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Two-time WBA heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz did exactly what he was supposed to do tonight in Germany, stopping former IBU title-holder Adnan “Aachen Assassin” Serin, to set the stage for a 2010 world title fight against new WBA champion David “Hayemaker” Haye.
WBA No. 1 contender Ruiz (44-8-1, 29 KOs) had agreed with the promoters for defending champion Nicolai Valuev and challenger Haye to “step aside” as the WBA “Official Challenger.” Ruiz, provided he defeated Serin (19-11-1, 7 KOs), was guaranteed a title bout against the Valuev-Haye winner by the end of May, 2010. Haye defeated Valuev by a 12-round majority decision.
Ruiz, the first and only world heavyweight champion of Latino heritage, fought for the first time in 14 months and at his lightest weight (226) in six years. Fighting for the first time with head trainer/cutman Miguel Diaz in his corner, Ruiz displayed a much more aesthetically pleasing, aggressive style – no holding, clutching or grabbing.
Ruiz outclassed Serin from the opening bell until Serin’s corner threw in the towel at 1:34 of the seventh round. John came out strong, using a stiff jab to set-up punishing rights to Serin’s body, but “The Quietman” suffered a cut to his forehead, near the bridge of his nose, from an apparent head-butt in the fourth round.
Ruiz picked up the pace, hurting Serin in the sixth, and unloaded six straight damaging right hands to Serin’s head, leading to an 8-count in the seventh. Four more rights resulted in the referee halting the action, after a towel was thrown into the ring from Serin’s cornerman.
