Stephen Espinoza Calls Out “Poor [Refereeing]” While Peter Fury and Others React as Andy Ruiz Jr. Suffers Hand Injury in MD Draw vs. Jarrell Miller

Andy Ruiz Jr. would have surely preferred an emphatic return. but sadly, that didn’t happen. Jarrell Miller seems to have put the spanner in the brakes for the former heavyweight champion’s comeback plan. The two heavyweights met on the undercard of the Terence Crawford–Israil Madrimov title clash.

The ‘Destroyer’ returned to the rind after a break that lasted nearly 23 months. Though he suffered a second-career loss to Daniel Dubois last year, in comparison, the ‘Big Baby’ had been a bit more busy. And it showed when the two finally went after each other at the BMO Stadium some time ago. The fight ended in a majority decision draw. Subsequent reports suggest that Ruiz Jr. might have injured his right hand. The bout nevertheless drew a fair share of reactions from some well-known names in the boxing circle.

Landing on a deadlock: Andy Ruiz Jr. and Jarrell Miller

Michael Benson shared a photo displaying the swelling on Andy Ruiz Jr.’s hand. Many fans found it concerning. Out of the three, one judge found Jarrell Miller’s performance convincing enough to award him a clean 116-112 on the scorecard. But, it seems, that wasn’t enough for the remaining two judges. Both went ahead with an equal 114-114 for both heavyweights.

To many fans, it might be the best performance from ‘Big Baby’ in recent times. But the point to ponder is that it has come against an out-of-a-long-break Andy Ruiz Jr. Though he shrugged off ring rust, to many eyes, it was apparent that the former heavyweight champion wasn’t back to his full self.

Incidentally, Miller might have had a score to settle against Ruiz Jr. Back in 2018-19, the ‘Big Baby’ was all set to fight then-unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. But the banned substance fiasco derailed his plan. Andy Ruiz Jr. then joined in as a replacement. He went to create history, becoming the first heavyweight champion of Mexican heritage.

The seesaw fight

From disapproval to applause, many voices joined to share their thoughts on the much-anticipated heavyweight duel. Let’s check what a few well-known names have written.

While sharing that the fight went to the scorecards, award-winning writer Dan Rafael found the fight quite competitive enough. However, his personal scorecard favored Jarrell Miller.

Former two-division champion Shawn ‘Showtime’ Porter also felt that ‘Big Baby’ had done enough to secure the win.

Earlier, highlighting how the championship rounds were crucial for determining the winner, he predicted that if neither of the two heavyweights ups their game, then the fight will end in a draw.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the referee, Stephen Espinoza highlighted how ‘excessive wrestling’ and usage of elbow went unpunished. He strongly opined that, in the hands of a better referee, the outcome of the match could have been drastically different.

Claressa Shields appeared astonished that the fight concluded with a stalemate.

Mike Coppinger pointed out that Andy Ruiz Jr. appeared tired. Jarrell Miller applied constant pressure and pushed him back. Thus, the former managed to win more rounds in comparison.

Super middleweight Shadasia Green suggested that Miller make effective use of the jab-left hook and the right-hand combination to increase his chances of winning the fight.

Peter Fury observed a contrast in fighting style: Jarrell Miller’s pressure tactic against Andy Ruiz Jr.’s effective punches. Unlike a few, he seemed quite impressed by the ‘Destroyer’s performance, given his two-year break from the sport.

Neither Miller nor Ruiz Jr. currently stand in the top 15 rankings of the sanctioning bodies. Hence, the draw might have tumbled their plans for a push into the title contention.

Andy Ruiz Jr. will turn 35 on September 11, a year younger than Miller. So time is flying by for both. If they want to make a strong return to the main league, then nothing short of a statement in the next outing will work. Then they can as well go for a rematch, given how many found the fight quite competitive.

Do you feel that there should be a rematch between Jarrell Miller and Andy Ruiz Jr., or should they seek out other opponents to get back to the rankings?