Andy Ruiz Jr will return to the heavyweight ring against Damian Knyba on September 4 in Newark. The former unified champion has reunited with trainer Manny Robles following a period away from boxing to recover from surgeries and rebuild his personal life.
The Mexican-American heavyweight had been away from competitive action while rehabilitating underlying physical issues and focusing on personal investments with his family. During his extended period out of the ring, Ruiz addressed long-standing injuries to his upper body and restructured his daily routine away from the sport.
Explaining his decision to step away and heal, Ruiz said: “I got a chance to recover my hand, my shoulder. A lot of people don’t know the surgeries that I had and all the downfalls. I was just with my kids. Being with them, it was a good time just being out of boxing as well. I got to work on a lot of different things, my social life, the things we were investing with me and my dad. It was good, but I got tired of being tired,”
That realization prompted a direct call to Robles, the trainer who guided Ruiz to his career-defining victory over Anthony Joshua in 2019 to capture three world titles. Re-establishing that corner partnership restores a tested tactical structure to his training regime as he seeks to re-enter the division’s title picture.
Recalling the conversation that brought them back together, Ruiz said: “I had to call Rob. ‘Hey, Manny, you think we could reunite? You think we could get together? You think we could make history again?’ He said, ‘Yeah, just come over here and let’s train.’ Everything’s been amazing. Thanks to Jesus, thanks to God. Everything has been going just as planned.”
Discipline remains the central focus for Ruiz as he returns to the controlled environment of Robles’ training camp.
The scheduled contest against Knyba in Newark on September 4 provides an immediate benchmark for Ruiz’s physical condition and ring sharpness. A decisive victory over the Polish opponent would strengthen Ruiz’s standing among heavyweight contenders and validate his period of personal rebuilding. Victory is essential if he is to position himself for potential fights against the division’s leading figures.
