Sport
1News

Joseph Parker throws verbal jabs at Andy Ruiz for being out of shape against Anthony Joshua

December 9, 2019

Former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has joined the chorus of voices criticising Andy Ruiz Jr for his physical condition after he lost his titles to Anthony Joshua in yesterday's rematch in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua out-boxed Ruiz to a unanimous decision win yesterday to regain the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles after the Briton was stunned earlier this year with a TKO loss in June to the Mexican boxer.

While Ruiz has always had his fair share of critics for his size and condition, yesterday he entered the bout weighing in at 128kg - seven kilos heavier than his first fight against Joshua and his heaviest since his first two pro fights in 2019.

Parker, who beat Ruiz in 2016 to win the WBO title, told Radio Sport after yesterday's fight Ruiz had no excuses for his shape.

New Zealand heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker v Andy Ruiz Jr. 
WBO World Heavyweight Title. Burger King Road to the title by Duco Boxing. Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand. Saturday 10 December 2016. © Copyright Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz

"He had a long time to prepare. He had his team, he had his chef, so I think he didn't keep his eyes on the prize, I think he got comfortable being unified champion of the world," Parker said.

"I don't think he took it as seriously as he did in the [June] fight."

Prior to the fight, Ruiz's camp suggested the weight gain was calculated in an attempt to overwhelm a leaner Joshua but after yesterday's loss, the Mexican said that was not the case.

"I'd like to say that the three months of partying didn't affect me, but it did," Ruiz said. "I think the partying and all this stuff got the best of me.

"I was overweight, I should have trained harder. I should have listened to my coaches more.

"Maybe I shouldn’t have put on all this weight that I did."

Parker did ease up on his criticism though, offering some insight and a possible reason for Ruiz's weight gain.

"If you come from a struggled life and you come from nothing and then all of a sudden you become the unified champion of the world, you get all this money and you go off on a happy trip, maybe he went off the tracks a bit."

SHARE ME

More Stories