Andy Ruiz Jr. returns after more than two years: lightest at weigh-in since 2018
Andy Ruiz Jr., the former unified heavyweight world champion and one of the most recognizable boxers of his generation, returns to the ring on Friday, September 4, 2026, against Poland's Damian Knyba at the Prudential Center in Newark, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. For the 36-year-old Ruiz, this will be his first professional appearance in more than two years, and the official weigh-in showed that he is not returning with the kind of weight that was often a talking point throughout his career. Ruiz weighed 254.3 pounds, his lowest official weight since 2018. Knyba weighed 255.5 pounds, meaning the two heavyweights will be separated by only a little more than one pound in the ring, although the Pole has a pronounced advantage in height and reach. According to the organizers' official announcement, their bout is the main event of the evening in Newark.
The weigh-in figure is particularly noteworthy because Ruiz has never fit the classic image of an elite heavyweight in terms of physique during his career, yet it was precisely through a combination of explosiveness, hand speed and the ability to fight at close range that he reached the top of the division. Boxing News Online states that 254.3 pounds is the lightest Ruiz has been since July 2018, when he weighed 252 pounds against Kevin Johnson. In the meantime, his weight fluctuations became an important part of the story of his rise, fall and attempts to return to the top of the world rankings. In his first fight against Anthony Joshua in 2019, he weighed 268 pounds, while for the rematch later that same year he arrived considerably heavier at 283.7 pounds. In his most recent appearance against Jarrell Miller in 2024, he weighed 274.4 pounds, which means that for his return against Knyba he is officially more than 20 pounds lighter than he was then.
More than two years without a fight and a return after a hand injury
Ruiz last boxed on August 3, 2024, in Los Angeles against Jarrell Miller. The bout ended in a majority draw: two judges scored it 114-114, while the third had it 116-112 for Miller, as confirmed by reports from the World Boxing Council and ESPN. After the fight, Ruiz showed his injured right hand and stated that the problems had begun during the bout, and the injury further complicated the continuation of his career. Although he is a boxer who at one point held three major world championship belts, his fighting schedule in recent years has been extremely sparse. From the loss to Joshua in their rematch at the end of 2019 until the fight with Miller in August 2024, he had only three bouts.
During that period, Ruiz defeated Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz, then drew with Miller. Premier Boxing Champions states that against Ortiz in September 2022 he sent the Cuban veteran to the canvas three times and won by unanimous decision, which at the time once again opened the possibility of a more serious push toward the top of the heavyweight division. However, that was followed by an almost two-year break before Miller, and then another multi-year absence leading up to his current return in Newark. Such a schedule means that at the age of 36 Ruiz must prove not only his quality but also his ability to maintain continuity, which is crucial in the heavyweight division for progressing toward major fights. The return against Knyba is therefore not merely another appearance, but a test of how much his ambitions can be translated into genuine sporting momentum.
Ruiz says he exceeded 300 pounds during his time away
The change on the scale carries additional significance because of Ruiz's public comments ahead of his return. In interviews during fight week, he spoke about a period in which he had physically and mentally drifted away from boxing, and talkSPORT reported his statements that his weight had risen above 300 pounds during the break. The same source states that Ruiz lost more than 40 pounds during preparations and that his comeback process included changes to his eating habits and renewed work with trainer Manny Robles. Ruiz described the period after the injury and inactivity as extremely difficult, with a loss of motivation and doubts about continuing his career. His arrival at 254.3 pounds is therefore the first measurable indication that he approached the training camp for Knyba in a significantly different way from some of his previous preparations.
The number on the scale alone, of course, does not reveal what Ruiz will look like over 12 rounds. Lower body weight may help him with movement, pace and endurance, but after more than two years without competitive rhythm, the biggest question will be how much of his timing, reflexes and characteristic combination speed have returned. At his best, Ruiz was exceptionally dangerous when he closed the distance into mid-range and close quarters, where he could string punches together faster than most heavyweights. Against a considerably taller opponent, that element will again be important because Knyba has the physical tools to keep the fight at longer range. For that reason, only in the ring will it become clear whether the lower weight is a sign of a more complete sporting comeback or primarily the result of a successfully completed physical conditioning process.
Back with Manny Robles, the trainer from the greatest night of his career
One of the more important details of Ruiz's return is his renewed partnership with Manny Robles. When announcing its deal with Ruiz in July, Matchroom Boxing confirmed that the 36-year-old heavyweight was once again training with the man who was in his corner when he produced one of the biggest upsets in modern heavyweight history in 2019. Ruiz stopped Anthony Joshua in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden in New York and captured the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. In doing so, he became the first heavyweight world champion of Mexican descent, and the victory transformed him overnight from a replacement challenger into one of boxing's biggest stars.
Only six months later, the picture changed dramatically. In the rematch in Saudi Arabia, Joshua regained the titles by unanimous decision with a disciplined long-range performance, while Ruiz openly admitted after the fight that his preparations had not been at the level demanded by his status as world champion. His 283.7 pounds at the weigh-in became a symbol of that period, particularly in comparison with the physical condition in which he had achieved the first victory. Returning to Robles therefore carries both sporting and symbolic significance: Ruiz is attempting to restore the partnership that preceded the greatest result of his career, but now at a completely different stage of life and with much less time for another climb to the top. Matchroom announced that it had signed Ruiz to a multi-fight promotional deal, while the boxer clearly stated that his goal is to become world champion for a second time.
