- Andy Ruiz Jr publicly backed Jake Paul's commitment to professional boxing — praised the Problem Child for getting in with Anthony Joshua and for treating the sport like a real profession
- In the same conversation, Ruiz said he would stop Paul inside three rounds with his Mexican style — called the fight 'an amazing fight' but believes Paul wouldn't take it
- Comes weeks after Paul's sixth-round knockout loss to Joshua on Netflix in which Paul suffered a broken jaw — the Mexican veteran sees an opening to position himself for the rebuild
Respect First — That's New
Make no mistake — Andy Ruiz giving Jake Paul respect is not the line you expected from the Destroyer. The Mexican-American former unified heavyweight champion has spent the last twelve months telling anyone who'll listen that he's not done, that the title shot is one good performance away, that he can still mix it at the top end of the division. None of that is the natural setup for a Jake Paul charm offensive.
But Ruiz has read the landscape properly. Paul fought Anthony Joshua. Joshua broke his jaw in the sixth round. Paul still finished the fight on his feet. You can hate the spectacle and still respect the bottle. Ruiz's exact words — 'he had courage and he had faith and he had balls to get in that ring' — are the words of a man who's worked out where the money is and is positioning himself for it. Class move, properly handled.
Three Rounds, Mexican Style
Of course, the respect lasted exactly as long as it needed to. Once Ruiz finished praising Paul's commitment, he turned around and said the quiet part loud — he'd stop the YouTuber inside three rounds with his Mexican style, and he doesn't believe Paul would ever take the fight because Paul knows the skill gap is a chasm. 'I think it would be an amazing fight,' Ruiz said, 'but I know he wouldn't fight me. He knows the skills that I have.'
He's right. Andy Ruiz on a good night is the most natural heavyweight in the division — the hand speed, the combinations, the head movement at six-foot-two and seventeen-stone is the kind of athletic gift you cannot teach. Paul has improved enormously as a professional and his commitment is genuine. He still doesn't share a weight class with what Ruiz can do for three rounds. The honest assessment is that this fight ends inside two.
The Joshua Blueprint
What's interesting about Ruiz's pitch is that he's also offered Paul a hand on the rebuild. The Destroyer has hinted publicly that he'd happily walk Paul through the Joshua tape, share insider notes on how to deal with Joshua's habits, position himself as a sort of consigliere for the MVP camp. That's a man who knows where the next paycheck is coming from. Paul vs Ruiz on a Netflix card would be a forty-million-dollar fight, easy. Ruiz needs to make that fight financially attractive to MVP before MVP looks elsewhere.
The Reality Check
Let's not beat around the bush — Andy Ruiz at thirty-six is not the Andy Ruiz who knocked Joshua down four times in Madison Square Garden. The body has thickened, the discipline in camp has wobbled in public over the years, and the loss to Bakole stings. But on his night, on the right preparation, against the right opponent, Ruiz can still hurt anyone in the top fifteen. Paul is not the right opponent — he's the wrong one — but he's also the lottery ticket that turns Ruiz's last two or three years into proper money.
If MVP have any sense, they'll listen. Get Paul a Mexican style tutorial from a former unified heavyweight champion. Pay the man. Then go and find a different opponent for Paul's actual next fight because if you put him in with Ruiz right now you do not get him back.
The Verdict On The Hypothetical
Ruiz inside three. Body shot, left hook on the temple, referee jumps in around the two-minute mark of round three. Paul's heart isn't the issue and his commitment isn't in doubt — the issue is that there are levels in this sport and Andy Ruiz on a good night is on a level the Problem Child cannot reach. It's not a fight. It would be a beating.
But the bigger story is the respect. Andy Ruiz has, quietly, become one of the smartest heavyweights in the room. Watch this space.