Andy Ruiz's Comeback Stalls: Shawn Porter Wasn't Surprised by Knyba Loss

Andy Ruiz Jr's return to boxing didn't go to plan. The former unified heavyweight champion was dropped in the seventh round and beaten by unanimous decision by Damian Knyba on Friday, the third defeat of his professional career and his first fight in more than two years. It was supposed to relaunch 'The Destroyer' toward another title run. Instead it raised louder questions about where he goes from here.

Two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter watched it and shrugged. Speaking to FightHype, Porter said Ruiz looked exactly how a fighter who's been idle for two years should look — flat, slow to adjust, and unable to close the distance on a taller opponent. In Porter's read, the problem wasn't ability. It was appetite.

Porter's Verdict

Porter argued that the hype around Ruiz was built on reputation rather than what he showed on the night. He was the stronger man, Porter conceded, but he couldn't catch Knyba and — crucially — didn't seem willing to do the work required to. Porter framed it as more a matter of desire than a lack of tools: the mental and physical adjustments simply weren't there.

That's a damning assessment for a fighter whose entire brand is the underdog who does the unglamorous work. Ruiz's 2019 upset of Anthony Joshua was the sport's great everyman story. But layoffs punish everyone, and against a rangy opponent he'd never had to chase before, the rust showed early and never fully burned off.

What Comes Next

Ruiz has already indicated he plans to keep fighting, so this isn't a walk into the sunset. The bigger issue is positioning. A comeback loss to Knyba doesn't just cost a fight — it resets the entire timeline for anyone eyeing a return to the heavyweight title picture.

If Porter's diagnosis is right, the fix isn't complicated on paper: more activity, sharper adjustments, and a genuine willingness to grind. Whether Ruiz still has the hunger for that at this stage of his career is the question the Knyba fight left hanging.