Posted on 04/13/2022
By: Hans Themistode
Andy Ruiz Jr. admitted where he went wrong.
After shocking the boxing world in 2019 by dethroning Anthony Joshua and claiming three of the four major world titles in the heavyweight division, Ruiz Jr. rested on his laurels. As a result, the Mexican star spent the next few months over-partying and drinking far too heavily.
Vowing to regain his world titles, Ruiz Jr. recently returned to the ring to defeat a game but clearly overmatched Chris Arreola in May of 2021. For his next appearance, Ruiz Jr. expressed an interest in facing the upper echelon of the division, including the likes of Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Luis Ortiz.
But, despite those names being floated about, Ruiz Jr. has settled on longtime journeymen, Tyrone Spong. The two will officially battle it out in a Triller Club pay-per-view on July 16th, in Ruiz Jr.’s native land of Mexico.
News of the event comes from complete left field, especially considering where both men are in their respective careers. In the case of Ruiz Jr., as mentioned earlier, the former unified champion is fully entrenched as one of the heavyweight division’s biggest stars and viable contenders.
Spong, on the other hand, has been incredibly inactive as of late. The former kickboxing champion was last seen in a boxing ring in August of 2019, scoring a second-round knockout win over Jeyson Minda.
Ultimately, while Spong’s boxing career has been idle, he’s continued to compete in other sports. On January 28th, earlier this year, Spong took on Sergei Kharitonov, at Eagle FC 44, a mixed martial arts organization. Although Spong carried a spotless record with him to the octagon, he was brutally knocked out in the second round.