Timothy Bradley thinks Andy Ruiz Jr should stop.
Ruiz lost to Damian Knyba by unanimous decision on Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark, going down in the seventh in his first fight under Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom banner. It was his first outing in more than two years and the third defeat of his career. Bradley gave his verdict on the DAZN and TNT Sports broadcast.
I would tell him to hang ’em up because I’m telling you: If you can’t beat a guy like [Knyba, you might as well retire]. I think there’s a lot of guys out there that can [beat Knyba]. I think Kabayel stops him again.
Hearn had gone the other way before the bell. He said last week that a good performance would put Ruiz in with anyone, naming Filip Hrgovic, Moses Itauma, Daniel Dubois and Agit Kabayel as fights Ruiz could win.
Knyba came in as the underdog and leaves in the shop window. The 6ft 7in Pole had lost only to Kabayel, who stopped him in the third round in January, and he is now 18-1 at 30 years old.
Ruiz is not taking the advice. He said after the fight that he intends to keep boxing but needs to stay busy, having just ended more than two years of inactivity. His last win came against Luis Ortiz four years ago.
He took three of the four major titles in 2019 by stopping Anthony Joshua in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden, then lost the rematch in Saudi Arabia by unanimous decision. He has fought sparingly ever since.