Knyba brings height, reach and experience from his fight with Agit Kabayel
Damian Knyba is not coming to Newark merely as an opponent selected for Ruiz's comeback. The Polish heavyweight stands about 201 centimeters tall and has a notably long reach, giving him a completely different physical profile from Ruiz. At the weigh-in, however, he came in at 255.5 pounds, almost identical to the former champion. Knyba enters the bout with a professional record of 17 wins and one loss, with his only defeat coming in January 2026 against Agit Kabayel in Oberhausen. The Ring reported that Kabayel stopped Knyba in the third round in a bout for the WBC interim heavyweight title.
That fight gave Knyba experience at a level significantly higher than most of his previous appearances. Against Kabayel, he showed that he could use his length and keep a dangerous opponent at distance in the opening stages, but he could not hold up once the German heavyweight increased the pressure and began working effectively to the body. Ruiz presents a different challenge: he is shorter, has faster hands in combinations and traditionally looks for opportunities for explosive exchanges at close range. For Knyba, therefore, the key will be using the jab, controlling space and exploiting his physical advantage without unnecessarily entering Ruiz's rhythm. A victory over a former unified champion would be by far the biggest result of his professional career and could immediately return him to the broader discussion surrounding relevant heavyweight contenders.
Newark as the beginning of a new phase under Matchroom
The Prudential Center officially confirmed that the event takes place on September 4 and that Ruiz against Knyba is the main event of the card. The arena in Newark, a major city in the state of New Jersey within the New York metropolitan area, regularly hosts major sporting and entertainment events, and it carries additional symbolism for Ruiz's return because his greatest triumph took place across the Hudson River at Madison Square Garden. According to the arena's schedule, doors open at 5 p.m. local time, with the program beginning at 5:30 p.m. The organizer states that the event will be broadcast in the United States on TNT, truTV and DAZN, while DAZN is scheduled for the international market. The timing of the main event will depend on the duration of the preceding bouts.
The card also features a middleweight bout between Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Austin "Ammo" Williams, which organizers present as one of the main supporting contests of the evening. Mielnicki is a boxer from New Jersey and made his professional debut at the Prudential Center in 2019, giving his appearance a strong local element. Nevertheless, global interest in the event is primarily tied to the question of whether Ruiz can once again become a relevant factor in the heavyweight division. Matchroom's deal suggests that the plan is not limited to a single comeback fight, but to a series of appearances through which, provided he wins and performs well, he could gradually move closer to bigger names. In that context, Knyba is a more serious test than the typical opponent selected for an easy return after a long absence.
Weight matters, but the answer must come in the ring
Ruiz's career has already shown how quickly a fighter's position in the heavyweight division can change. In the spring of 2019 he was not the first choice to challenge for Joshua's titles, and a few weeks later he was world champion after a victory that changed perceptions of his quality. By the end of the same year he had lost the belts, and the period that followed was marked by infrequent appearances, changes in his training team, injuries and questions about his physical preparation. He now returns at a time when he is 36 years old and has a professional record of 35 wins, two losses and one draw, with 22 victories by knockout, according to Matchroom. That is enough experience for his return to attract interest, but also a long enough history of fluctuations for good shape at the weigh-in alone to be insufficient as definitive proof of a comeback.
That is precisely why the figure of 254.3 pounds carries two meanings. On one hand, it is Ruiz's lowest weight in eight years and a clear difference compared with the 274.4 pounds from the Miller fight. On the other hand, heavyweight fights are not won on the scale: Ruiz must show that he can maintain his pace, quickly close the distance against the 201-centimeter-tall Knyba and effectively string punches together without long periods of inactivity. More than two years without an official fight further increases the uncertainty, especially if the bout extends into the later rounds. For his ambition of making another run at a world title, the result is essential, but a convincing performance could be almost equally important.
Knyba, on the other hand, does not have the luxury of viewing this fight merely as part of someone else's comeback story. After the loss to Kabayel, he has been given an opportunity against a boxer whose name still carries major international weight, and a victory in Newark could significantly accelerate his own path. The difference in height and reach gives him a clear tactical tool, while Ruiz brings incomparably greater experience in major fights and proof that he can finish a bout against an elite opponent. It is precisely that collision of experience, style and physical proportions that gives the evening's main event more sporting substance than would be expected from a standard comeback by a former champion. The weigh-in offered the first sign that Ruiz approached his preparations seriously; the question now is whether that change can be translated into a performance that would truly return him toward the top of the heavyweight division.
Sources:
- Matchroom Boxing - official announcement about the deal with Andy Ruiz Jr., his professional record, return to Manny Robles and ambition for another world title (link)
- Prudential Center - official information about the Ruiz Jr. - Knyba event in Newark, schedule, broadcast and supporting card (link)
- Boxing News Online - official weigh-in figures, Ruiz's 254.3 pounds and a comparison with his previous weights (link)
- talkSPORT - report on Ruiz's weight loss, period above 300 pounds and preparations for his return (link)
- The Ring - report on the Agit Kabayel - Damian Knyba fight from January 2026 and Knyba's first professional defeat (link)
- World Boxing Council - result of Ruiz's fight with Jarrell Miller from August 2024 and the official judges' scorecards (link)
- Premier Boxing Champions - report on Ruiz's victory over Luis Ortiz in 2022 and the three knockdowns in that fight (link)