JOHN RUIZ. Is the Quiet Man QUIETLY putting himself together a Hall of Fame career?

Question

Some call him a bum

Others are kinder and call him sloppy

But could egg end up on a lot of faces?

After a 19 second loss to Tua Ruiz has never looked back

He first became a number 1 contender that Lennox Lewis actually opted to be stripped rather than face

Lewis supporters point to the fact that Lennox was offered a lot more money by HBO to fight GRANT

Ruiz claims his rough house physical style was something Lewis wanted to avoid

Regardless. It was certainly the beginning of our current alphabet mess

Ruiz broke even in a brutal 3 fight series with Holyfield with a record of 1 1 and 1

Ruiz has beaten some of the top contenders of this era like Rahman as well as Golata and Oquendo

He is a 2 time heavyweight champ

He is the first universally recognized Hispanic heavyweight champion and was given much fan fare including an invite to the White House in 2001

If he becomes a 3 time champ he will be ELITE

Only ALI along with HOLYFIELD and LEWIS can lay that claim

Answer 1

didn't he get busted for drugs?  if so, no need to give him any props

a user is a loser

Answer 2

although I was very dissapointed that he never really seemed interested in mixing it up with Roy (I still think he knocks him out if he would have forced the action) ... If I step back and look at his career the guy has never been scarred to box anybody, and for the most part has been in every fight he has fought. He may not look good but he gets results! In the end its all that matters. Look at Mayweather he never wants to mix it up with anybody, and was holding alot in the Hatton fight, but some people rate him higher than Ray Robinson!!

   I just find it funny that people rate every guy different.  I still think he is knocking at the door, and his next few fights are crucial.

Answer 3

Lewis opted not to fight him becuase he was a bullsh!t mandatory challenger.  You stated yourself that Lewis was offered way more money to fight Michael Grant, and I don't blame him because at the time, a lot of people were saying that Grant was really good; people were saying the same things about Ruiz back then that they are now- he is a boring fighter that hugs an opponent to death.  Of course Ruiz is going to say that Lewis avoided him, but everyone else knows that the fact of the matter is that no one really cared to watch Ruiz fight anyone because of his jab-and-grab style.  If he had fought Lewis back then (or even now) he would have gotten annihalated.

The Holyfield that Ruiz fought was not a prime Holyfield.  If Evander had fought him in his prime, he would have done away with Ruiz easily.  And even that version of Evander managed to beat and draw with Ruiz- a testament to HOLYFIELD's will and grit.  Rahman was never really that good, he just got a lucky shot against Lewis- it can happen to anyone.  The fight with Golota was close and could have gone either way, and regardless, the only time Golota was thought of as a top heavyweight was before he went "nut-hunting" against Riddick Bowe.  And Oquendo was barely a worthy contender.

He is not a 2-time heavyweight champ, he is a 2-time heavyweight TITLEHOLDER.  Lennox Lewis was the true heavyweight champion for the entire time of Ruiz's "reign" under the WBA until Lennox retired.  If he wins another title, it won't make a difference to his legacy unless he beats Klitschko- the recognized number one guy right now, and then unifies the titles with Samuel Peter, and then avenges his losses to Ruslan Chagaev and Nicolay Valuev.  If he can do that, I will say that he deserves to be in the hall of fame, and I will say that he is a great fighter, but I highly doubt that he can do that.  

And Ali, Holyfield, and Lewis won the legitimate championship multiple times, not a paper title like Ruiz has done twice.

Answer 4

WOW! This is definitely interesting...... John Ruiz only won one of the bogus alphabelt titles. He was KO'd only once and that was by Tua! He was outboxed by a Middleweight twice (Jones Jr. and Toney)! He fought a older who should have retired Holyfield, and I would have avoided him too if I was Lewis, because Ruiz is boring to watch. He fights like a leech! He punches and then he sticks, he punches again then he sticks! If he wins again it is only because the Heavyweight division is VERY TAINTED! Bottom line he is not IBHOF material......

Answer 5

There is a big road block to Ruiz gaining respect and that is Wladimir Klitschko, the only heavyweight, I can guarantee will knock Ruiz out.  This is a classless division with the exception of Peter and Klitschko.  Peter possibly could KO Ruiz but would beat him more so by decision.  

