Andy Ruiz Bio
Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr., widely known by his ring name “Destroyer,” is an American professional boxer who rose from a small town in Southern California to the very top of the heavyweight division. Born on September 11, 1989, in Imperial, California, he turned professional in 2009 and built a reputation as a fast-handed, powerful puncher. In 2019, he became the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent by capturing the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO world titles with a stunning upset victory over Anthony Joshua.
Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall with a 74-inch reach, Ruiz competes out of an orthodox stance and is best known for his hand speed, combinations, and finishing power inside the ring. Beyond his athletic achievements, he is recognized for embracing his dual American and Mexican heritage and for serving as an inspiration to young boxers from similar backgrounds.
Early Life and Background
Andrés Ponce Ruiz Jr. was born on September 11, 1989, in Imperial, California, a small border community near Mexicali, Mexico. His parents had emigrated from Mexico to the United States, and he grew up surrounded by both cultures. His father worked in construction and later started his own business flipping houses, an industry Ruiz himself would later explore during breaks from training.
As a child, Ruiz had a deep passion for baseball before his father introduced him to boxing. He has recalled that his very first fight took place at age seven in San Diego, an experience that helped spark a lifelong commitment to the sport. Ruiz later worked alongside his father in construction before deciding to focus on boxing full-time. He also began his amateur career in Mexico, where his grandfather owned a gym in Mexicali that had once been used by featherweight champion Jorge Páez.
The nickname “Destroyer,” which has followed him throughout his career, was actually earned before he ever stepped into a boxing ring. As a young boy, Ruiz has said, “I was always destroying stuff.” He attended Imperial High School, graduating in 2007, and remains a proud resident of his hometown to this day.
Path to Boxing
Ruiz’s amateur career was extensive and decorated. He compiled a remarkable 105–5 record while training under Cuban coach Fernando Ferrer. His 105 wins included two Mexican National Junior Olympics gold medals and a title at the Ringside World Championships, establishing him as one of the most accomplished amateur heavyweights of his generation.
He also represented Mexico in two 2008 Beijing Olympic Games qualification tournaments, where he faced elite competition. Ruiz lost to eventual Olympians Robert Alfonso of Cuba and Óscar Rivas of Colombia in the first and second qualifiers, but those experiences sharpened his skills and prepared him for the professional ranks. He was eligible to represent Mexico because his parents were born there.
During his development years, Ruiz also sparred with former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at the Wild Card Boxing Club under the guidance of renowned trainer Freddie Roach. He built a foundation against quality opposition, knocking out both 2006 US amateur champion Jonte Willis and 2008 Golden Gloves champion Tor Hamer in the unpaid ranks.
Andy Ruiz Career
Early Career (2009–2013)
Andy Ruiz made his professional debut on March 28, 2009, at the Plaza de Toros in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Still just 19 years old, he won his first fight via first-round knockout against Miguel Ramírez in a scheduled four-round bout. Three months later, he returned to the same venue and knocked Ross Brantley down three times in round one, earning a technical knockout victory.
After an eight-month layoff, Ruiz returned in February 2010 and began splitting his time between Mexico and the United States. He made his American debut at the Gaylord Hotel in Texas, knocking out Luke Vaughn in round one, and went on to defeat Miles Kelly, Raymond Lopez, and Francisco Diaz later that year. In 2011, he continued to build his resume with stoppages of Kelsey Arnold and Villi Bloomfield, the latter at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas. By the end of 2012, he had compiled a perfect professional record, with all of his fights ending inside the distance or by clear decision.
Rise Up the Ranks (2013–2016)
On July 27, 2013, Ruiz traveled to Macau to fight undefeated Joe Hanks at the Cotai Arena, dropping him twice in round four to claim the vacant WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title. Later that November, on the undercard of Pacquiao versus Rios, he defended that title and added the vacant WBC-NABF heavyweight title by stopping Tor Hamer when Hamer retired on his stool after three rounds.
In 2014, Ruiz took his first fight to the ten-round distance, outpointing former WBO heavyweight champion Siarhei Liakhovich at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona. The unanimous decision win revealed both his durability and the hand injury he suffered during the bout. In June 2015, he began training with the respected Abel Sanchez, whose most notable boxer was Gennady Golovkin, bringing new structure to his preparation.
He returned in September 2015 to defeat Joell Godfrey by unanimous decision, then outpointed veteran Raphael Zumbano Love. In 2016, he continued his march up the rankings, knocking out 45-year-old former title challenger Ray Austin, stopping Josh Gormley in three rounds, and dominating Franklin Lawrence over ten rounds to retain his WBC-NABF title. By late 2016, he was 27-0 and firmly established as a top heavyweight contender.
WBO Heavyweight Title Challenge (2016)
Following Tyson Fury’s vacation of the WBO heavyweight title, Ruiz was ordered to fight Joseph Parker for the vacant belt on December 10, 2016, in New Zealand. Ruiz started aggressively and traded momentum with the hometown fighter across twelve rounds. In the end, Parker captured a majority decision with scorecards of 114–114, 115–113, and 115–113, preventing Ruiz from becoming the first heavyweight of Mexican ancestry to win a world title.
Although he came up short, the performance showed that Ruiz could compete at the championship level. The bout peaked at 585,000 viewers on a delayed HBO broadcast, reflecting growing public interest in the young contender.
Unified Heavyweight Champion (2018–2019)
After a break to invest in real estate and spend time with family, Ruiz returned in March 2018 with a first-round knockout of Devin Vargas, training alongside Manny Robles. He followed that with a dominant ten-round unanimous decision over durable veteran Kevin Johnson in July 2018. In January 2019, he signed with advisor Al Haymon and joined the Premier Boxing Champions stable, with his fights airing on Showtime and FOX.
