Andy Ruiz Jr lost his comeback fight to Poland's Damian Knyba at the Prudential Center in Newark and vowed to keep fighting, immediately calling for a rematch.
The 36-year-old, who stunned the boxing world by beating Anthony Joshua in 2019 to claim world titles, returned after a lengthy period out of the ring. Ruiz has battled injuries and this was only his fourth outing since losing the rematch to Joshua in December 2019, and his first since drawing with Jarrell Miller in August 2024.
Ruiz was floored in the seventh round and managed to beat the count, with the bell saving him at the end of the round. The contest went the distance and the judges handed Knyba a unanimous points victory, scoring the fight 117-110, 114-113 and 114-113. The win moves Knyba to a record of 18 wins and one defeat.
Ruiz, who recently signed with British promoter Eddie Hearn, argued the fight was affected by holding and ring rust. "I don't know, I think it was just him holding," he said. "Every time I tried to come in, he'd hold me really tight, and I just couldn't let my combinations go. He played a good game plan, but I'd love to run it back and do things a lot different."
He pointed to his long layoff as a factor and said he chose a tough opponent on purpose. "It was just a long layoff, and it was a great opponent," Ruiz said. "I didn't want to take an easy fight, so that's why I took Damian. He's a big guy. But we've got to take risks. I've still got it in me, man. I've just got to stay active and I want to fight again."
The defeat stalls Ruiz's attempt to rebuild after years of fragmented activity, while Knyba leaves Newark with a signature victory that enhances his record. Ruiz's immediate demand for another meeting sets the stage for his next move under his new promotional setup, and his stated aim is to return to the ring quickly to remain competitive.