Lennox Lewis had nothing to fear fighting Ruiz.  Ruiz would have been KO'd in about 4 rounds.

I can truthfully say Ruiz has a very appropriate nickname, the quiet man, because I have fallen asleep at every fight I have seen him in.  I can name no other fighter who I have ever seen who is so boring.  Gerry Cooney comes close but isn't near to being as boring as Ruiz.

His achievement as being the first Hispanic heavyweight champ is something to be proud of.  He is a good fighter but that is about it.

Answer 6

Im sorry but Ruiz isnt Hall of Fame material even if he did capture one of the belts of one of the weak champs who own them nowadays. To be perfectly honest i cant think of a weaker Heavyweight champion in history than Ruiz thats why Roy went after his title because he could see this a mile of as well. I dont like putting boxers down and especially champions as boxing is the hardest sport in the world but that is my honest opinion of Ruiz.

Answer 7

Dollbaby, you're forgetting his one-sided loss to Roy Jones Jr.. tut, tut  ;-)

Answer 8

Well, for one Ruiz has no chance of a third belt, unless they make him interim champ again because someone dies. Samuel Peter would knock Ruiz back into his youth, and Klitchko would kick his a$$ up so high, he would would have to jump to put things into his back pockets.

Ruiz HAS been schooled by two non heavyweights...Jones and James Toney....grant you they are both likely going to be in the hall of fame. But Ruiz does not epitomize what people consider a fighting champion. He was never afraid to fight anyone because after Tua he figured out the safest thing to do is hit and hold for twelve rounds. He will get honorary mention for being the first Latino heavyweight champion...but there are too many real names to put ahead of him.

Answer 9

I don't know i quit watching boxing as a teenager (i'm 34 now).  The sport totally discredited itself by fixing fights and of course, the whole Mike Tyson debacle.  I'll never watch another fight.

Answer 10

what can you say about a man who was soundly beaten by roy jones and james toney ?

Answer 11

Disagree.

Answer 12

EXCUSE ME? Are you talking about the same John Ruiz that lost to bulked up light heavy weight (roy jones) the same John Ruiz that Lennox Lewis did not even consider a worthy opponent, the same John Ruiz that struggles against valuev and chagaev? the same John Ruiz whose biggest profile bout was against a forgotten heavy weight called Oquendo? The same Ruiz that was lucky enough to beat a still young Holyfield but not a prime Holyfield? He was just an alphabet champion for most of his career, Lennox Lewis was  the recognized heavy weight champion at the time while Ruiz was holding a paper title (just like Chagaev is doing right now) most people didn't even know who he was then and definetely don't know who he is now, the few that know him remember him as the guy that lost the heavy weight title to roy jones and nothing more, he is as far from elite as pluto is from the sun.

Answer 13

john ruiz is a bum pure and simple lennox lewis would of destroyed him

Answer 14

at the current state of the heavyweight division, i dont think the belt means that much.  there are no more elite heavyweights.  when is the last time you seen a trilogy that could match up to the barrera-morales one, the first fight between corrales-castillo, any fight with chavez?  i must say i lost faith in that division after the lewis-klitschko fight.  that was the death blow.  that being said, i'll admit, ruiz is the cream of a wasted crop.  just because the he is one of he best of the mediocre fighters, does not make him elite.  sorry.

Answer 15

My feeling is that Ruiz would have to UNIFY the titles to become hall of fame bound.  While I am impressed by Ruiz's toughness and grit, he is the most horrible fighter to watch in the ring.  Anybody that holds and clutches more than Bernard Hopkins deserves to be expelled from boxing all together.

No, on a serious note.  Ruiz has carved out a decent career, but outside of Holyfield, his best win was against Hasim Rahman, who is no world beater.  Seven losses (would've been eight if not for Toney's positive test) in today's day and age is alot if you want to be considered for the hall of fame, especially with the suspect crop of heavyweights.

So unless Ruiz can somehow force himself in a position to be Wlad's mandatory and wins, then unifies in a bout against Sam Peter, then I don't think he's hall bound.

When it comes to the voters, his mauling, dull style will definitely hurt his chances.