The first fight of Andy Ruiz Jr.’s new chapter with Matchroom Boxing will take place on September 4 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where “The Destroyer” will face Polish heavyweight Damian Knyba. For the occasion, Ruiz will once again be trained by Manny Robles, the same coach who guided him to the world heavyweight championship in 2019.
Ruiz has expressed great confidence that he will regain a world title, a goal he hopes to achieve next year. To make that happen, however, he will first need to deliver an impressive performance against Knyba and prove that he is once again a legitimate threat to the current heavyweight world champions.
Ruiz and Robles parted ways after “The Destroyer” lost the world titles he had won only a few months earlier in his rematch with Anthony Joshua. Ruiz entered that bout in poor physical condition and suffered a clear unanimous decision defeat. He later admitted that he had neglected his training and decided to change coaches in search of fresh motivation.
After working with several trainers—including a stint in Eddy Reynoso’s gym—the Mexican-American heavyweight has now returned to his roots, reuniting with the coach who once helped him reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Damian Knyba, the first obstacle on Ruiz’s road back to the top, owns a professional record of 17 wins and 1 loss, including 11 knockouts. Standing just under two meters tall and boasting an impressive 218-centimeter (86-inch) reach, the Polish heavyweight will almost certainly look to box from the outside, using his long arms to keep Ruiz at a safe distance.
In his most recent outing, this past January, Knyba was stopped in three rounds by current WBC heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel in Germany. The Polish contender had started well, enjoying an excellent opening round and even opening a cut on Kabayel before eventually succumbing to the champion’s relentless pressure. The referee’s stoppage, however, sparked some controversy.