Ruiz is the first USA Unified Heavyweight Champ since Rahman . parallels . . .

With all the talk about Ruiz being Mexican or Mexican American or being the first Mexican American Heavyweight Champion, we've lost sight of the fact that Ruiz is American and has become the first United States of America Unified Heavyweight Champion since Rahman. That's 18 years since the USA has had a Unified Heavyweight Champion.

So while the Mexican support is great, lets not forget Ruiz is American and America now has a Unified Heavyweight Champ for the first time in a very long time. Now I find the parallels between what happened between Rahman and Lewis very interesting to what happened last weekend with Ruiz and Joshua.

After Lewis lost to Rahman, there was a rematch clause that Lewis invoked. Don King made plans to defend the titles against David Izon instead rather than give Lewis his rematch. And Lewis sued Rahman in U.S. federal court to enforce their contract, which resulted in the rematch happening.

It's hard not to see the parallels between that and this :

Lewis, the heavy favorite, Unified HW Champ out of the U.K. gets KO'd surprisingly by an American fighter who wasn't supposed to beat him, has a rematch clause, and chooses to enforce it.

Joshua, the heavy favorite, Unified HW Champ out of the U.K. gets KO'd surprisingly by an American fighter who wasn't supposed to beat him, has a rematch clause, and chooses to enforce it.

Now Ruiz is already talking about how he's champ and calls the shots now, but Eddie Hearn is pushing hard to enforce the rematch for Joshua. Now I'm not saying this will end up in Federal court like it did with Lewis and Rahman, but many fans have already expressed a desire to see Ruiz fighting someone else next like Wilder instead. And Ruiz has been outspoken about calling all the shots, and maybe not being so keen to do the rematch in the U.K. I just find it interesting that America finally has a Unified Heavyweight Champ, and he beat a U.K. fighter to become one, just like what happened 18 years ago.

Only this time it's a fighter with Mexican ancestry. Many fans and media alike have been casually proclaiming Ruiz as the first Mexican HW Champ ever. But yet he's an American.

Wouldn't that be like claiming that Anthony Joshua was the first ever Nigerian Unified HW Champ ?

Joshua's parents were born in Nigeria, but he was born in the U.K.

Ruiz's parents were born in Mexico, but he was born in the USA.

So Joshua is British and Ruiz is American, but is Ruiz any more Mexican than Joshua is Nigerian ?

As a youngster Joshua spent time in Nigeria where he went to boarding school.

Ruiz made his pro debut in Mexico and had his first 3 fights in Mexico.

Yes Ruiz should be proud of his Mexican heritage but at the end of the day he's an American Heavyweight Champion, and there's still never been a Mexican Heavyweight Champion. (as in the country Mexico)

 

Maybe Ruiz feels like he's more Mexican than American, but it's a factual anomaly. He said he got that Mexican blood in him, and he says he fought Joshua Mexican Style, but he's not Mexican, he's American. I don't see anything wrong with him being proud of his Mexican heritage, but it seems that he has somewhat of an identity crisis, just because you got blood of a country in you doesn't mean you are from that country. Joshua surely has that Nigerian Blood in him but no one considered him a Nigerian World Champ. So it's a bit of a strange one to see how Ruiz's win has been casually thrown around, like it means more to Mexico than it does to America.

 

Does he have a Mexican Driver's license or a United States Driver's license?

When he pays taxes every year, does he send checks to the US Treasury or to Mexico ?