Two-time world heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (41-6-1, 28 KOs) has accepted the challenge offered by the World Boxing Association to fight No. 2 rated challenger Ruslan “White Tyson” Chagaev (21-0-1, 17 KOs) in an elimination bout to determine the organization’s official No. 1 heavyweight contender.
The WBA notified No. 1 rated Ruiz and Chagaev of its Championship Committee’s decision for an elimination bout, based on rule 10.3, and urged promoters Don King (Ruiz) and Klaus Peter Kohl (Chagaev) to begin negotiations and make necessary arrangements to stage the 12-round elimination fight. The WBA gave each fighter until August 10 to determine if they are interested in participating in the elimination bout.
Ruiz lost a controversial majority decision to WBA heavyweight champion Nicolay Valuev last December in Berlin. Valuev’s mandatory title defense is due by December 17.
“Valuev has my belt,” Ruiz said. “If I can’t get him to fight me instead of (Monte) Barrett in October, I really don’t have a much of a choice, so we’ve informed the WBA of our willingness to fight Chagaev in the elimination fight. It’s obvious that Valuev doesn’t want to fight me. He knows that I really beat him in his backyard. The decision was so bad everybody in the entire Berlin stadium was booing.”
Chagaev, a southpaw from Uzebekistan, now fights out of Germany. He is the reigning WBA Intercontinental heavyweight champion.
Ruiz plans on returning to the gym this week in Las Vegas or Puerto Rico.
Click to read more boxing articles by Boxing Press
Discuss in Boxing Forum
Related Boxing Articles...
The World Boxing Association’s Executive Board recently ruled in favor of two-time world heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (41-6-1, 28 KOs), regarding a dispute about the Universum-announced October 28th >
New and improved Ruiz training for WBA elimination fight vs. Chagaev
Two-time world heavyweight champion John "The Quietman" Ruiz (41-6-1, 28 KOs) is training in Las Vegas with his new >
The WBA Championship Committee has declared two-time WBA heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz, 43-8-1 (29), presently rated No. 3, as the mandatory challenger for the winner of this year’s >
For the second consecutive bout, ex-two time WBA Heavyweight Champion John Ruiz found Germany to be an inhospitable land as the American dropped a split decision to undefeated Hamburg based >
Two-time world heavyweight champion John "The Quietman" Ruiz (41-6-1, 28 KOs) broke training camp Thursday in Las Vegas and is in Germany for Saturday night's (Nov. 18) mandated WBA elimination >
The World Boxing Association ruled today at its Directory Meeting that WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev will be considered “champion in recess” due to an injury and that he has >
Boxing promoter Don King has asked the World Boxing Association to declare Nikolai “Giant Russian” Valuev its undisputed heavyweight champion after Saturday’s match between Valuev and WBA “champion in recess” >
Former two-time WBA heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz has announced that he’s prepared to replace WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev to fight another former WBA title-holder, Nikolay Valuev, for >
Team Ruiz has formally petitioned the World Boxing Association, on behalf of two-time WBA heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (42-7-1, 29 KOs), rated No. 3 by the WBA, to >
As two-time world heavyweight champion John "The Quietman" Ruiz (41-6-1, 28 KOs) awaits a purse bid for his mandated World Boxing Association title eliminator against No. 2 rated challenger Ruslan >
