Andy Ruiz Jr: Who is American heavyweight who will face Anthony Joshua on short notice?

After Jarrell Miller’s three failed drugs tests scuppered his hopes of a blockbuster world heavyweight title fight with Anthony Joshua, Eddie Hearn was left to desperately find a new opponent to keep his Madison Square Garden show alive.

Miller has been handed a pitiful six-month ban, a shorter period of time off than most elite fighters voluntarily take between bouts. But after Luis Ortiz’s team’s blocked perhaps the best option available, Hearn has settled on Andy Ruiz Jr.

While not an ideal opponent, given his limited opportunity to work himself into fighting shape, as well as his solitary loss, on points, coming against former Joshua foe Joseph Parker, Ruiz (32-1) represents an adequate replacement given the circumstances.

His deceptively fast hands could conceivably pose a problem for Joshua, while his Latino background should boost buys on US streaming platform DAZN.

For Ruiz, despite a near-inevitability he will lose, it’s an opportunity to cement his name at the top of the heavyweight division as a potential future opponent for a lot of contenders.

Style

As previously stated, Ruiz has fast hands, which could pose an intriguing element to the fight, especially with his come-forward approach, which appeared to be the deciding factor in beating out Michael Hunter, a slicker fighter who would have surely have moved around to ensure a tougher target to find for AJ.

The counterpunches displayed against Parker, often delivered in bunches, at least demonstrate enough for Joshua to be wary of.

Ruiz’s game plan could depend on his fitness and how long he believes he can hang with Joshua, who has also seen his stamina questioned in recent years.

The Destroyer has legitimate power, but moving into range against Joshua could be problematic.

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Pedigree

Ruiz lost a close decision to Joseph Parker back in 2016, a result that certainly played a pivotal role in the landscape of the heavyweight division over the coming years.

The New Zealander picked up the vacant WBO world heavyweight title in the process, failing to unify with Joshua before an unsuccessful comeback against Dillian Whyte.

Despite missing out on world honours, Ruiz bounced back impressively, with three routine victories in succession, most notably two weeks ago when he knocked out Alexander Dimitrenko – who was also stopped by contenders Kubrat Pulev, Parker and Bryant Jennings. The fifth-round knockout should mean a quick turnaround is possible with limited damage carrying over.

Ruiz’s resume therefore is actually not noticeably worse than Miller, beyond the zero in the loss column.

This move naturally builds the pressure to face Deontay Wilder for the undisputed status later in the year, yet Joshua can hardly be blamed solely for boxing getting in its own way once again as a transcendent fight emerges.

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While Joshua will have hoped for better circumstances in the build-up to his US debut, Ruiz as a late replacement could actually be a blessing.

Greater exposure and a friendlier style to showcase his strengths, the unified heavyweight champion has the perfect opportunity to entertain and end the show in spectacular fashion.