A few words uttered by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum have been making the rounds on various websites. When speaking about what WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury’s next fight could be now that the Oleksandr Usyk unification showdown we were all looking forward to is off the table (for now, maybe for keeps), the Top Rank boss said it could be Andy Ruiz next for Fury.
“He’s been in Italy on vacation with his family,” Arum said of Fury when speaking with Cornerman Boxing. “He’s back in England, and we’re talking to him, and we’re looking for the best available guy for him to fight this summer in the UK. Maybe it’ll be Andy Ruiz or somebody like that.”
So, how would the fans react if it was former champ Ruiz next for Fury? Does Ruiz really fit the bill as “the best available guy” for Fury to fight this summer? We know Joe Joyce (assuming he comes through against Zhilei Zhang on Saturday night) would be bang up for fighting Fury this summer, and it’s very likely fans would get far more excited about a Fury-Joyce fight than they would about a Fury-Ruiz match up.
That said, Fury-Ruiz would be an interesting fight. Ruiz would be giving away an almost ludicrous amount of height and reach, but “The Destroyer” has those blazing hands, and of course the Mexican-American has that stoppage win over Anthony Joshua to his name. Would Fury have any trouble with Ruiz, the way AJ did, or would the listed at 6’9,” around 270 pound Fury make easy work of the officially (and generously) listed, 6’2,” anywhere from 255 to 283 pound Ruiz?
Would Fury get up for this fight, motivated by a desire to take Ruiz out quite quickly and then be able to rub Joshua’s nose in it for having lost to and then failed to stop Ruiz? Would Ruiz be able to get up close and land something of significance to hurt and/or befuddle Fury? Would the fans turn out in big numbers to watch this fight at a stadium?
If it does happen, Fury-Ruiz will of course be looked at as a pretty big let-down in comparison to the Fury-Usyk clash that could’ve, should’ve happened. But then pretty much any fight for Fury will be looked at as a let-down now that the guy in the opposite corner will not be Usyk.
But Fury-Ruiz could indeed be what we get next. At least that’s what Bob Arum is suggesting.
Fury, 33-0-1(24) last fought in December of last year, this in his needless trilogy fight with Derek Chisora. Ruiz, 35-2(22) last boxed in September of last year, this when he pounded out a decision over Luis Ortiz.