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+--- Thread: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO (/showthread.php?tid=185)
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - diehard - 11-17-2016
Joseph Parker: I'm the fastest heavyweight in the world
Joseph Parker reckons he's the fastest heavyweight in the world, as his rival camp claim similar bragging rights for Andy Ruiz ahead of their WBO title fight.
The question of hand speed has become a hot topic for the December 10 showdown in Auckland that is shaping as a gun-slinger's shootout.
Bob Arum, the American promoter of Ruiz, reckons his man is faster on the draw, declaring: "Andy Ruiz has the fastest hands that I have seen on any heavyweight since Muhammad Ali, who I promoted over 50 years ago."
Parker's handlers have been mystified at Arum repeatedly ignoring this acknowledged strength of the 24-year-old Kiwi.
Parker stood up for himself when the issue was raised after a training session in Las Vegas. In fact, he reckons his hands are getting quicker through his new strength and fitness work.
"Andy has great hand speed and I respect his hand speed a lot. But I'm the fastest heavyweight in the world and I back myself on my speed," Parker fired back.
"I believe it's just a gift that I have, to be able to let my hands go fast. And I feel like it's improving all the time.
"With all the training that we have been doing with the strength coach ... with these new things, I believe I'm getting faster and faster."
Parker said there had been no compromise with either speed or movement as a result of his increased emphasis in strength work.
He felt he had shown that in his demolition of Russian Alexander Dimitrenko in his last fight and he was continuing to build on that.
Parker's trainer Kevin Barry appears bemused by his fighter's lightning hands being ignored in the buildup to the fight.
"Everyone except Bob Arum knows that Joe has really fast hands," Barry declared.
Arum is backing Ruiz's trainer Abel Sanchez to complement the 27-year-old's undoubted skill-set with improved fitness. The results are already obvious on a Mexican fighter known for his weight issues.
"I am stunned to see Andy Ruiz look as good as he does, and he better look as good as he does because he's in with a heavy-handed kid in Joseph Parker," Arum said.
Parker acknowledged the multiple threats of Ruiz but said he wasn't surprised to see him getting into shape for this massive opportunity. Like himself, Ruiz was clearly motivated and Parker had no doubt this would be the toughest fight of his unbeaten career.
"Ruiz is a fighter who I have a lot of respect for. In the past he had a lot of weight on and you can tell he is taking it seriously because he has dropped a lot of weight. He's moved away from home, he's training at altitude with a good trainer, so it's not a surprise to me because it is a big occasion for both of us," Parker said.
"We both want to win, we both want to make history and be champion of the world.
"With Andy, I think even when he was big and had the weight, he was fit, strong and fast. So with this taking off the weight, it will increase his fitness and make him a lot better fighter. But he was already a good fighter.
"He has a lot of combinations and he has good speed. I haven't faced anyone with his kind of speed. He throws a lot of punches and combinations, similar to me. He definitely has pop in his punches.
"I believe this is going to be my hardest fight to date and it should be because it's for the world title."
- Duncan Johnstone travelled to the United States as a guest of Duco Events.
- Stuff
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - diehard - 11-17-2016
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/86551786/tyson-furys-trainer-says-parker-v-ruiz-wbo-title-fight-is-too-close-to-call
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - diehard - 11-18-2016
Boxing: The problem with Andy Ruiz Jr's extreme weight loss regime
By Patrick McKendry in Las Vegas
Former world champion Roy Jones Jr has questioned the need for Andy Ruiz Jr's extreme weight loss regime under new trainer Abel Sanchez, saying it could hurt his ability to take a punch from Joseph Parker in their world title fight next month.
Jones Jr, a 47-year-old American who made history when he became the first boxer to win a heavyweight title after starting his professional career as a light middleweight, knows a thing or two about gaining and losing weight.
He was a world champion in four different weight divisions and was considered by some as the best pound for pound fighter ever. He finished his career with a 54-8 record, and was named in the boxing hall of fame in 2003. He retired in 2011.
"When you take weight away from a guy, a lot of times you see bad things happen," Jones Jr said after a press conference in a build-up to the Sergey Kovalev v Andre Ward world light heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas.
"To me, when I put all the weight on and won the heavyweight title, and went back down in weight, I never would've got knocked out if it hadn't been for that, I don't think.
"You see Chris Byrd when he was fighting at heavyweight all those years, as soon as he dropped down to light heavyweight, one fight, out he went.
"Losing weight has been proven to take away a guy's ability to take a punch, so you have to be very careful when you take weight off a guy, especially a guy who's used to being that big.
"So for Joseph Parker, he should hope that's the case. For me, I'm the kind of guy who thinks if there's nothing wrong, don't fix it."
Ruiz Jr is expecting to weight about 111kg for his fight at the Vector Arena on December 10, but has fought at more than 140kg before. He has lost more than 20kg training with Sanchez at altitude in California.
Other observers say Ruiz Jr's punching power could be compromised by the weight loss, but Jones Jr believes the Mexican's ability to take a punch from the powerful Parker would be more relevant.
"For a big guy to have that quick a hands? It's a sight to see, so had it been me, I wouldn't have taken much weight off him.
"I may have tried to get a little flab off him, trim him up just a little bit, but not take the weight away from him because that weight could've been enhancing his ability to take a punch and he has really quick hands, so most guys aren't going hit him clean because of his quick hands, you understand me?
"You got to be really careful not to over do it. A lot of guys go 'I'm going to go to Abel' because they want to get in shape, which he does get them in immaculate shape, but everyone don't need the same thing."
* Patrick McKendry travelled to Las Vegas with assistance from Duco Events.
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - mippy - 11-19-2016
I had wondered about his weight loss, but I guess it shows how committed and motivated Ruiz is. This should be a mean fight.
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - NakiFan - 11-19-2016
Not sure how Ruiz will be able to do the pressure fighting style if he comes in not only a few inches shorter than Parker, but lighter also. If he does that, he'd likely gas early.
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - Msreef - 11-19-2016
Pretty confident about Parker winning this fight, don't think Ruiz will have the power (especially with the weight loss) to trouble Parker, and I don't think he's going to be able to beat him on the scorecards either.
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - Westywarrior - 11-19-2016
I remember when Shane Cameron was switching between heavy and light heavy
He was looking quite good at Heavy KOing Monte Barrett then when he cut down to light heavy he seemed a different fighter it's like something was missing , he just wasn't as strong.
As for Ruiz , I think when you change a lot of things about how you prepare sometimes you Actually get worse before you get better.
It's gonna be a a big ask for Ruiz to win this one
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - diehard - 11-19-2016
It'll be weird for Ruiz to fight in a new body, not sure how it'll go. Can he take a punch? Will he still have the same power? What about his stamina? Will he be energy depleted?
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - craigyid14 - 11-19-2016
(11-19-2016, 10:34 AM)Westywarrior Wrote: I remember when Shane Cameron was switching between heavy and light heavyShane
He was looking quite good at Heavy KOing Monte Barrett then when he cut down to light heavy he seemed a different fighter it's like something was missing , he just wasn't as strong.
As for Ruiz , I think when you change a lot of things about how you prepare sometimes you Actually get worse before you get better.
It's gonna be a a big ask for Ruiz to win this one
Cameron never fought at light heavy.
RE: Parker vs Ruiz for WBO - diehard - 11-19-2016
Cruiser.