ROTUND heavyweight Andy Ruiz has said people knocking his physique does affect him, but he has no plans to change.
He is presently training at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas and hopes 2015 will be his breakout year in the sport.
“They see me as a chubby kid, a fat kid and after they see me throw punches and after I win by KO or make people quit they really don’t have anything bad to say,” he said. “It does bother me. It gets me more motivated to be more fit and look stronger, but what if I look more strong and buff and I’m not the same fighter as I was when I was chubby and I was strong? As long as I’m running as much as I need to, as long as I train hard, and I’m winning fights, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
January opens 2015 with a WBC heavyweight title fight between Bermane Stiverne, presently training nearby in Floyd Mayweather’s gym, and Deontay Wilder.
“Stiverne and Wilder is going to be a great fight in January, tell you the truth, I think Stiverne could beat him if he stays low and counters when Wilder throws a one-two or a one-two-hook and he ducks and throws the overhand right to his face because he leaves himself open when he throws a lot. I was going to work with Wilder but they didn’t want me too and then I kind of backed off. Why am I going to spar him if I’m going to fight him, although it would have been an honour to spar him and work with him.”
Unsurprisingly, Ruiz is open to fighting a couple of Britain’s big names.
“I think [Tyson] Fury’s a good fighter, he has all the ability, he’s tall, he has a long reach, everything, but I think with my style, my speed and the way I move with the angles I think I would beat him and I would like the opportunity to beat him,” Ruiz added.
“Actually David Haye is pretty cool. He’s been training right here at the Top Rank Gym and I want to get to that level, where he’s been at. I don’t have anything bad to say about him but he moved up to heavyweight and if there’s a chance we can fight I will be ready for him.”
The main goal, of course, is to meet Wladimir Klitschko, the world heavyweight champion and he insists he would have posted a better performance than recent Klitschko victim Kubrat Pulev.
“I think I would have done a way better job than the other guy, I think he should pick on some guys from America and give us the opportunity to bring it [the title] home,” Ruiz explained. “I would love to fight him. He’s the WBO champion of the world, I’m the WBO International champion and I would love an opportunity to fight him.
“I would like to get the opportunity to fight for a world title. I’m 23-0, 17 knockouts, I’m 25-years-old, I’m training, still learning and just want the opportunity.”
