Andy Ruiz Jr. Demands Fair Payday To Face Deontay Wilder
Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2, 22 KOs) claimed in an Instagram Live broadcast that he is not avoiding Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) and wants to be paid his fair share. The two were ordered to face each other in an eliminator by the World Boxing Council (WBC) last November. However, several months have gone by since that order and a showdown has failed to materialize. According to Ruiz, this is due to a disagreement over finances.
Recently, Ruiz appeared in an Instagram Live broadcast on his own account. During the broadcast, a viewer commented to “stop ducking Wilder.” Upon reading this, Ruiz said:
“Ain’t nobody ducking Wilder, man! Tell him to pay me what I deserve, bro. They’re trying to pay me what they paid me for my last fight. It doesn’t make sense. You’re climbing up the ladders and then you get a big test, you’re supposed to beat him, I fucking beat him, and then the purse is supposed to go higher, and higher and higher. That’s the way it goes.”
Ruiz’s last bout was against Luis Ortiz in Los Angeles, California. He won that fight via unanimous decision with scores of 114-111 (x2) and 113-112. The three knockdowns he scored (two in round two and one in round seven) helped him secure the victory in what was otherwise a close contest on the scorecards.
Ruiz: “I’ll fight him for $10 million”
Later in the broadcast, Ruiz claimed that he would fight Wilder for $10 million. This would signify a sharp decrease to what he had demanded previously. In an interview posted to YouTube by EsNews, Wilder claimed that Ruiz was demanding somewhere between $20-25 million.
Presently, it is clear that both sides are unable to reach an agreement for a heavyweight showdown. This is despite being ordered by the WBC themselves and the fact that both fight under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner. Whether the two ever face each other in the ring remains to be seen.
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.
