Andy Ruiz Jr is chasing the magic of 2019 all over again.
The former heavyweight champion, 35-2-1 (22 KOs), will headline the third edition of the TNT-DAZN series “The Fight” on September 4 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. He faces Damian Knyba, 17-1 (11 KOs), in a bout announced Tuesday.
It’s the latest attempt by Ruiz to reconnect with the prominence he found when he shocked the boxing world in 2019, stopping Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden as a late replacement for Jarrell Miller. The fairytale faded fast. An out-of-shape Ruiz was outboxed over 12 rounds in the immediate rematch six months later, and he has been trying to climb back ever since. His most recent time in the ring came against Miller in August 2024.
Knyba, a rising heavyweight, represents the kind of step Ruiz needs to clear if he wants back into the division’s title conversation.
