Can Andy Ruiz Win a HW World Title in 2027?

Andy Ruiz Jr. has been out of action since 2024. Coming off the back of an underwhelming draw against Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller, in a bout he really should’ve lost on the scorecards, audiences wondered what was next for ‘The Destroyer’.

Now, after signing a multi-fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Ruiz seems to be preparing for another tilt at the big time. But how far can he go at the age of 36?

For context, 36 years of age isn’t that old in the world of boxing. However, for a fighter who has become notorious for not looking after himself properly, it is highly likely that his best years are behind him.

However, Ruiz was certainly an effective presence in his prime years. Possessing excellent powers of recovery and very quick hands, he is a very dangerous fighter to stand and trade with.

If he can rediscover a portion of this, Ruiz could still make waves in the Heavyweight division. The weight class isn’t enormously strong at the moment – an opening may present itself for Ruiz to recapture the gold.

Current Heavyweight World Champions

Before we can properly examine Ruiz’s chances of winning a world title again, we first must take a look at who the current belt-holders are.

Of course, Oleksandr Usyk recent reliquinished the IBF, WBA and WBC belts, leaving them scattered, but two of them have since been collected.

As such, Agit Kabayel holds the WBC title, Murat Gassiev is the current WBA champion, while the IBF belt remains vacant. Gassiev will defend the WBA title against Peter Kadiru on Saturday night – nevertheless, he is expected to retain.

Of the two current title holders, he stands a much better chance of beating Gassiev than he does against Kabayel. The German would likely outwork and punish him, using his excellent workrate to overwhelm Ruiz.

The Mexican-American might catch Kabayel coming inside on a few occasions, but we’re not sure if he can hit hard enough to fully dissuade him.

Gassiev, on the other hand, is a very low-volume fighter who looks to measure his opponents up for one big shot. This isn’t how you beat a fighter like Ruiz – for every shot that Gassiev lands, Ruiz would likely land five or six.

As for the IBF, the top three ranked Heavyweights in that belt denomination are Frank Sanchez, Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic. We don’t give Ruiz much of a chance against any of these – Sanchez is too skilled, Hrgovic is too big and Itauma is too quick.

How Good is Andy Ruiz When Fully Motivated?

Outside of Ruiz’s spectacular win over Anthony Joshua in 2019, Ruiz’s career has been underwhelming. The silver-tongued Hearn claims that Ruiz, as he is, can beat Moses Itauma, Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois – but is there any evidence to support this?

Ruiz has picked up decent wins over Joe Hanks and Luis Ortiz during his career – he also fought Joseph Parker and lost a razor-thin decision for the WBO title in 2016.

But does any of this suggest that Ruiz is truly a top five Heavyweight? Not in our eyes. When motivated, he can certainly give most fighters in the division trouble, but he needs someone to fight his fight (like AJ did) to make a real splash.

Ruiz’s hands might be fast, but his feet are very, very slow. His footwork isn’t necessarily poor on a technical level – he knows how to position himself – but he’s simply too cumbersome to cut off the ring, even at Heavyweight.

World titles in boxing aren’t always exclusive to the best of the best – if the stars align, any decent fighter can pick one up. In that sense, Ruiz certainly can win a world title again – but, for us, it is unlikely.

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