Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. will finally return to the ring almost 18 months after his last fight. The hard-hitting heavyweight will take on Chris Arreola on April 24 as he starts his second journey to the belts.
Reports revealed that that the two heavyweights had held talks about a potential fight. However, it now appears that they have agreed to a deal and date. Boxing fans will finally get to see how Ruiz Jr. will bounce back.
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BoxingScene was the first to report the news when it announced ‘The Destroyer’ agreed to a deal with Arreola. The two heavyweights will fight on a pay-per-view event on FOX and will face each other on April 24, 2021. However, they also had an update on the undercard.
BoxingScene also reported that the discussion for the undercard is ongoing, with an emphasis being placed on having fellow PBC fighters. Thus, fans have been left wondering who would feature on the undercard of Ruiz Jr.’s return.
Given that Arreola is not as big a name, we may see a big-name co-main event on the fight card. However, the heavyweights will be pleased they got the fight over the line.
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Why is Andy Ruiz Jr. fighting Chris Arreola?
The former champion embarked on a fantastic transformation after his loss to Joshua. He signed with Eddie Reynoso and followed a strict regime. As a result, there was a lot of excitement around his return. However, it may be not attracting as much attention since he is fighting Arreola.
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Ruiz Jr. himself wanted to fight Dillian Whyte or Deontay Wilder. He engaged in an ugly war of words with the Brit, saying that fighting Wilder would be a challenge for him. However, he has had to settle for Arreola.
Whyte is fighting Alexander Povetkin their rematch this weekend, while Wilder is negotiating a fight against Charles Martin. Thus, Andy Ruiz Jr. was left with no option but to take on Arreola. Therefore, he will have to make a massive statement against the experienced American.
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What do you make of this news regarding Andy Ruiz Jr.? Do you think he can make a statement against the veteran?
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