His PBC debut came on April 20, 2019, when he stopped Alexander Dimitrenko in the fifth round on the Danny García versus Adrián Granados undercard. Weeks later, with Jarrell Miller ruled out after failing multiple performance-enhancing drug tests, Ruiz was chosen to challenge Anthony Joshua for the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles at Madison Square Garden on June 1, 2019.
What followed was one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. After being knocked down in the third round for the first time in his career, Ruiz rose, dropped Joshua with a left hook to the temple, and forced two more knockdowns before the bell. In round seven, he floored Joshua a fourth time, prompting the referee to wave off the fight. The seventh-round technical knockout made Ruiz the first Mexican-American and second Hispanic heavyweight champion in boxing history.
Joshua Rematch and Post-Title Era (2019–2024)
In December 2019, Ruiz lost the unified titles to Joshua by unanimous decision in their Saudi Arabia rematch, with scorecards of 118–110, 118–110, and 119–109. Joshua used a disciplined jab and lateral movement to keep Ruiz at a distance, and Ruiz later admitted in his post-fight interview that he had not trained diligently, saying, “Three months of partying and celebrating affected me.”
He parted ways with trainer Manny Robles and, in May 2020, hired Eddy Reynoso, best known for guiding Canelo Álvarez. Under Reynoso, Ruiz returned on May 1, 2021, to defeat Chris Arreola by unanimous decision, recovering from a second-round knockdown to win with scores of 118–109, 118–109, and 117–110. After later switching trainers to Alfredo Osuna, he fought Luis Ortiz in September 2022, dropping the former WBA interim champion three times across twelve rounds to earn a unanimous decision.
Following surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, Ruiz was inactive for 23 months. He returned on August 3, 2024, at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, battling Jarrell Miller in a twelve-round crossroads bout that ended in a majority draw, with one judge scoring 116–112 for Miller and two scoring 114–114. Ruiz appeared to suffer a fractured right hand during the fight, and CompuBox statistics showed Miller landing 183 of 514 punches to Ruiz’s 113 of 355.
Style and Strengths
Ruiz is widely regarded as one of the quickest-handed heavyweights of his era, capable of throwing rapid-fire combinations that overwhelm larger opponents. His compact build belies his explosive power, with 22 of his 35 career wins coming by knockout. He excels at cutting off the ring and capitalizing on openings with sharp, accurate punching rather than relying on reach or movement.
Notable Events and Milestones
His seventh-round stoppage of Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden on June 1, 2019, stands as the defining moment of his career and one of the most stunning upsets in heavyweight history. He also became the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, a milestone that resonated across the sport and the broader boxing community.
Andy Ruiz Career Wins
Across his professional career, Andy Ruiz has compiled a record of 35 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw in 38 total bouts, with 22 victories coming by knockout. His wins span multiple continents, including Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Saudi Arabia, reflecting his status as a globally active heavyweight contender.
Heavyweight Highlights
Ruiz’s first professional victory came via first-round knockout against Miguel Ramírez on March 28, 2009, in Tijuana, Mexico. His most recent victory came against Luis Ortiz on September 4, 2022, in Los Angeles, where he dropped the former WBA interim champion three times en route to a unanimous decision. In between, he captured the WBO Inter-Continental and WBC-NABF heavyweight titles, defended them multiple times, and ultimately unified the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight championships.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the marquee title fights, Ruiz secured a long string of stoppages and decisions over durable journeymen, regional contenders, and former title challengers, including Siarhei Liakhovich, Ray Austin, Tor Hamer, Joe Hanks, Alexander Dimitrenko, and Chris Arreola. These wins helped him climb the world rankings and earn his shot at the unified heavyweight crown.
Andy Ruiz Family
Family Background and Boxing Lineage
Ruiz was born to Mexican parents who had emigrated to the United States, and he was raised in the border town of Imperial, California. His father worked in construction and later built a business flipping houses, an industry his son briefly joined during breaks from boxing. On his mother’s side of the family, his grandfather owned a boxing gym in Mexicali, Mexico, that had once been used by featherweight champion Jorge Páez, helping shape Ruiz’s early connection to the sport.
Personal Life
Ruiz continues to reside in his hometown of Imperial, California, and considers himself both American and Mexican. He is fluent in both English and Spanish, and has spoken publicly about his pride in representing his heritage. He graduated from Imperial High School in 2007 and has invested in real estate ventures during breaks from competition.
2025 Season Performance
Looking ahead to 2025, Andy Ruiz enters the year coming off his August 2024 majority draw with Jarrell Miller, a fight in which he suffered a fractured right hand. Recovery and rehabilitation of that injury are expected to be central to his early-year plans, with any ring return likely dependent on full medical clearance. The draw preserved his position in the heavyweight mix and kept alive hopes of another world title opportunity.
At 35 years old, Ruiz remains a respected figure in the heavyweight division and a proven ticket seller. His next move will likely be determined by his recovery timeline, his performance in any tune-up bouts, and the willingness of promoters to feature him in high-profile matchups. With Eddy Reynoso’s stable of stars and the wider Premier Boxing Champions landscape both open to him, several credible paths back to contention exist.
Should he return healthy and regain his pre-2019 form, Ruiz has the hand speed, knockout power, and championship experience to make another run at a world title. The coming year will be defined by his ability to heal, stay active, and remind the boxing world that the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion is far from finished.