12-05-2016, 12:02 PM
Andy Ruiz: I'm already two points down on the scorecards in Joseph Parker's town
Mexican heavyweight boxer Andy Ruiz fronts the media in Auckland as he prepares to fight Joseph Parker for the WBO title.
Andy Ruiz reckons he starts two points behind Joseph Parker on the scorecards but his trainer believes he "won't have much trouble" winning.
The Mexican has arrived in Auckland for Saturday night's WBO heavyweight title fight.
And the 27-year-old, unbeaten over 29 fights, has emphasised the difficulties in winning away though he says he's not phased by that.
"I know once I step into the ring in his place I'm already two points down on the cards. That's our mentality. I know I have to work even harder to fight the best fight I can fight," Ruiz told ESPN's Dan Rafael.
"I don't mind. It's really not a big deal for me. At the end of the day we'll do what we got to do. Doesn't matter if it's in the US or somewhere else in the world."
He said he had proven himself on the road, winning two important fights in China, and he would draw confidence from those victories for this fight.
Part of the deal worked out between Parker's handlers Duco Events and Ruiz's promoter Bob Arum to have the historic fight in New Zealand was for neutral judges.
That means no one from New Zealand, Australia, Mexico or the United States will judge the fight.
Highly respected American referee Tony Weeks will be the man in the ring with the two fighters.
Ruiz's trainer Abel Sanchez arrives in Auckland on Wednesday after overseeing his 17th world champion in Murat Gassiev who won the IBF world cruiserweight belt in Moscow on Sunday.
Arum believes Ruiz's decision to link with Sanchez will be the deciding factor in this fight. The work of Sanchez, a hard task master, is already evident with Ruiz, a notoriously lazy trainer and overweight fighter, in the best physical shape of his career.
Arum told ESPN that Sanchez had relayed to him extreme confidence in Ruiz for this heavyweight assignment.
"Abel told me [last week] that Andy is in great shape. He said Andy has listened to everything he has said. He thinks Andy not only will win but won't have much trouble with Parker," Arum said.
"I think Andy has a real chance to win because, based on what I've seen, there's no question he has the fastest hands of any heavyweight by far and he also has ring intelligence. He also takes a tremendous punch. He has been hit and not wobbled by good fighters. We also finally got him in a place where there's no f...ing around in training."
- Stuff
Mexican heavyweight boxer Andy Ruiz fronts the media in Auckland as he prepares to fight Joseph Parker for the WBO title.
Andy Ruiz reckons he starts two points behind Joseph Parker on the scorecards but his trainer believes he "won't have much trouble" winning.
The Mexican has arrived in Auckland for Saturday night's WBO heavyweight title fight.
And the 27-year-old, unbeaten over 29 fights, has emphasised the difficulties in winning away though he says he's not phased by that.
"I know once I step into the ring in his place I'm already two points down on the cards. That's our mentality. I know I have to work even harder to fight the best fight I can fight," Ruiz told ESPN's Dan Rafael.
"I don't mind. It's really not a big deal for me. At the end of the day we'll do what we got to do. Doesn't matter if it's in the US or somewhere else in the world."
He said he had proven himself on the road, winning two important fights in China, and he would draw confidence from those victories for this fight.
Part of the deal worked out between Parker's handlers Duco Events and Ruiz's promoter Bob Arum to have the historic fight in New Zealand was for neutral judges.
That means no one from New Zealand, Australia, Mexico or the United States will judge the fight.
Highly respected American referee Tony Weeks will be the man in the ring with the two fighters.
Ruiz's trainer Abel Sanchez arrives in Auckland on Wednesday after overseeing his 17th world champion in Murat Gassiev who won the IBF world cruiserweight belt in Moscow on Sunday.
Arum believes Ruiz's decision to link with Sanchez will be the deciding factor in this fight. The work of Sanchez, a hard task master, is already evident with Ruiz, a notoriously lazy trainer and overweight fighter, in the best physical shape of his career.
Arum told ESPN that Sanchez had relayed to him extreme confidence in Ruiz for this heavyweight assignment.
"Abel told me [last week] that Andy is in great shape. He said Andy has listened to everything he has said. He thinks Andy not only will win but won't have much trouble with Parker," Arum said.
"I think Andy has a real chance to win because, based on what I've seen, there's no question he has the fastest hands of any heavyweight by far and he also has ring intelligence. He also takes a tremendous punch. He has been hit and not wobbled by good fighters. We also finally got him in a place where there's no f...ing around in training."
- Stuff