Andy Ruiz Jr. Wants Deontay Wilder After Luis Ortiz Fight

Andy Ruiz Jr. is hoping to fight Deontay Wilder should he beat Luis Ortiz.

Ruiz Jr. and Ortiz are set to headline a FOX pay-per-view card on September 4 in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena. It’s a pivotal fight for the heavyweight division and for Ruiz Jr., he knows this if he wins, he can get back in the title picture and hopes he can face Wilder next.

“I have to get back and work hard. The name is there, the talent is there, and all I have to do is stay disciplined and work hard and have all the right fights on me,” Ruiz told FightHype.com. “I didn’t want to take easy fights, so I waited. That’s why we’re fighting Luis Ortiz because he’s a hard-hitting guy, an awkward guy. I’m not underestimating him like my last fight [against Chris Arreola in May] or nothing. We’re actually training hard. If I win [against Ortiz], I would want to fight Wilder if he comes out of retirement.”

Although Andy Ruiz Jr. wants Deontay Wilder next, he is uncertain if the former heavyweight champ will come back. Wilder has talked about retiring following his losses to Tyson Fury but if he comes back, Ruiz thinks he’s the perfect fight for him.

“[Wilder] was kind of saying that he didn’t want to, and makes more money outside of the ring than inside the ring. That kind of showed that he doesn’t really want to,” said Ruiz. “I don’t blame him. All the hard work and dedication that he did over the years. He accomplished a lot and was a champion for so many years. I can’t blame him. If he wants to enjoy his life without getting hurt, without getting punched in the face. He already did it. We all work hard, so we don’t have to work hard in life. He already did all the hard work, but so did I. I have enough money to where I don’t have to work anymore. We have houses that we’re making, and I make money every month.”

Would you like to see Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Deontay Wilder?