Deontay Wilder, Andy Ruiz Jr.’s Drive Questioned by Boxing Legend

Athletes work their entire life to get to the top of their sport. However, any athlete will agree that staying at the top is the hardest part of the job. It is not uncommon to see many boxers fade away from the sport after they lose their prestigious crown. A similar fate is predicted for former heavyweight champions Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr.

Boxing expert Johnny Nelson has some concerns about the future of heavyweight fighters Wilder and Ruiz, as he doesn’t believe they have the drive and hunger to keep going.

Are Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr. retiring from boxing?

Deontay Wilder was once feared by everyone in the division due to his devastating knockout power. However, it all changed when he went toe to toe against Tyson Fury three times, and Wilder failed to secure a single win. According to boxing legend Johnny Nelson, these losses against the ‘Gypsy King’ have dented Wilder’s pride and drive for boxing.

Nelson said, “Deontay Wilder said he’s coming back to boxing. I think I heard this a good few months ago, I still doubt it, and the reason why I still doubt it is because Deontay still fights with a lot of pride involved so I think the Tyson Fury fight really hurt his pride.”

Furthermore, Nelson claimed that Wilder didn’t love the sport of boxing and he paralleled Wilder’s situation with that of Andy Ruiz Jr., who famously defeated Anthony Joshua and brutally lost the rematch.

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He said, “He’s not a great lover of our sport so when he’s out, he’s out. He ain’t watching all this sort of stuff and he’s a very very wealthy man so it’s about motivation. Look at Andy Ruiz. How many fights has he had since he lost to Anthony Joshua? Is it one?”

What happened to Wilder and Ruiz?

‘The Bronze Bomber’ hasn’t stepped foot inside the squared circle since his devastating loss at the trilogy fight against Fury. Only time will tell if the Alabama fighter will ever fight again.

On the other hand, Ruiz gained global fame as he defeated Anthony Joshua for his WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO heavyweight titles in 2019. However, he lost it all a year later to Joshua in a rematch. Since then, the Mexican fighter has fought only once against Chris Arreola.

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What do you think about Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz Jr. potentially retiring? Let us know in the comments below.