Andy Ruiz Is Back — But Does He Really Want It?

Los Angeles, California, USA - Andy Ruiz Jr. is back in the gym, throwing those famously fast combinations — and yes, the hand speed still looks crazy. But the bigger question isn’t whether his right hand is healed. It’s whether his heart is still in the fight game.

The Injury That Stalled His Career

Ruiz’s last outing — a majority draw with Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller in August 2024 — was controversial. Most observers felt Miller had done enough to get the win. In the post-fight interview, Ruiz held up his right hand for the cameras, swollen and mangled. Nobody could accuse him of faking it.
The damage was severe enough to require surgery, and he’s spent over a year out of the ring. Now, with rehab complete, he’s back on the pads, looking to shake off the rust. A tune-up fight might be necessary before he jumps back into elite opposition.

The Promise — and the Letdown

When Ruiz stopped Anthony Joshua in June 2019 to become the unified heavyweight champion, the shockwaves were felt worldwide. But for many, it wasn’t just the upset win that impressed — it was the skill he showed years earlier against Joseph Parker and in other bouts. Ruiz had the talent, the chin, and the hands to be a long-term force.

Instead, what followed was a frustrating mix of inactivity and underwhelming performances. The rematch with Joshua saw a visibly heavier Ruiz lose every round. Since then, he’s fought just three times in six years: wins over Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz, and the draw with Miller.

A Lifestyle Shift He Never Reversed

The truth is, Ruiz’s life changed after those Joshua fights — not just financially, but fundamentally.
Big houses in the U.S. and Mexico, lavish spending, and a growing taste for the social life seemed to pull him away from the disciplined grind that championship boxing demands.
The money, in a sense, revealed something deeper: Andy Ruiz might be good at boxing, but does he love it?

Not the First Fighter to Fall Out of Love

This isn’t a unique story in boxing. Some fighters, like Prince Naseem Hamed, lose their hunger after years in the sport and the rewards that come with success. Others never loved it to begin with — it was simply the thing they were best at, the thing that paid the bills.
Observers have long suspected Ruiz falls into the latter category. Like Michael Hunter, another talented heavyweight who drifted after early success, Ruiz may have always seen boxing as a job, not a calling.

The Physical Comeback Is Real

Still, there’s no denying that Ruiz is putting in visible work. He’s slimmed down dramatically, reportedly following a strict protein-based diet, and looks lighter on his feet in training clips. The hand is healed, and by all accounts, he’s physically ready to fight.

The Road Ahead

Ruiz has made it clear he wants to be back in the mix before the end of 2025, with talks planned in September with Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh. Potential matchups range from a Deontay Wilder firefight to the long-discussed trilogy with Anthony Joshua. Either would grab headlines.

But the real fight for Andy Ruiz Jr. isn’t against Wilder, Joshua, or anyone else. It’s against the question that has followed him since the first Joshua upset:
Does Andy Ruiz really want to be a heavyweight champion again — or does he just want to be Andy Ruiz, the guy who once shocked the world?