Andy Ruiz sets sights on Deontay Wilder

Andy Ruiz Jr. is now the unified heavyweight champion, having stopped Anthony Joshua last Saturday in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Yet his involvement with Joshua is not over yet — far from it.

Promoter Eddie Hearn recently confirmed that Ruiz and Joshua will meet again in the fall, this time on the latter’s home soil in the United Kingdom.

“AJ will come back 100% and we will make the rematch in the UK in November or December,” Hearn said shortly after the fight, imploring that the night belonged to Ruiz. “Now at least we know the opponent for the end of the year in the UK. Absolutely we will enact the immediate rematch.”

Andy Ruiz Jr. has not had any complaints about a rematch with Anthony Joshua thus far, but is already looking further beyond that rematch. Speaking to TMZ Sports this week, the Mexican-American champion stated his intention to battle WBC champion Deontay Wilder if he gets by Joshua again.

“That’s what we’re aiming for,” Ruiz said when asked about a fight with Wilder (via Asian Persuasion MMA). “But first things first, I gotta get [past] Joshua [again].”

Andy Ruiz Jr. also weighed in on his shocking defeat of Anthony Joshua, and where it ranks amongst boxing’s greatest upsets. He says he believes it might have even surpassed Buster Douglas’ famous defeat of Mike Tyson.

“I think it was because of the way I look, and it was a big shock,” he said.

With his defeat of Joshua, Ruiz improved to a fantastic 33-1 as a professional boxer. The lone loss on his record is a closely contested 2016 decision defeat to New Zealand’s Joseph Parker.

Do you think Andy Ruiz Jr. has the skills to get past Anthony Joshua (again) and Deontay Wilder?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 6/6/2019.