Is Andy Ruiz's career over? (Physically AND mentally)

[Master]

Ruiz had his moment of fame but blew it when he became champ just like Leon Spinks and Buster Douglas did. Yes he made a lot of money but he really let himself down. He will try and get back into the heavyweight picture but will never become champion again. He will regret that for the rest of his life.

[Fatboxingfan]

Yes very well said Master. I don't think the full impact of how he cheated himself more than he cheated anyone else has hit him yet. When it does hit him I wonder if he can handle that psychologically. Even in the very last round I was telling myself HE MUST KNOW HE LOST EVERY ROUND PRETTY MUCH. So why the hell doesn't he just risk being knocked out in the 12th round and just let his hands go and tried to throw 80 punches or so? Better to go out on your shield, and lose your belts well fighting with valor and desperation, than to lose your belts LUMBERING FORWARD AT 2 MILES PER HOUR AND THROWING, WHAT, DID HE EVEN THROW 20 PUNCHES PER ROUND?

[El Kabong]

Yes and no

Yes: He's never going to win a meaningful title ever again ever. Why? Because people now know (though they should have known before) what he does and AJ has put out the blueprint to basically treat him like David Tua.

No: He's still a relatively young fighter, he's got power, he's a good boxer for his height and weight, and he's a very good FIGHTER and those things mean he beats most competition who don't have true boxing skills. But it also means he gets paid more than a few more times, maybe one more giant one vs AJ and a few more after that as an acid test for the division.

[Gandalf]

Yes very well said Master. I don't think the full impact of how he cheated himself more than he cheated anyone else has hit him yet. When it does hit him I wonder if he can handle that psychologically. Even in the very last round I was telling myself HE MUST KNOW HE LOST EVERY ROUND PRETTY MUCH. So why the hell doesn't he just risk being knocked out in the 12th round and just let his hands go and tried to throw 80 punches or so? Better to go out on your shield, and lose your belts well fighting with valor and desperation, than to lose your belts LUMBERING FORWARD AT 2 MILES PER HOUR AND THROWING, WHAT, DID HE EVEN THROW 20 PUNCHES PER ROUND?

Ruuz couldn't close the gap to let his hands go. He was that heavy. Just a frustrated beached whale getting frustrated saying 'Come here and let me hit you'. He is one of those lottery winners that spends it all on helicopters and then ends up back as a cleaner within a year. There are levels in life and Ruiz kind of proves that life is about hierarchies and that the truly successful are those who put the genuine work in.

Higgins was a great snooker player, but Steve Davis will always have the greater record. You can apply it to so many things and that is why in many cases people are more successful than others. Skill, hard work and a little dash of luck. Minus those things and you go nowhere.

[Fatboxingfan]

So true Gandalf. But do you know what prefigures hard work and dedication and discipline? A person's mental health which they have developed from their childhood. If the state of their mental health is such that they just cannot get it together cognitively or emotionally, THEN THERE WILL NOT BE A DAMN BIT OF HARD WORK OR DISCIPLINE OR DEDICATION -- at least not enough to make much of a difference.

[mikeeod]

I wonder if he will go the way of Buster Douglas/Lamon Brewster/Jesse Furguson or Ray Mercer/Riddick Bowe/Roberto Duran. Douglas/Brewster/Furguson won their big fights, ate themselves out of shape losing rematches, and never ascended to that level again. Mercer/Bowe/Duran made a career out of fluctuating between coming to fight in great shape and being grossly out of shape and mailing in their training. Now that I think about it, James Toney fits into that camp as well.

What will hurt Ruiz is that now he will be avoided and worse- fans won’t be behind him anymore. If he comes back on great shape and loses a good fight, he can recover with the fans (if he even loses anything). The way he came in, he has zero sympathy.

[Fatboxingfan]

I wonder if he will go the way of Buster Douglas/Lamon Brewster/Jesse Furguson or Ray Mercer/Riddick Bowe/Roberto Duran. Douglas/Brewster/Furguson won their big fights, ate themselves out of shape losing rematches, and never ascended to that level again. Mercer/Bowe/Duran made a career out of fluctuating between coming to fight in great shape and being grossly out of shape and mailing in their training. Now that I think about it, James Toney fits into that camp as well.

