have this victory,” said Ruiz.

It’s good that Ruiz recognizes that there’s a chance he loses this fight to Miller because many fans view him as an underdog in this clash. Miller has looked better in his recent fights than Ruiz has in the last five years, and it might require a knockout or a series of knockdowns for him to win.

“It’s the first event that His Excellency Turki has brought over here, so I’m really happy. I even flew all the way to talk to him and for him to give me the opportunity to fight over here, and that’s exactly what he did,” said Ruiz.

His Excellency Turki must like Ruiz for him to be using him in his events. That shows how much of a hardcore boxing fan he is because most fans have forgotten about Ruiz,

“So right now, I just have to focus, train hard, and stay busy. I don’t want to fight, and then you don’t see me for two years. ‘What happened to Andy?’ But I want to be here for the long run,” said Ruiz.