Former Unified Heavyweight World Champion Andy Ruiz has his sights set on a huge rematch with Joseph Parker if he gets past Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller in his long-awaited comeback fight at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles this Saturday August 3, live worldwide on DAZN PPV.
The 34-year-old (35-2, 22 KOs) steps through the ropes for the first time since his unanimous decision win over Cuban veteran Luis Ortiz back in September 2022, and the ‘Destroyer’ is aiming to put the Heavyweight division on notice by producing a dominant performance against New York’s Miller.
New Zealand’s Parker is in the form of his career following two big wins against Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ruiz fell short in a close points loss to Parker for the vacant WBO World Title in New Zealand eight years ago, and now the California man wants the opportunity to put things right against his old foe.
“For me next it’s Jarrell Miller; god willing we get that win and hopefully I’d love to run it back with Joseph Parker,” said Ruiz. “I’d love to get that rematch. Of course I rate Jarrell Miller. Any fighter inside that ring is dangerous. You can’t underestimate nobody. We’ve got to be prepared. We’ve got to be ready for whatever comes our way. We’ve just got to get that win.
“The main thing is just getting the victory, getting back in action and getting ready to fight those big boys. Me personally I would like to have two fights, against people that are in the top ten or top fifteen. I’ll fight against anyone else after this fight. I just want to fight the top guys man. Joseph Parker is doing amazing things right now. He beat Wilder and he beat Zhang. I’d love to fight him too.
“I had a lot of rollercoasters and a lot of up and downs over the years since my last fight against Luis Ortiz. I had surgery on my shoulder. I had some ‘baby mumma’ drama but guess what? I’m back, I’m ready to go and I’m ready to become and two-time Heavyweight Champion of the World.”
Brooklyn’s Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs) is desperate to return to winning ways following his tenth-round stoppage loss at the hands of Britain’s Daniel Dubois on the stacked ‘Day of Reckoning’ undercard last December – the first loss of his pro career – but Ruiz says he will be prepared for whatever ‘Big Baby’ has in store for him.
“I think it’s a good fight for me,” said Ruiz. “Especially because I haven’t been in the ring for 18 months and for my shoulder. I’m not saying he’s something light or he’s an easy fight, because all fights are hard. You can’t underestimate nobody. I think this is the perfect fight for my comeback.
“Back in the day he did call me out. We were in Detroit, I just got done winning this fight, he went up the ring and he wanted to fight me. I was like, ‘you know what, let’s do it right now, let’s do it, I’ll put on the gloves and we’ll get it on’. After the years passed we actually became, I don’t want to say super good friends, but we kind of became friends.
“We’re friends outside of the ring but inside the ring it’s business. Jarrell; it’s time man, it’s time buddy. It’s time to get back in the ring. I’ve seen what you did over there in Saudi Arabia, and now I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do man. It’s all business, nothing personal. Let’s get it.”
Ruiz vs. Miller is part of a blockbuster Los Angeles Riyadh Season Card this weekend topped by the unmissable WBA and WBO interim Super-Welterweight World Title clash between pound-for-pound number one Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) and reigning champion Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs), Mexico’s Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) defends his WBA Super-Lightweight World Title against Jose Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs), undefeated Heavyweight contender Jared Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) collides with Martin Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs) in a an explosive match-up for the NABF and WBO International Titles, Cuba’s David Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs) defends his WBA Light-Heavyweight World Title against Radivoje ‘Hot Rod’ Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs), Olympic Lightweight Champion Andy Cruz (3-0, 1 KO) continues his 135lbs campaign when he takes on Mexico’s Antonio Moran (30-6-1, 21 KOs) with the IBF International and WBA Continental Latin-American Titles on the line, unbeaten Super-Middleweights Steve Nelson (19-0, 15 KOs) and Marcos Ramon Vazquez (20-0-1, 10 KOs) meet over ten rounds and Saudi Arabian Welterweight talent Ziyad Almaayouf (5-0, 1 KO) fights in the US for the first time against Poland’s Michal Bulik (6-7, 2 KOs).
