Mexican Legends, Champions, Contenders, Trainers & More Share
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MEXICAN LEGENDS, CHAMPIONS, CONTENDERS, TRAINERS & MORE SHARE THOUGHTS ON ANDY RUIZ JR. VS. CHRIS ARREOLA HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN CARSON, CALIF. (April 28, 2021) – Ahead of this Saturday’s showdown between the two greatest Mexican-American heavyweights in boxing history, a star-studded lineup of Mexican legends, champions, contenders and more shared their thoughts on the matchup between former unified heavyweight champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr. and all-action heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola. This lineup includes quotes from Erik Morales, Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez, to name just a few of the Mexican stars excited for this heavyweight clash. Ruiz vs. Arreola will top a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The all-Mexican boxing extravaganza features three additional pay- per-view undercard fights that will pit Mexican and Mexican- American fighters against each other in fan-friendly matchups. The May 1 affair will kick off Cinco de Mayo week, a holiday that has long been synonymous with Mexican boxing greats, a tradition that Ruiz and Arreola both look forward to continuing when they square off. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event. Here is what various Mexican and Mexican-American boxing legends, athletes, world champions, rising contenders and top trainers had to say about the importance of Saturday’s matchup, what it meant to them for Ruiz to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion and what the loyal Mexican boxing fans can expect on Saturday night: Erik Morales, Hall of Famer: “I had goosebumps watching the first fight between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua, because this was the first time that a Mexican fighter won the heavyweight championship. “Ruiz was a 15-to-1 underdog against Joshua, so that means that virtually no one expected him to win. And then, the fashion within which he won the title – rising from a third- round knockdown to stop Joshua – that made an even more impressive victory.” Canelo Alvarez, Undefeated four-division champion: “Andy Ruiz’s victory over Anthony Joshua was spectacular. He won in force, he was the best and he deserves all of the credit, proving there are many examples of elite boxers from Mexico. “Andy reached out to me after the loss to Joshua. I consulted with Eddy Reynoso, and we agreed to help him, but we told him that the one thing we required was discipline. Andy has demonstrated a lot of that. Andy has done absolutely everything that Eddy has asked of him, from improving his defense to his head and waist movement, and he’s got very quick hands and punches with power. “It’s great that Andy became the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, but now, it’s important to return to the top of the division. So this is a significant fight. With Andy facing Chris Arreola, this is the first time that two, high quality Mexican heavyweights are going at it. Arreola will bring aggression, but I expect a very quick knockout victory from Andy.” Jorge de la Rosa, Former MLB Pitcher from Monterrey, Mexico: “This is Andy Ruiz’s time to shine. He has the power and speed needed to catch Arreola by surprise, but it won’t be easy. It will be an amazing fight both for them and the fans. It’s going to be the all-action fight that we all crave and need in Los Angeles, a city that is very Mexican and has had a lot of memorable fights.” David Benavidez, Undefeated two-time super middleweight champion: “I’m very excited for Andy Ruiz to fight Chris Arreola, first of all, because, personally, I know both of these guys are good dudes who are going to go to war heading into the second half of their careers. “Arreola was in contention for the heavyweight title for quite a while, and then, Ruiz stepped up and made history with a knockout of Anthony Joshua that made him the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. “To be honest, I didn’t really want to watch the Joshua fight because everyone felt Ruiz had very little chance of winning. But when Ruiz got knocked down, got up and knocked out Joshua, that was probably one of the greatest moments in Mexican boxing history. “Now Ruiz is working out alongside Canelo Alvarez, who has gone all the way up to light heavyweight. Between the two of them, they’ve demonstrated that anything is possible for Mexican fighters like me to accomplish championships at the higher weight divisions.” Mario Barrios, Undefeated WBA World Super Lightweight Champion: “This is a tough fight to predict for me because I like both guys. Chris Arreola and Andy Ruiz are both in great shape, so this fight is going to be explosive. I’m picking Ruiz by split decision in a very entertaining showdown. Cinco de Mayo is going to be off the charts this year with a big fight like this leading the way.” Abner Mares, Former three-division world champion / boxing analyst: “Andy Ruiz and Chris Arreola are exciting fighters to watch in their own right, and for them to be headlining an All-Mexican card as Mexican-American heavyweights is a historic precedent. “Given the fact that we’ve had limited live shows since the start of the pandemic, it’s a real treat for all of us to have boxing return to the Los Angeles area. People are really excited, and I’m thrilled about an All-Mexican card being headlined by two Mexican-American heavyweights. “Chris Arreola served as a trailblazer for Mexican heavyweights with his three appearances in championship fights, and Andy Ruiz shocked the world by knocking out Anthony Joshua to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. “When Ruiz did that, I remember what I was doing and where I was when it happened. Being honest, though, I wasn’t expecting that, even though I wanted to tune in because I’ve known Andy Ruiz since he was a kid. “My wife was having an event at her store, but the Joshua-Ruiz fight was being televised in a place across the street. So I went over there. I saw Ruiz go down, and I thought, ‘Well, fight is over.’ But then Ruiz got up and knocked Joshua down and eventually won the fight. “I remember getting up, jumping up and down like a little kid, and, running around saying to people, ‘Oh my God, did you see what just happened?’ I was pointing it out to people like, ‘Hey, we have a new Mexican heavyweight champion’.” Raul Marquez, Former super welterweight world champion: “When Andy Ruiz first challenged Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight title, I was in the living watching it with my wife. I told her, ‘You see that fat boy? That fat boy’s going to win.’ “But I was saying that as a joke, because, at that point, I was really thinking ‘There’s no way.’ As soon as the fight began, Ruiz had some moments, but then, Joshua dropped him and I said, ‘Aw, man, it’s going to be over.’ “But Ruiz took his shots and he came back and stopped Joshua. I’m going to be honest with you, I was crying. I was so happy for Ruiz because I was happy and excited that we finally had a Mexican heavyweight champion of the world. “When you’re talking Mexican fighters, they’re usually the smaller guys like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez. Even I was pretty big being a super welterweight, and it was rare that you’d see any bigger. “It was very rare that you’d see Mexicans in higher weights, but now, you have Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez. I came up with John Ruiz in the amateurs, and he became the first Puerto Rican heavyweight champion, which at the time was huge for Latinos.” Eddy Reynoso, Trainer of Canelo Alvarez & Andy Ruiz Jr.: “Andy Ruiz has given so much time and has been so dedicated to his work inside the gym. We’re excited for May 1. He is motivated and learning a lot every day. We know that on May 1 we’re going to be dealing with an aggressive fighter who is going to bring his best. “Andy is excited about the challenge that Arreola presents. May 1 is going to be the second beginning of Andy’s career. This is the start of his pursuit to become champion again. We respect Arreola, but we’re going to go in there to get the job done on May 1.” Omar Figueroa, Jr., Former world champion / welterweight contender: “I’m honored to be a part of a show of this magnitude, especially an action-packed, All-Mexican card with the historical precedent of being headlined by two, Mexican- American heavyweights in Andy Ruiz and Chris Arreola. “Neither of these guys looks to run around the ring, so you know that Arreola’s always going to bring it, and that Ruiz loves to fight. You’re going to see two guys setting off fireworks from beginning to end.” Sebastian Fundora, Undefeated super welterweight contender: “Andy Ruiz has been in the sport for a long time and he’s had a tremendous amateur background, so when it happened that he beat Anthony Joshua to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, honestly, I wasn’t surprised.