Article by Rick Mohamed

Andy Ruiz Jr. recovers from 2nd round knockdown, peppers Chris Arreola with jabs, timely punches for the unanimous decision in heavyweight title eliminator in front of a hostile crowd.

Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr. came back and proved himself in a convincing comeback win over Chris “The Punisher” Arreola. What made it even more impressive was that Ruiz sustained a 2nd round knockdown. 

After recovering from the knockdown, he thoroughly took over the fight, rallying to garner a unanimous decision over fellow Mexican-American Chris Arreola. Arreola, on the strength of the knockdown, took over the fight early, but Ruiz Jr. was not to be denied. 

He wrested control and never let go. The judges scored the fight 117-110, 118-109, and 118-109 for Ruiz. This was a heavyweight title eliminator, in front of 3,940 screaming fans. 

An electric atmosphere went through Dignity Health Park in Carson City, CA.. The 40-year old Arreola took command early, dropping Ruiz in the 2nd with a right hand. 

Arreola wasn’t finished, as he hurt Ruiz again in the 2nd and early in the 3rd. round. Ruiz shook off the ring rust and took over, popping his opponent with a consistent jab that had Arreola shaking his shoulder. Some felt that Arreola had withstood serious damage to the shoulder, but he apparently shook it off and continued the fight. 

Ruiz is no stranger to rallying from knockdowns. In his upset of Anthony Joshua, Joshua knocked him down in the 3rd round. He recovered, then knocked Joshua down twice in the very same round, on his way to winning the heavyweight championship. 

That was the good Andy Ruiz. That was the Destroyer at his best. 

However, in the rematch, the bad Ruiz showed up, looking chunky and thoroughly overmatched. Joshua regained the title convincingly. 

The good Ruiz showed up again this time vs. Arreola. 

At 31, Ruiz is in his prime, and he definitely benefited greatly from joining Canelo’s camp and getting the great trainer Eddy Reynoso to train him. Reynoso’s tutelage seemed to work, as Ruiz showed his sterner stuff in this victory. 

Is it over for Arreola? Have we seen the last of this superb warrior? Time will tell. He could get a rematch from Ruiz, but Ruiz has elevated himself back into the heavyweight champion conversation, joining the likes of Deontay Wilder, Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Joseph Parker, who himself rallied from an early knockdown and defeated the old monster Dereck Chisora on the very same day of this fight, May 1. 

Hats off to “Team Ruiz”! They got the jobs done in convincing fashion. A special shout out to “Team Arreola”: you have nothing to be ashamed of, not at all. 

Notice to the big heavyweights: Andy Ruiz Jr. is coming! 

Before we go, one particular thing: the violent crowd. There were several brawls in the crowd that erupted. In these critical days of the Pandemic, please be careful, for many of these folks weren’t wearing masks and were fighting in close quarters in large groups. Stay safe, folks! 

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Fights EVERYWHERE! #RuizArreola pic.twitter.com/WcknRjgXeK

— Sergio Mora (@TheLatinSnake_) May 2, 2021

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