Jared Anderson Eager to Fight Winner of Ruiz vs. Ortiz

This Saturday night, two heavyweight boxing greats face off in a clash of the veterans at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Andy Ruiz Jr., former WBA (Super), IBF, WBA and IBO title holder, squares off against Luis Ortiz, two-time heavyweight title contender. With both boxers having led long, successful careers, each will be heading into this fight with different goals—for Ruiz, it’s to remain relevant, and regain another chance to hold the heavyweight title; for Ortiz, it’s about signing off an excellent career on a high.

However, another heavyweight boxer also has a vested interest in the outcome on 3 September, with Jared Anderson already stating his intention to challenge the winner of Ruiz vs. Ortiz.

We take a look at what this means for heavyweight boxing, and what the bookies have to say about the upcoming fight.

Three Years on Since Ruiz Shocked the World

Rewind the clock three years, and Andy Ruiz Jr. was on top of the heavyweight world.

Expected to be the next name on Anthony Joshua’s list of victims as he tore his way through the heavyweight division, instead, Andy Ruiz Jr. stunned the champion by serving him up the first defeat of his career. Knocking out Joshua, Ruiz claimed the WBA (Super), IBF, WBA and IBO belts, becoming the first fighter of Mexican origin to do so.

However, Ruiz’s stay at the pinnacle of boxing was short lived. A rematch soon after against Joshua saw Ruiz thoroughly beaten in a unanimous decision, with the American found sorely wanting in his conditioning. Having lost all of his belts, Ruiz has since taken some time away from the ring, fighting only once across almost three years.

A Fight for Ruiz to Build Momentum

Ruiz’s one appearance in the ring since his fall from grace was expected to be a momentum builder, yet ended up being a war of attrition. Fighting against veteran Chris Arreola, who held a professional record of 38-7-1, Ruiz struggled his way to a decision, getting knocked down along the way by Arreola.

Now, Ruiz is getting back into the ring against Ortiz, and it’s make or break for the boxer’s career—fail to perform at a high level again, and he’ll forever slip out of conversations at a the top of heavyweight boxing.

Impress, however, and Ruiz moves one step closer to a title fight.

Luis Ortiz Looking to End Career Strong Against Ruiz

At 43 years of age, Luis Ortiz is nearing the end of his time in the boxing ring.

The Cuban fighter has amassed a professional record of 33-2-0, only ever losing to one man. Deontay Wilder is the reason Luis Ortiz has never won a heavyweight championship fight, with the 43-year-old twice challenging Wilder and losing.

Coming up against Ruiz on Saturday, it’s unlikely that Ortiz has another title run in mind. Chances are, he’s looking to wrap up what has been an admirable career with one or two more successful fights to his name—and a match against a former heavyweight champion in Ruiz is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Whether or not he’s able to execute that plan, we’ll know in a few days’ time.

Who the Bookies Think Jared Anderson Might Challenge

Jared Anderson, a young heavyweight stemming out of Ohio, USA, has his eyes keenly on the weekend’s fight.

Jared Anderson, a 22-year-old boxer who has gone 11-0 so far in his professional career, has come out saying that he’s eager to fight the winner of Ruiz vs. Ortiz, saying,

“I would gladly take the winner of that fight. I would gladly take it.”

With Ruiz having a chance to remain relevant in the heavyweight division on the line, and the ability to knock out anyone in the world on his day, it seems that Jared Anderson is more than likely to be fighting a fellow American if he gets his way.

Bookmakers agree that the winner will likely be Ruiz, with a moneyline of -350 in his favor, compared to Ortiz’s odds of +260.

Tune in from 10:00 PM ET this Saturday to find out.