標籤: grows

Andy Ruiz Jr has renewed calls for a third fight with Anthony Joshua, saying their rivalry is still incomplete six years after their first meeting. The former unified heavyweight champion recently spoke in an interview reflecting on his two bouts in 2019. Ruiz, now 35-2-1 with 22 knockouts, said both men changed after those bouts and he believes a trilogy would settle the score.

Their first clash ended in a major upset, while the rematch saw Joshua regain his title. Ruiz said he acknowledged his role in the second outcome but insisted that the third fight would see a different outcome if the two fighters met again at their best.

Andy Ruiz demands a trilogy with Anthony Joshua

Ruiz clarified his position while discussing his rivalry with Anthony Joshua on Casino.org. “I think there should be a trilogy with ‘AJ.’ “His life changed when we fought, and my life changed when we fought. I beat him; he is the one who beat me [in the rematch] Because I let him. I let him beat me in the second fight because I was stupid; I should have taken that fight more seriously.”

He said he is not trying to pressure Joshua into a fight. “I’m not going to go out there and force him or push him. But I think it will be a good fight for both of us to come back. But I will definitely beat him 100 percent.” Ruiz said he wants the fight to happen at the right time.

Revisiting the battles of 2019

The rivalry began in June 2019 at Madison Square Garden. Ruiz entered as a late replacement and knocked down Joshua several times before stopping him in the seventh round. The result gave Ruiz the heavyweight title and marked one of the biggest upsets in boxing.

They met again in Saudi Arabia in December 2019. Joshua used a different approach, controlling the 12-round fight to win by decision and regain his belt. Ruiz later admitted that he was in no shape for that fight. “I weighed about 300 pounds, so I was out of shape, and yet I lasted 12 rounds. So, I think when people saw the fight they didn’t see the best in me.”

Ruiz said he wanted another chance to improve on that performance. “I want to redeem myself. I gave my rematch.”

Ruiz reflects on discipline and Joshua’s form

Ruiz said discipline has been important to furthering his career. “Right now, I think patience is key, and I just have to stay motivated and stay disciplined. If you’re not disciplined, shit’s going to happen. And that’s what I wasn’t with AJ.”

Since the rematch, Ruiz has wins against Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz and a draw with Jarrell Miller. Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua has suffered setbacks, including defeats to Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois. Ruiz said fighters should not overlook Joshua.

“I think a lot of fighters look at [Joshua’s] The past and the things he’s been through and the losses he’s suffered, but every warrior can save himself. Anyone can come back stronger.” He also told about Joshua’s style. “Sometimes, when he’s fighting, I think he’s too cautious… I think his instincts are what let him down sometimes.”

Ruiz said he will remain patient while waiting for a possible third fight. “I hope it’s good, so we can do a trilogy.”

Dogley Wilberforce is a boxing writer for SportsNaught, covering fight news, fighter reactions and major bouts in the sport… More about Dogley Wilberforce

The aspiration scandal has engulfed the Los Angeles Clippers following Pablo Torre’s initial reporting on his podcast last fall. on his podcast Pablo Torre found outTorre has made extensive reporting alleging that Kawhi Leonard has signed a secret $28 million endorsement deal with eco-friendly tech company, Aspiration.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer served as a major investor in the company, paying Leonard $7 million per year to become the company’s brand ambassador for four years. However, as Torre pointed out in his reporting, there is no evidence of Leonard serving as an ambassador for the brand, leading to speculation that the deal with the Aspirations was a way for the Clippers to circumvent the cap and give Kawhi additional incentive to play with the Clippers.

According to a report from The Athletic, Torre’s reporting sparked an investigation by the NBA, and many in NBA circles believe the Clippers are destined to receive harsh punishment for what happened.

The report stated, “In the weeks before Ballmer’s big party, there was a notable increase in league-wide speculation that the NBA’s hammer was likely to fall on the Clippers. This was a marked change from earlier in the season, when many believed the Leonard/Aspiration scandal would come and go without any concrete punishment.”

Adam Silver spoke about the incident and the investigation during a media availability over All-Star weekend. All-Star weekend was held at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, in Los Angeles.

He said, “I have not yet reached any decisions on the Clippers matter. As you know, the league office is not directly running the investigation. It is being overseen by Wachtel, a law firm in New York. From everything I’ve been told, the Clippers have been completely cooperative. But as I said, I’m not involved day-to-day in the investigation.”

He then continued to outline the complexity of the investigation, according to comments secured by The Athletic.

“I think, as I’ve said before, it’s extremely complicated. You have a company in bankruptcy (Aspiration, which gave Leonard a no-show endorsement deal that was allegedly facilitated by the Clippers). You have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that need to be interviewed. I would say, if anyone is wondering, the fact that the All-Star is here this weekend has no bearing on the timeline of the investigation. “It’s our charge to the Wachtel Law Firm (to) do the work and then come back and make recommendations to the league office, and that’s where things stand now.”

Despite the investigation and early season troubles, in which the team unceremoniously released Chris Paul, the Clippers have been playing great over the past few months. They sit at 26–28 and have struggled to get back into the playoff picture as a play-in team; They are just one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers, who are currently ninth in the standings.

Leonard is averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals on 49.1% shooting and 91% from the free-throw line per game. So far, he has played 41 games this season – four games more than the 37 games he played in the 2024-2025 season. But despite their exceptional play and increased year-to-year numbers, the Aspiration scandal still remains a major topic around the team, and it could impact the winning streak Los Angeles is starting to have.

The Clippers are set to host the Nuggets tonight at 10:30 PM Eastern.