Will Andy Ruiz Jr. be a new fighter against Chris Arreola?

Andy Ruiz Jr. says that he will be in the best shape of his boxing career against Chris Arreola. What can we expect to see from the former champ? 

Andy Ruiz Jr. proved he’s an elite heavyweight boxer when he knocked out Anthony Joshua in June of 2019 to win the lion’s share of the heavyweight crown.

But can he maintain enough discipline to do it again at 31 years old and counting?

Ruiz feels he can and made that point crystal clear when talking to the press ahead of his Saturday, May 1 FOX pay-per-view bout against veteran Chris Arreola at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) hasn’t fought professionally for 15 months since losing a unanimous decision to Joshua in their rematch. Ruiz came into their rematch weighing 283.5 pounds, which is the third heaviest he has ever weighed for a fight. He told numerous outlets afterward that he wasn’t disciplined in his lifestyle or training.

He reiterated that point during his March 30 press conference.

“Losing my last fight was devastating,” Ruiz said during a recent press conference. “I didn’t do the things that I was supposed to do. That was the most important fight of my career. I had been waiting to become champion my whole life, and I started doing things I never thought I would be able to do. I don’t want to make those same mistakes again, and that’s a big part of what’s motivating me.”

Andy Ruiz Jr. expects to look much improved under the tutelage of Eddy Reynoso.

Ruiz’s weight has been a concern for much of his career, and it plagued him against Joshua in their second contest. He addressed that issue as well and said his target weight would be between 250-255 pounds.

This will be Ruiz’s first fight with trainer Eddy Reynoso in his corner. Reynoso is best known for his work with pound-for-pound titan Canelo Alvarez and a growing stable of boxers, including Ryan Garcia and WBC super featherweight champion Oscar Valdez. Ruiz believes that fans will see a new and improved boxer for his return against Arreola.

“Working with Eddy has helped change my mentality,” Ruiz said. “His mentality is that we can’t take anything for granted in this sport. We’ve been working on a lot of different things, and I have the ability to do a lot of new things with Eddy. I can’t wait to show everyone the new Andy Ruiz Jr. on May 1 because I’m more motivated right now than I ever have been before.”

Ruiz is saying all the right things, and he does appear to be in better shape, but will he look that much different from past ring appearances?

Even before beating Joshua, Ruiz was an accomplished boxer, but he lacked notable wins. His only other loss came in 2016 against Joseph Parker by majority decision. Ruiz weighed 255.75 pounds for that fight.

Ruiz’s weight on May 1 won’t tell the whole story if he has made drastic changes in his boxing game and life. He has weighed 255 pounds or less for 14 of his 35 professional fights. His body composition could be improved against Arreola, but his energy, punch output and agility in the ring will give a complete picture of his progress.

So far, Reynoso’s track record is impeccable with the boxers he has trained. Expect Ruiz to look good against Arreola, but it could take him up to three fights before he fully implements Reynoso’s teachings. There’s often a learning curve for a boxer when changing trainers.

Reynoso is quickly becoming one of the most popular trainers in boxing. He has a talented boxer in Ruiz. An impressive performance against Arreola could renew the buzz around Ruiz and make him an instant player in the heavyweight title picture.