Former three-belt heavyweight champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz, Jr.-- inactive since his 2019 loss in the Anthony Joshua rematch-- will battle Chris “The Nightmare’’ Arreola in the main event of an all-Mexican pay-per-view on Saturday, May 1st at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The rest of the pay-per-view line-up is as follows: Omar “Panterita” Figueroa, Jr. clashes with Abel Ramos in a twelve-round welterweight bout... junior middleweight Sebastián “The Towering Inferno’’ Fundora takes on Jorge “El Demonio’’ Cota in another twelve-round battle and rising welterweight Jesús Ramos, Jr., the nephew of Abel, duels with former U.S. Olympian Javier “El Intocable” Molina over ten welterweight rounds. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event. The Fox Sports PBC Pay-Per-View is priced at $49.95.
“This pay-per-view card is one of the best all-action lineups that I can remember and is loaded with fighters who know nothing but delivering toe-to-toe combat. Headlining the card is the only heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, Andy Ruiz, Jr., taking on Chris Arreola, the first serious Mexican-American heavyweight contender,’’ said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. "Andy Ruiz Jr. shocked the sports world when he destroyed Anthony Joshua to win heavyweight titles at Madison Square Garden. No upset in recent years has been nearly as big a story as Ruiz stunning Joshua and no boxer of Mexican descent weighing more than 175 pounds had ever won a championship before him. Ruiz has re-dedicated himself and is focused on regaining the heavyweight crown and Arreola is determined to make one more run at the title.
“The pay-per-view undercard matchups are toss-up fights that predicate great action, featuring top young contenders, a former world champion and an Olympian. No matter what happens on May 1, boxing fans will be the real winners.”
Ruiz (pictured) and Arreola, two Mexican-American heavyweights from Southern California, have been circling each other for years. They both had designs on becoming the first fighter of Mexican descent to win the heavyweight title. Ruiz won it and lost it, while Arreola came up short. This high-stakes match will determine who remains in the hunt.
Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) shocked the boxing world in 2019 when he was brought in as a late replacement to face heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and turned the tables on the champion, knocking him out in the seventh round and taking home the titles. The 31-year-old from Imperial, California lost his rematch with Joshua by unanimous decision, but has now rededicated himself to regaining the heavyweight championship.
“I can’t wait to get back in the ring on May 1st,” said Ruiz, who is now being trained by renowned coach Eddy Reynoso. “Training with coach Eddy in his gym has been amazing. I’m around great fighters like Canelo Alvarez and we’re putting in the work so that I can look better than ever.
“I have known Chris Arreola since I turned professional. He’s a Mexican warrior just like me, and I expect him to come at me with everything he’s got. This is going to be an action-packed event between fighters who do not go backwards. I will be smart and ready to do whatever it takes to get the win and put myself back in position to become heavyweight champion again.”
Arreola (38-6-1, 33 KOs) has a career that has spanned 17 years. Born in East Los Angeles to parents from Mexico, Arreola has fought for the heavyweight championship three times and come up short. He began working with renowned trainer Joe Goossen before his last match against Adam Kownacki and appeared to have turned back the clock. It was a back-and-forth, up-tempo match and Goossen’s work with Arreola was on full display. Arreola acquitted himself well, but came up on the short end of the decision.
"Training with Joe Goossen is tedious, hard work,” said Arreola, whose father was a boxer who would take him to Mexico to watch the legend Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. train. “We’re doing everything that we can so that when Ruiz and I face each other, fight fans will get treated to an all-out war between the two best Mexican-American heavyweights to ever step in the ring. This matchup should be a fan friendly fight, and I plan on winning behind all of my hard work.”
