Andy Ruiz Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andy Ruiz Jr. |
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Ruiz Jr. in 2019
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr. |
| Nickname(s) | Destroyer |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) |
| Born | September 11, 1989 Imperial, California, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 38 |
| Wins | 35 |
| Wins by KO | 22 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Draws | 1 |
Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr. (born September 11, 1989) is an American professional boxer. He is famous for being a former unified world heavyweight boxing champion. In 2019, he held the titles from the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organization (WBO). He also held the International Boxing Organization (IBO) title during that time.
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Early Life
Andy Ruiz Jr. was born in Imperial, California. His parents moved to the U.S. from Mexico. His dad used to be a construction worker and later started a business fixing up houses. Andy loved baseball first, but his dad got him into boxing. He had his first fight when he was just seven years old in San Diego.
Later, Andy worked with his dad in construction. But he soon decided to become a full-time boxer. He started his amateur boxing career in Mexico. His grandfather owned a boxing gym in Mexicali. This gym was even used by famous boxer Jorge Páez. Andy's nickname, 'Destroyer', came from when he was a kid. He said he was "always destroying stuff" even before he started boxing.
Amateur Boxing Career
As an amateur boxer, Andy Ruiz Jr. had a great record of 105 wins and only 5 losses. He trained with Cuban coach Fernando Ferrer. His wins include two gold medals at the Mexican National Junior Olympics. He also won a title at the Ringside World Championships.
Andy also boxed for Mexico in two tournaments to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He didn't make it to the Olympics, losing to other strong boxers. Andy was able to represent Mexico because his parents were born there.
Professional Boxing Career
Andy Ruiz Jr. started his professional boxing career when he was 19. His first fight was on March 28, 2009, in Tijuana, Mexico. He won that fight by knockout (KO) in the very first round. Early in his career, Andy fought many different boxers. He showed his power by knocking out two amateur boxing stars, Jonte Willis and Tor Hamer.
Rising Through the Ranks
On July 27, 2013, Andy traveled to Macau to fight Joe Hanks. He knocked Hanks down twice in the fourth round to win the fight. With this win, Andy won the WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title. Later that year, he defended his title and also won the WBC-NABF heavyweight title by beating Tor Hamer. Hamer stopped fighting after the third round.
In December 2014, Andy fought former WBO champion Siarhei Liakhovich. Andy won by a decision after ten rounds, keeping his titles. He even fractured his right hand during the fight! In 2015, Andy started training with famous coach Abel Sanchez. Andy continued to win his fights, often by decision or technical knockout. By September 2016, he had 29 wins and no losses.
Fighting for a World Title
Andy Ruiz Jr. was chosen to fight Joseph Parker for the vacant WBO heavyweight title. The fight took place on December 10, 2016, in New Zealand. This was a big chance for Andy to become a world champion.
Parker won the fight by a close decision. Two judges scored it 115–113 for Parker, and one judge scored it a draw at 114–114. Andy started strong but slowed down in the middle rounds. He felt he should have won or at least gotten a draw. This was his first professional loss.
Winning Streak (2018–2019)
After his loss, Andy took a break from boxing. He returned to the ring on March 10, 2018, and knocked out Devin Vargas in the first round. He showed great power and speed. In July 2018, he fought Kevin Johnson and won by a decision. This fight helped him get more rounds in the ring.
On April 20, 2019, Andy fought Alexander Dimitrenko. He won by technical knockout in the fifth round. Andy showed off his quick hands and combinations. After this win, he wanted to fight Adam Kownacki.
Becoming Unified Heavyweight Champion
A huge opportunity came up for Andy Ruiz Jr. He was chosen to replace another boxer and challenge Anthony Joshua for his unified heavyweight titles. Joshua held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. This big fight happened on June 1, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In a shocking upset, Andy defeated Joshua by technical knockout in the seventh round! This was a huge moment because it was the first time Andy had ever been knocked down in his career, but he got back up and fought even harder. He knocked Joshua down four times in total. This made Andy the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion in boxing history. Many people consider this one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
Rematch with Anthony Joshua
Andy Ruiz Jr. defended his titles against Anthony Joshua in a rematch on December 7, 2019, in Saudi Arabia. This fight was watched by many people around the world. In this fight, Joshua boxed very carefully, using his jab to keep Andy at a distance. He avoided getting into close-up fights like in their first match.
Andy lost the fight by a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight clearly for Joshua. After the fight, Andy admitted that he hadn't trained as hard as he should have. He said, "I should have taken this fight more seriously. Three months of partying and celebrating affected me." He also showed respect for Joshua.
After the Titles
After losing his titles, Andy Ruiz Jr. changed trainers. He started working with Eddy Reynoso in May 2020.
Ruiz vs. Arreola
On May 1, 2021, Andy fought Chris Arreola. Andy was knocked down in the second round but recovered well. He went on to win the fight by a unanimous decision. This was his first fight with his new trainer.
Ruiz vs. Ortiz
Andy later changed trainers again, working with Alfredo Osuna. On September 4, 2022, he fought Luis Ortiz. Even though Ortiz outboxed him at times, Andy knocked Ortiz down three times. These knockdowns helped Andy win the fight by a close decision.
Ruiz vs. Miller
Andy had surgery on his right shoulder. After being out of the ring for a long time, he returned on August 3, 2024, to fight Jarrell Miller. The fight ended in a majority draw, meaning one judge scored it for Miller, but the other two scored it a tie. Andy's right hand seemed to be injured during the fight.
Personal Life
Andy Ruiz Jr. lives in his hometown of Imperial, California. He finished high school there in 2007. Andy feels connected to both American and Mexican cultures. He has said, "America's one of the greatest countries in the world. For me, I'm an American and I'm a Mexican. I live here. And it hurts me the way a lot of people talk about Mexicans when I know we're all about hard work and dedication." He can speak both English and Spanish fluently.
Images for kids
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Andy Ruiz Jr. speaks at the press conference announcing his rematch with Anthony Joshua.
See Also
In Spanish: Andy Ruiz Jr. para niños
- List of world heavyweight boxing champions
- List of Mexican boxing world champions
