Andy Ruiz Jr loses his comeback fight after two years out of the ring

[StringTheory95]

Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr suffered a unanimous decision loss to Poland's Damian Knyba at the Prudential Center in Newark, in his first fight since a draw with Jarrell Miller back in August 2024. Judges scored the fight 117-110, 114-113 and 114-113 in favor of Knyba, who improved his record to 18 wins and one defeat, with independent scoring from Bad Left Hook tallying it even more lopsidedly at 118-109

Ruiz, who famously stunned Anthony Joshua in 2019 to take his world titles at Madison Square Garden just across the Hudson from this fight's venue, was dropped in the seventh round and saved by the bell before scrambling back to his feet. He sported a black eye afterward but was quick to blame the loss on Knyba's tactics, saying every time I tried to come in he'd hold me really tight, and I just couldn't let my combinations go, while also attributing the performance to a long layoff

Ruiz, who recently signed with British promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom, immediately called for a rematch, insisting he's still got it in him and just needs to stay active. Curious what people think is actually more responsible for this loss, genuine ring rust after two years away, or a decline that's been building since his rematch loss to Joshua back in 2019

Andy Ruiz Jr loses comeback fight by unanimous decision but pledges to 'fight again'www.skysports.com

[Ben]

Getting dropped and saved by the bell in the seventh is a rough way to end a two year layoff, that's exactly the kind of moment that makes fans start asking uncomfortable questions about a fighter's actual longevity

[Coastal Estuary]

Blaming the loss on Knyba's holding tactics feels like a fair specific complaint but also the kind of thing every beaten fighter says afterward, worth taking it with a reasonable amount of skepticism either way

[ShadowPilot]

Signing with Eddie Hearn right before this loss is an interesting bit of timing, curious how much this specific result actually shapes what Matchroom is willing to offer him going forward

[WovenScholar]

The independent scorecard being even more lopsided than the official judges is worth noting, suggests this wasn't just a close fight that could've gone either way on another night