Long before that magical night in New York when he found himself suddenly, and most unexpectedly, on top of the boxing world, all the experts had nothing but good things to say about Andy Ruiz's potential. They may not have raved about his performances, but Ruiz had the tools, those trainers, matchmakers and boxing lifers would say, to become something big.
They were proven correct on June 1, 2019, when Ruiz, stepping in to fight Anthony Joshua for the unified heavyweight title as a late replacement for Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller, stopped Joshua in the seventh round to claim the IBF, WBA and WBO belts.
That stands now, and probably forever, as the signature moment in his career. Ruiz knocked Joshua four times en route to becoming the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. All hell broke loose, as Mexicans everywhere celebrated his improbable win. He even was flown to Mexico City and had an in-person meeting with Mexican President Andres Lopez.
He hasn't been able to recapture that glory since. He's gone 2-1 since that stunning night, but it will be nearly two years since he's been in the ring when, on Saturday, he faces none other than Miller on the Riyadh Season card at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Miller could have been the one celebrating, but he failed a drug test and was forced out. Now, he wants to exact revenge.
"This fight is not personal," Miller said. "Andy replaced me a couple of years ago and got that big check, and now I have to f*ck him up. I'm going to turn his ass into burritos and nachos after this one."
It's ironic Miller referred to burritos and nachos, because if Ruiz had a shortcoming before and since the Joshua knockout, it was his commitment. He wasn't always in the greatest condition. He wasn't always as motivated as he might have been.
Yes, he had the pop to take anyone out, and he had the fast hands he needed to beat just about every big man to the punch.
He didn't, as they say, treat his body as a temple, and so sometimes, that potential was wasted. But Sean Gibbons, who has worked with Ruiz since he was 12 and was the one who brought Ruiz to Top Rank early in Ruiz's career, is convinced Ruiz is going to impress on Saturday.
He had surgery to repair the rotator cuff in his right shoulder in December, and he's cleaned up things in his personal life that were keeping him from focusing fully on his job.
"Andy is a very religious and spiritual guy," Gibbons said. "He's just in that right place right now, mentally and physically. This is it. He's really prepared properly for this fight so he should look as good if not better than the Andy Ruiz who [won the title]. You know how boxing is? Don King used to say, "In one fight, you could go from the outhouse to the penthouse, but at the same time, all it takes is one fight to go from the penthouse to the outhouse. Boxing is a very friendly sport in that regard and they only remember what you did now. They're not worried and thinking of what you do however many fights ago.
"If he's correct about how things have gone, and I think he is, he'll go out on Saturday night and put a beatdown on brother Jarrell Miller. And then, all sorts of possibilities open up."
Ruiz isn't a skinny mini, but that's not his body type. He doesn't have to have a flat stomach and thick muscles to be effective. He just needs the cardiovascular conditioning to push hard for 36 minutes and to be able to use the physical gifts such as hand speed and punching power that he possesses.
Miller has slimmed down considerably, it appears, and is a hulk of a man. Ruiz, though, shrugged it off.
"No matter how tall you are, how big you are and how much muscle you have, it’s all about what you have inside," Ruiz said "And I have a big heart."
He also seems at peace and content and after a few turbulent years after winning the title, Ruiz has returned to Earth and seems to have his feet solidly underneath him.
When Miller mocked him for eating burritos and nachos, Ruiz just laughed it off and gave a great answer that got the largely Hispanic crowd roaring its approval.
"Burritos and nachos have been helping win all my fights and become champion of the world, so nothing wrong about that," Miller said. "And that is exactly what I’m going to do on [Saturday]. I’m going to win. I’m going to get this victory and this victory will be for God."
If he gets it, particularly in spectacular fashion, he'll likely wind up on the undercard of the rematch between heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. At that point, he's only one punch away from another title shot.
Gibbons is optimistic great times are still ahead.
"Andy turns 35 in September, and so he's still a baby as far as heavyweights are concerned," Gibbons said. "He's in a great place. He admits that he kind of, well, put yourself in his position: You get the title fight on short notice and you win it. Then, all of a sudden there is this huge money and all of these calls and everyone after you. It was like hitting the lottery and just going crazy. There were so many people tugging at him and wanting a piece of him.
"He heard the criticism, and there was a lot of it. He saw it and it was hurtful to him. But he's admitted he got caught up in the moment. I think he's really learned his lessons and I wouldn't be shocked if he doesn't look extremely good on Saturday."
A win would likely give him an opponent like Zhilei Zhang, Joseph Parker or Agit Kabayel. A loss would mean a trip back to the drawing board.
If Gibbons is correct, though, good times are yet to come for Andy Ruiz Jr.
Melina Pizano/Matchroom
Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. prepares for his Saturday bout against Jarrell Miller in Los Angeles.