Andy Ruiz VS Chris Arreola: betBonanza predicts likely winner

Many of you will remember Andy Ruiz. The Mexican who gave our own Anthony Joshua a surprise knockout win at Madison Square Garden, New York in late 2019. Of course! The world was stunned by a ‘fat short guy’, beating up a muscular and seemingly agile world champion, Anthony Joshua. Yes, Joshua has since recovered his heavyweight belts, and is now gearing up to take on Gypsy King, Tyson Fury for the Undisputed World Championship; Ruiz is nurturing a comeback for the titles. He has set up a fight with fellow Mexican Chris Arreola this Saturday, which he hopes will boost his confidence and give hme much needed credibility to challenge for one of the world titles. But many Boxing analysts think it’s nothing more than a “strategic comeback fight." One designed to make Ruiz look good, and if Ruiz can regain his 2019 form when he comes on the ring this Saturday, his opponent Arreola will obviously be out of action before the 5th round. Who is Chris Arreola? Chris Arreola could have been what Ruiz is today for his native Mexico. But he lost his chances. He had world title fights in 2009, 2014, and 2016, losing all of them. This is probably Chris Arreola’s chance to do something big in boxing. His credibility to compete at the top has also been questioned over the years, and he is desperate to prove himself. Though one aspect of his fight that has never been in doubt is his heart and fighting spirit. The last time we saw him in a loss to Adam Kownacki in 2019, Arreola released 1,125 shots in 12 rounds - a new world record! Ruiz might be an excellent power-puncher, but he would not be able to match Arreola’s work rate, no matter how much improvement he’s made under the watch of new trainer Eddy Reynoso. Chris Arreola’s professional record: 47 fights - 38 wins - 6 losses

Ruiz is armed with one of the best trainers in boxing today

Yes! Ruiz has hired the services of fellow Mexican Boxer Saul Canelo Alvarez, and his trainer, Eddy Reynoso, to train him for the Chris Arreola fight, in the hope of competing for the world heavyweight belts again. Videos have surfaced online showing Ruiz working hard almost every day in the gym and in the ring. This time Ruiz is fighting for redemption. He has said, “I want to prove people wrong, I want to get those titles back.”

Ruiz has lost weight

In his last fight against Joshua, Ruiz was indeed basking in the glamour of being a world champion. He had partied a lot and had become overweight. While he still got his signature right jab, this "overweightness" affected his maneuverability in the ring. He himself said: “I never felt like that all my career, I couldn’t really move, I couldn’t really cut the corners, I couldn’t cut the ring, I couldn’t throw a lot of punches, it was horrible”. The Mexican has since been working at reducing his weight. He has lost a lot of pounds and has completely transformed his diet and workout regime. But some experts believe it might not be possible for Ruiz to reinvent himself and his fighting style just like Joshua did.

Ruiz could still bottle the match

But there are doubts that Andy Ruiz with his carefree lifestyle could somehow bottle the game. Before he faced Joshua for the rematch last year, many expected Ruiz to be highly motivated and seize the momentum he already had. But he practically made it easy for Joshua by not preparing hard enough. Many have said that if he wasn't motivated when he had the whole world at his feet plus 80% of the major titles, can he be motivated when there is no belt to fight for? We will have to wait and see. However, leading Bookmakers betBonanza, have predicted a 93% chance that Andy Ruiz will win the bout. While Arreola is predicted to have just a 7% chance of defeating Ruiz. This prediction is based on the strengths and tactics of both boxers. May 1st will be the day of reckoning for both men as they face each other eye-ball to eye-ball on the ring. They have both been knocked down in their last fights, but they certainly aren’t knocked out.

This Saturday will be the moment of Truth for both men.