Ruiz Will Face Tyrone Spong In Mexico In July
Former heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz has not fought for almost a year, and we all believed that when the first heavyweight ruler of Mexican descent would return, it would be against a big name. Deontay Wilder was mentioned, but Wilder is still to decide if he fights again, Luis Ortiz’s name was mentioned way more than once, and Ruiz reportedly turned down a fight offer to face Dereck Chisora in London because he was going to fight Ortiz instead.
Now it turns out Ruiz is facing another guy altogether – a guy who was an accomplished kickboxer but has faced nothing but limited opposition in the boxing ring. Tyrone Spong (you may recognize the name mostly from the failed drugs test Spong had, this forcing him out of a fight with Oleksandr Usyk back in October of 2019) will face Ruiz in a Mexican bullring on July 16th, the fight to headline a Triller pay-per-view card.
This news is, to put it mildly, disappointing. Ruiz, who reportedly turned down an IBF final eliminator with Filip Hrgovic, will gain almost nothing from this fight. If Ruiz beats Spong (who has not boxed since late 2019 and has faced no-one of note in compiling his 14-0(13) pro record), fans will say so what, he should be beating guys like this with ease. If Ruiz struggles, or, God forbid, loses the fight, well, where would his stock land upon falling?
Ruiz struggled in his last fight, when he got up off the floor after veteran Chris Arreola downed him heavily in the early going of their exciting battle, and he has been criticised for not turning up in Eddy Reynoso’s gym to train since then. How much does Ruiz want it at this stage of his career? Does “The Destroyer” really believe he can and will rule the world once again?
Ruiz should have no problem dusting off Spong, but again, what will he get from the win (aside from, perhaps, a nice payday)?
Ruiz against Chisora would have been much better than what we’re going to get, while Ruiz against either Wilder, Ortiz or Hrgovic would have been miles and miles better than what we’re going to get in July. Ruiz, 34-2(22) must have been braced for the criticism that is currently coming his way.