What will hurt Ruiz is that now he will be avoided and worse- fans won’t be behind him anymore. If he comes back on great shape and loses a good fight, he can recover with the fans (if he even loses anything). The way he came in, he has zero sympathy.

Zero sympathy, and zero credibility. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad did something similar I believe.

[X]

The ONLY time you will see Ruiz’s name in the same sentence as Roberto Duran’s

😀

I wonder if he will go the way of Buster Douglas/Lamon Brewster/Jesse Furguson or Ray Mercer/Riddick Bowe/Roberto Duran. Douglas/Brewster/Furguson won their big fights, ate themselves out of shape losing rematches, and never ascended to that level again. Mercer/Bowe/Duran made a career out of fluctuating between coming to fight in great shape and being grossly out of shape and mailing in their training. Now that I think about it, James Toney fits into that camp as well.

What will hurt Ruiz is that now he will be avoided and worse- fans won’t be behind him anymore. If he comes back on great shape and loses a good fight, he can recover with the fans (if he even loses anything). The way he came in, he has zero sympathy.

[Fatboxingfan]

Haha good point hey there is one similarity though and that is that Roberto Duran used to like to gain 120 lb in between fights. he said his favorite food was ice-cream and he would literally eat gallons of the stuff in between fights yet somehow he would train and lose that 100 pounds for each fight. You have to admit actually that the no mas fight was quite a lot like that last fight with AJ and Louise

[Gandalf]

Only for some, there are many people who overcame appalling childhoods. Charles Dickens springs readily to mind as does Oprah Winfrey. I am sure their scars bothered them, but it didn't hold them back.

Even mental illness is something that can be overcome. BPD is the mother of mental traumas and 75% of patients make big improvements in a year. All success is about discipline and hardwork and that includes overcoming childhood adversity.

Did Ruiz have a bad childhood or something? An inability to control weight is usually a sign of something deeper and to do it now? It suggests he has skill, some luck, but the hard work isn't quite enough.

[Alpha]

Ruiz will get another high level fight or 2. Will he win and be committed is another question. I think there are some fun fights he can be involved in. But it really does depend on his desire. Just following his opponent around and not letting his hands go (as he did with Parker) will generate the same results. I would like to see him against Kownacki, but there arre manny fights he can be competitive in, if he can focus and get down to business.

[Gandalf]

I think a change of team is needed too. It was okay with Calzaghe as Enzo was tough, but it seems Ruiz had it all his own way. I would go with Roach who knows what to do with aggressive fightere. Get the weight down and get those legs moving. The handspeed is great but you need a target cornered first.

[TIC]

another big cheque in ruiz's bank account isn't going to make it any easy for him to train properly. once he blows through his money he'll be back, in whatever shape is possible for a top up

[Gandalf]

So true Gandalf. But do you know what prefigures hard work and dedication and discipline? A person's mental health which they have developed from their childhood. If the state of their mental health is such that they just cannot get it together cognitively or emotionally, THEN THERE WILL NOT BE A DAMN BIT OF HARD WORK OR DISCIPLINE OR DEDICATION -- at least not enough to make much of a difference.

See, you brought all this childhood trauma stuff up in a thread about Andy Ruiz.

I happened to agree with you that it might be a factor, but just disagreed that a bad childhood means you must ruin a career. In some cases yes, in other cases not so much.

[Fenster]

You guys need to stop writing fighters off after losses.

Buster has ballooned in weight throughout his career, he only has to lose 15lb of blubber to be Joshua 1 weight. I can sell his comeback let alone the brains he has behind him (Al Haymon).

Buster-vs-Wilder is a great stylistic matchup. Exciting fight. Ruiz showed a near granite chin against Joshua, and he sure as shit is the superior natural boxer to Wilder. Wilder can't dance, he can't adapt, so can he land his sniper righthand before Ruiz punches holes in him up close? Great fight?