'Andy Ruiz Jr.'s Hiding Behind Business' Deontay Wilder's Coach Malik Scott Bashes Andy Ruiz Jr
Since Andy Ruiz Jr won the unified heavyweight world championship from Anthony Joshua in 2019, his career has seen limited action in the upper echelons of the heavyweight division. Ruiz's most recent fight was a closely contested points victory over the seasoned Cuban contender Luis Ortiz in September. However, there have been talks throughout 2023 about potential matchups with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, though none of these fights have materialized as of now. Malik Scott, the trainer of Deontay Wilder, has shared his perspective on the negotiations for a Ruiz vs. Wilder bout and claimed that the Mexican American fighter priced himself out of the contest, as well as a potential showdown with Tyson Fury. During an interview with Boxing Social, Scott accused Ruiz of using the business side of boxing as a shield.
“Andy Ruiz did business with us the same way he attempted to do business with Tyson Fury, he out priced himself.” “He wants to act like he wants this fight, but it’s just big name association. Fighters and their team, they hid behind the business aspect of boxing, and it’s the perfect time to hide behind business because everyone is in to instant gratification – and that is what Andy did.” “It’s frustrating. And the more and more I talk about it, the more it gets frustrating.”The WBC had ordered a final eliminator between Wilder and Ruiz at the beginning of the year, but even this mandate failed to bring about a fight between the two. In terms of inactivity, Deontay Wilder has not been in action since autumn 2022 when he swiftly dispatched Robert Helenius in under a round at the Barclays Centre in New York. Despite earlier assurances to fans that a highly anticipated showdown between Wilder and Anthony Joshua was "confirmed" for December, this long-anticipated bout also appears to be facing uncertainty at present.
