"Eddie Hearn is already traumatized" - Andy Ruiz Jr. believes Anthony Joshua trilogy won't happen
Andy Ruiz Jr. believes there's a clear reason why he won't fight Anthony Joshua again.
'AJ' is currently looking to book his return to the ring after having his clash with Deontay Wilder fall apart. For most of this year, the two heavyweights were in talks for a December clash in Saudi Arabia. However, due to financial issues, the bout fell through.
For his part, Eddie Hearn has stated that they're still looking to book the clash for early 2024. However, Joshua has received many callouts from his longtime foe, 'The Destroyer'. Ruiz Jr. was also hoping to score a fight with 'The Bronze Bomber' this year.
With both men not having a fight lined up, Andy Ruiz Jr. believes a trilogy with Anthony Joshua makes sense. In 2019, the two famously had a high-profile two-fight series. The Mexican boxer scored a knockout win that June to upset the-then champion.
Joshua later reclaimed the gold that December, but Ruiz Jr. still believes that Eddie Hearn hasn't gotten over that first bout. Speaking in a recent interview with ES News, he stated:
“I don’t think they want to fight. I think Eddie Hearn is already traumatized. He doesn’t want to match him against anyone good unless he’s trying to get his money and leave. Of course, I’ll go over there [to fight him]. Remember, when I fought him in the ring, I was overweight. I forgot everything that I was doing with the rematch."
See his comments below (7:00):
Andy Ruiz Jr. slams Deontay Wilder after failed talks
In addition to taking aim at Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz Jr. also took aim at Deontay Wilder.
'The Destroyer' and 'The Bronze Bomber' were in talks for a lot of this year as well. Following Wilder's knockout win over Robert Helenius last fall, the two were ordered to fight for a WBC title shot.
The winner would get a crack at Tyson Fury, but for whatever reason, the two couldn't reach a deal. According to Wilder and his team, Ruiz Jr. asked for too much money. $25 million, to be exact.
Ruiz Jr responded to that allegation in the interview with ES News, and said:
“By next year, I want to fight three or four times. I want to get a fight in. We’re still waiting for Wilder. I’m telling everybody that I never asked for $25 million. That’s bull****. Tell him to show me the proof of where I told him that I wanted $25 million."