Former unified heavyweight world champion Andy Ruiz Jr. returned to the squared circle on Saturday night for a clash with 26-1 contender Jarrell Miller.
It’s been nearly two years since Ruiz Jr. last competed, earning a unanimous decision victory over Luis Ortiz via unanimous decision. With an overall record of 35-2 with 22 wins by way of knockout ‘The Destroyer’ was determined to prove that he is still a legitimate threat in the loaded heavyweight division.
Things started relatively slow in the opening round. That was until the final 10 seconds when Ruiz Jr. finally let his hands go, catching ‘Big Baby’ with a stiff combination. Ruiz Jr. threw a bit more in the following round, showing off his hand speed with a nice mixture of strikes.
After eating shots for most of the first two rounds, Miller finally started to land some solid counterstrikes and put ‘The Destroyer’ on his back foot in the third. The momentum really began to switch in the fifth with Miller walking down Ruiz Jr. and landing some nasty shots over the top.
In the closing moments of the round, ‘Big Baby’ appeared to rock Ruiz Jr., sending the fan favorite to his corner on wobbly legs.
By the time we got to the seventh, Ruiz Jr. appeared to have nothing left. Perhaps attempting to preserve his own gas tank, Miller offered little offense in the eighth and ninth, but his activity saw a slight uptick in the tenth. The final two rounds were relatively close with Ruiz Jr. offering up everything he had left in hopes that his early work plus a strong finish would be enough to steal a decision.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win the contest — but he didn’t lose either.
Official Result: Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Jarrel Miller is ruled a split draw (116-112, 114-114, 114-114)
Check Out Highlights From Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Jarrell Miller:
The Destroyer makes his ring return
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— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 4, 2024
Andy Ruiz vs Jarrell Miller ends in a draw
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 4, 2024
