Andy Ruiz's Unsuccessful Return: He Lost to Damian Knyba in New Jersey

Former world champion Andy Ruiz Jr. stepped into the ring for the first time since 2024. However, the fight in New Jersey did not end with the expected result for him — Ruiz was knocked down in the seventh round and ultimately lost to Damian Knyba by a unanimous decision.

Although the fight was scheduled for 12 rounds, it turned out that a knockout was not necessary to determine the winner. The decisive decision was made after the final bell.

Ruiz was knocked down during the fight

In the seventh round of the fight, Ruiz was knocked down. Nevertheless, the Mexican-American boxer recovered and continued the bout.

In the remaining rounds, both boxers continued the fight to the end, and the winner was determined by the judges' decision.

The judges awarded a unanimous victory to Knyba

In the final tally, all three judges awarded the victory to Damian Knyba:

• 114:113 — in favor of Knyba;

• 114:113 — in favor of Knyba;

• 117:110 — in favor of Knyba.

Thus, Knyba secured a unanimous victory over Ruiz.

One of the most important turning points of the fight was the knockdown in the seventh round.

A return after a long break for Andy Ruiz

This fight was the first bout for Andy Ruiz since 2024.

His previous fight was against Jarrell Miller, and at that time, the boxers could not determine a winner, resulting in a draw.

After that, there was a long wait for Ruiz to step into the ring again.

What was decisive in the fight?

What's next for Ruiz?

Although Andy Ruiz has returned to the ring, the fight in New Jersey raised new questions about his career.

For the former world champion, the most important thing is not just to have his first fight after a long break, but to show that he can return to his previous level in future bouts.

Knyba, on the contrary, secured an important victory over a big-name opponent. Now, the next fights could have a serious impact on both boxers' standing in the heavyweight division.