Andy Ruiz Jr Suffers Heavy Defeat in Damian Knyba Comeback

Andy Ruiz Jr suffered a major setback in his comeback bid after Damian Knyba defeated him by unanimous decision in New Jersey. The Polish heavyweight dropped Ruiz in the 7th round before securing victory on scorecards of 117-110, 114-113 and 114-113.

Ruiz struggled to deal with Knyba’s significant height and reach advantage as the 6ft 7in fighter used his jab and swift movement to keep the former heavyweight champion at distance. Ruiz had moments of success and managed to hurt Knyba, but the knockdown in the 7th round proved crucial as he was unable to overturn the deficit in the later rounds.

The defeat is a painful one for Ruiz, who returned to the ring after a two-year absence hoping to rebuild his career and move back into the heavyweight title picture. The 36-year-old’s comeback has now suffered another setback, with his record falling to 35-3-1 with 22 knockouts, while Knyba improved to 18-1 with 11 KOs.

Ruiz Jr Retiring Again?

Ruiz’s future will now be a talking point, particularly after former champions Timothy Bradley and Shawn Porter suggested on the broadcast that he should consider retirement. However, Ruiz has indicated that he has no plan to quit and has already expressed interest in a rematch with Knyba.

This loss also moves Ruiz jr further away from the kind of heavyweight comeback he hoped to build after his famous 2019 victory over Anthony Joshua. Knyba, meanwhile, leaves New Jersey with the biggest win of his career and a renewed opportunity to make his own mark in the heavyweight division.