The mandatories for each organisation would be challenging for a vacant title against a fellow top 2/3 opponent. But he’s not retiring or vacating any time soon.
It would be idiotic for Ruiz to do anything other than fight AJ in the rematch to keep the belts. A.) He'll make a nice few bob in the rematch. Not the split a champion deserves, but millions nonetheless. B.) It's a winnable fight. No reason he should enter the ring anything other than supremely confident. He doesn't need the scorecards either. C.) If he wins he has the undisputed fight v Wilder or Fury. With the direction the heavyweight division is headed in America, such a fight makes him rich beyond his wildest dreams.
I think the titles will split soon, too many mandatories due, and Ruiz (or Joshua) will probably not be on a position to fulfill them in the time allocated. But it does not really matter, the Heavyweights are thankfully in a position to know who the champ is, and it is Tyson Fury. It maybe in time others have his number, and it can be debated that he is not the best, but if the champ was always the best, the title would not change hands...
Agreed, and with it being the heavyweight division once you are a money player you stay a money player and the paydays come with that. Regardless of what happens from here, he'll always be the guy who burst the AJ bubble, and will have the marketability that comes with that. His everyman appeal and the huge hispanic demographic will still be there even if Joshua turns the tables in the rematch.
It was dead but ironically Ruiz’s win has catapulted it. He’s absolutely huge over there now. Wilder has never sold out an arena, I think Ruiz could sell out the Staples next time out against an average opponent. Don’t underestimate the pull of Mex/Americans.
So you think ruiz as saved the hw division Its been in a coma and still is in a coma This is not new news America prefer the ufc hw champ as suppose to the hw boxing champ No one's really interested
On the surface he is an unlikely megastar, but with Trumponomics and the border/wall tensions, there isn't a better time for a Mexican heavyweight to reach the sport's Mecca position for the first time in history. Ruiz has already connected with the Mexican public by saying he'd rather visit AMLO than Trump after winning the title. He's on his way to meet him next week, which will be big news over there. I'm not suggesting this is a golden era in terms of quality, but the top of the division is full of interesting characters and personalities, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. Ruiz is a welcome addition to that; as long as the promotional dumb****ery doesn't get in the way there are some great fights to be made. Throw Usyk in there and whoever emerges from the next generation, and it's exciting times for the division.
I don’t think he’s saved it but he’s certainly playing his part in revitalising it. AJ was/is absolutely huge worldwide and Ruiz has toppled him. He’s absolutely everywhere now, all over adverts and talk shows. You can’t discount the strength of the Mexican population there, look at Canelo. It’s certainly not hurting the division having him at the top for the moment (at least).
Good point re: where HW boxing is right now in the US, but if you’re a British fan - im not sure it needs saving - we’ve never had so many good level British Heavyweights, potentially 5 or 6 in the top 10 by next year & a great fight just round the corner in Gorman vs Dubois.
It’s hard not to like this fella. An overnight superstar and before that he was just a fat kid who didn’t belong in the ring according to most. This content is protected
If the belts scatter we lose the main big fights as there's a lot of s**t floating around that the top dogs can fight for an easier ride. Two fights a year with the likes of Breazeale, Pulev, Povetkin, Whyte, Chisora, Allen, Stiverne, Jennings, Ortiz, Arreola and Parker around means that Fury, Ruiz Jnr and Wilder could probably avoid each other for a bit, and keep away from Joshua too depending on how he recovers from tasting defeat. It may seem a little harsh to include Whyte and Parker in there but I think Fury and Wilder would deal with him and probably Ruiz Jnr too, same goes for the Kiwi, it wouldn't be the same outcome again against the Mexican and he would get schooled by Fury and battered, eventually, by the 15 stone Stretch Armstrong.
