By Declan Taylor
Heavyweights Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller clash in an intriguing encounter on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s crack at Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles on Saturday. Given how little of the two we have seen over the past few years, it’s a difficult one to predict but there are routes to victory for both men. Below, we take a look at the crucial factors in this fight.
ANDY RUIZ JR – KEYS TO VICTORY
EXPERIENCE
You simply can’t buy it. Despite his strange career since he won the world heavyweight title in 2019, Andy Ruiz has far more top-level experience than Jarrell Miller and maybe he will just know too much on the night. Before his back-to-back, high-profile fights with Anthony Joshua, Ruiz had already fought Joseph Parker for the world heavyweight title and pushed the New Zealander very close, losing via majority decision for the WBO belt. He has also beaten the likes of Chris Arreola and, most recently, Luis Ortiz. Miller has not mixed in those types of circles yet and was stopped in his step up fight against Daniel Dubois.
HAND SPEED
Andy Ruiz has good hands for a big man and there is no doubting the speed of them. Throughout his career, Miller has often relied on his own to win fights against slower opponents but in Ruiz he is facing a man who once had arguably the fastest hands in the division. Whether or not he retains the magic of old will be unclear until Saturday night but if he does, he can put together fast, sharp combinations which will be a nightmare for Miller.
CHIN
One of the most memorable heavyweight moments of the last decade is Ruiz getting dropped heavily by an uppercut-hook two-piece by Anthony Joshua in the third round in New York and then climbing up off the floor at the count of six. He was then almost immediately poleaxed by a Joshua right hand but stayed standing and the rest is history. Ruiz was also dropped by Chris Arreola but got up to win almost every other round in May 2021. What this suggests is that even if Miller does fashion an opening and hurt the man from California, Ruiz has the beard to hold it and still do enough to win.
Chris Farina/Top Rank
JARRELL MILLER – KEYS TO VICTORY
MOMENTUM
Considering Miller has boxed just once in 17 months, it might seem strange to suggest he’s the one with the momentum here but it could be a factor. Ruiz has not boxed since September 2022, when he beat Luis Ortiz on points, and that fight itself had also been his first one after a 16-month hiatus.
In fact, he has had three fights since the stunning upset over Joshua in May 2019 – and one of those was the rematch six months later when he was soundly beaten. Miller last boxed in December meaning there will be less chance of ring rust for him and it could hand him a significant advantage in a fight like this.
FITNESS
Again, for a man who weighed in at a whopping 333lbs for his last two fights, suggesting Miller might be the fitter man here seems like a reach. But if the footage of Miller’s preparation is anything to go by, Big Baby might just be in the shape of his life for this showdown with Ruiz. He looks to have reduced his body fat drastically which has resulted in a nimble, fast and sharp version of the New Yorker.
Given his history with performance-enhancing drugs, this most recent body transformation has been viewed cynically by many but there has been no suggestion of a failed test this time around. Less weight to carry around might be the difference between fading or firing in the later rounds.
AMBITION
Ruiz made no secret of the fact that after he beat Joshua and became world heavyweight champion, he allowed himself to enjoy the moment – and the money that came with it. It resulted in an overweight Ruiz losing the rematch widely and it is unclear whether or not he retains the hunger of old at all given he has already reached the summit of the sport. Miller, meanwhile, has got nowhere near that rarefied air.
Of course, it was him who was supposed to box Joshua that night in 2019 before a failed drugs test gave Ruiz the shot instead. Miller will also be acutely aware that defeat here, off the back of the Dubois stoppage, could spell the end of big heavyweight opportunities. On Saturday night, the 36-year-old might just want it more than his millionaire opponent.
Esther Lin/Showtime