New York, NY, USA (October 11, 2023) - Andy Ruiz Jr.'s stance at the negotiation table has made him an unlikely choice for a fight with Zhilei Zhang, according to one of Zhang's representatives.

Terry Lane, a co-manager for the rising Chinese heavyweight, suggested in a recent interview that they are looking to match Zhang against a proven former titleholder for his next fight. Lane proposed experienced fighters like Luis Ortiz and Joseph Parker. However, when asked about Ruiz, Lane did not sound very optimistic, stating that the California native is demanding an unreasonably high price.

"Andy Ruiz's father is doing a great job at negotiating him into almost obscurity at this point," Lane expressed on the YouTube channel GFunky Boxing, alongside host David Duenez. "He's got to get realistic. He's got to put on a logical hat. He's just not reasonable with anybody, and he's dealing with problems outside the ring too. No network wants to touch that. So... he should be a bit more humble when dealing with everyone. I would say that's probably unrealistic."

Lane's comments align with statements made by Deontay Wilder and his trainer Malik Scott, who have suggested that Ruiz was demanding a payday that didn't match his actual value. Wilder and Ruiz were in talks earlier in the year but couldn't reach an agreement.

Zhang has gained significant attention in the heavyweight division following his clear-cut third-round knockout of Joe Joyce in their recent rematch. Zhang had stopped Joyce earlier in the year in their initial encounter. The 40-year-old southpaw is under a promotional contract with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions.

"I like Andy, but we'll see what happens with that. I don't see that happening next for us," Lane noted. "I see more of a Joseph Parker or an Ortiz. [Anthony] Joshua is our number one choice, and Wilder is number two, but those two guys are also looking for fights. So, we're in a bit of a 'where-are-we-at' situation. But we're in the mix."

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