Boxing: Andy Ruiz Jr. Called Lazy By Former Trainer After Loss To Anthony Joshua

Andy Ruiz Jr.’s former head cornerman Abel Sanchez did not mince words when he called the Mexican-American boxer lazy after being at the receiving end of a masterful performance by Anthony Joshua in their rematch last weekend in Saudi Arabia.

The Mexican trainer is quoted by SB Nation’s Bad Left Hook saying, “A coach can’t want it more than a lazy fighter. A fighter that does not allow coaches to develop them to the higher level — the boxing record books are littered with second-tier fighters beating an unfocused champion, only to lose easily in the rematch.”

Ruiz Jr. got beaten badly by Joshua in all 12 rounds of their second fight as the Brit fighter won via unanimous decision, 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. As post-match, the much heavier Ruiz Jr. admitted to having failed in reaching fight shape as he had “partied too much” in the months he was supposed to train and trim down.

“I should have trained harder. I should have listened to my team and coaches. For this fight I was overweight. I didn't move how I wanted to,” Ruiz Jr. said. "There's no excuses. The partying got the best of me. The next fight is going to be a lot different,” he added.

Sanchez also disclosed several previous occasions where Andy Ruiz Jr. displayed lapses in his fight game and even boldly claimed that Anthony Joshua actually won the first fight in June.

“I have a small cruiserweight champion whom I’ve had spar with Ruiz three or four times and my cruiserweight (Arsen Goulamirian) had an easy time with him. When I had him in camp for Joseph Parker, I had Murat Gassiev spar with him, and Gassiev was just too difficult for him. In my opinion, Ruiz didn’t win their first fight; AJ, the much better fighter, lost it,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez, best known as the coach who once trained Gennady Golovkin, likewise pointed out that Ruiz Jr.’s present trainer should somehow take responsibility for his fighter’s failed conditioning and eventual defeat.

“I said in an interview months prior to the fight that the key to the win was Manny Robles. If Manny can keep him in the gym, get him to show up consistently, there’s a chance for Manny to develop the needed attributes to deal with the elite level,” Sanchez continued.

“That’s very possible, Ruiz has skills, he just is not completely developed. But it takes hard work and time. It’s not something that happened just for this fight; this time he fought a determined, focused, elite-level fighter.”