Andy Ruiz Returns to Manny Robles for Knyba

Andy Ruiz Jr. is trying to recover the discipline that disappeared after his career-defining knockout of Anthony Joshua. Reuniting with trainer Manny Robles supplies structure, but Friday’s fight against Damian Knyba will show how much of Ruiz’s old ambition and physical ability remain.

Ruiz faces Knyba at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The former unified heavyweight champion has signed a three-fight agreement with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom. Hearn now has the fighter who wrecked his plans in June 2019 by dropping Joshua four times at Madison Square Garden.

“I had to go back to Manny, because he’s the one who got me to where I made history,” Ruiz told The Ring. “When you’re just alone, and you’re controlling your whole training camp, you slack off, you don’t do the right thing. So that’s o

ne of the reasons why I looked bad. Now that I’m with Manny, I’m gonna be awesome.”

Returning to Robles gives Ruiz accountability, but it does not necessarily correct the underlying issue. A trainer can enforce a schedule and demand harder rounds in the gym. He cannot manufacture hunger for a 36-year-old who has already won the heavyweight championship and earned generational money.

Ruiz has fought only three times since losing the Joshua rematch in December 2019. He defeated Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz before laboring to a majority draw with Jarrell Miller in August 2024.

That inactivity is no longer the only concern. Declining stamina, slower reactions, and reduced foot speed are natural risks for an aging heavyweight. One disciplined camp may remove some rust, but it cannot erase several years of physical wear. Ruiz’s fading work rate against Miller suggested that conditioning was not his sole weakness.

Knyba is designed to give Ruiz a large target rather than a difficult technical puzzle. The 6-foot-7 Pole was stopped in the third round by Agit Kabayel in January after struggling with pressure and body punches.

Ruiz owns faster hands than Kabayel, but reaching Knyba requires more than combination speed. He must move around the taller man, cut off the ring, and get beneath the jab without taking clean punches during his approach. If his feet cannot carry him into range, his hand speed loses much of its value.

A routine decision will not do much for Ruiz. He needs to sustain pressure, throw combinations beyond the opening rounds, and force a stoppage against an opponent selected to suit him. Anything less will make it difficult to sell Ruiz as a serious heavyweight contender.

Matchroom’s three-fight deal also gives Hearn flexibility. Ruiz can provide name recognition for DAZN cards while being prepared for a larger fight against one of Hearn’s heavyweights. Friday will determine if that agreement leads toward a major event or merely three appearances from a former champion whose best night came seven years ago.

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