{"id":66706,"date":"2022-09-05T14:24:59","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T14:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/andy-ruiz-jr-moves-closer-to-potentially-explosive-mega-fight-vs-deontay-wilder\/"},"modified":"2022-09-05T14:24:59","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T14:24:59","slug":"andy-ruiz-jr-moves-closer-to-potentially-explosive-mega-fight-vs-deontay-wilder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/andy-ruiz-jr-moves-closer-to-potentially-explosive-mega-fight-vs-deontay-wilder\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy Ruiz Jr. moves closer to potentially explosive mega-fight vs. Deontay Wilder"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Andy Ruiz Jr. punches Luis Ortiz to a unanimous decision win during a WBC world heavyweight title eliminator fight on Sept. 4, 2022 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Harry How\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Andy Ruiz Jr. and Luis Ortiz are among the hardest-punching heavyweights in boxing. Combined, they entered Sunday’s crucial bout at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles with 50 knockouts in 71 starts.<\/p>\n

For the most part on Sunday, though, they went mostly with change-ups and off-speed pitches. But when Ruiz really needed that 100 mph fastball, he reached back and found it.<\/p>\n

Both men fought a tactical, nuanced fight and there weren’t a lot of wild exchanges or toe-to-toe slugfests. Ruiz, though, threw a few more heaters than Ortiz and that’s what led him to an unanimous decision victory over the 43-year-old Cuban.<\/p>\n

Ruiz scored three knockdowns with his right hand, including two in the second and one in the seventh. The knockdowns turned out to be the difference in the fight. Fernando Villareal had it 113-112 for Ruiz, while both Zachary Young and Edward Hernandez Sr. had it 114-111 for Ruiz, the former unified champion. Yahoo Sports had it 115-110 for Ruiz.<\/p>\n

The win kept Ruiz’s hopes for a mega-fight alive. Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder entered the ring after the bout to accept Ruiz’s post-fight call-out. Wilder hasan Oct. 15 bout with Robert Helenius in New York. If he gets past that, as he is favored to do, it will set up a fascinating bout with Ruiz.<\/p>\n

Ruiz has never fought anyone remotely close to Wilder in style, who uncorks fastball after fastball and turns a boxing match into a battle of attrition. Wilder is n’t the greatest defensive fighter, but he is one of the hardest punchers the heavyweight division has ever seen and he’s always willing to bet on his power.<\/p>\n

Ruiz fought a tactical fight because of the challenges Ortiz presents. Ortiz is a left-hander who has quality boxing skills and above-average power himself. At 43, though, he can’t sustain a pace in which he’s letting his hands go. So he tried to walk a fine line and jab at Ruiz and try to goad him into a mistake.<\/p>\n

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Ruiz was having none of that. A younger Ruiz, especially after the two second-round knockdowns, might have abandoned his plan after hearing the roar from the crowd and gone wild going for the knockout.<\/p>\n