Tyson Fury has been called out by one of his heavyweight counterparts, who says he would “come out like a beast” if they ever collide.
‘The Gypsy King’ is, of course, set to face Anthony Joshua later this year, but has also expressed an interest in having one more fight in the interim.
This would follow his unanimous decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov, which saw the 37-year-old end a 16-month layoff in April.
While it was ultimately Makhmudov, there were a selection of heavyweights in the conversation to face Fury, who had not fought since suffering a second points defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
One of them, it seems, was Andy Ruiz Jr, who claims he received a personal message from the Brit before his comeback opponent was announced.
The American’s last outing saw him box to a draw with Jarrell Miller in August 2024, when many felt he was fortunate to avoid a third professional defeat.
Either way, the performance was a far cry from what he produced against Joshua in 2019, resulting in him becoming the unified world heavyweight champion via a stunning seventh-round finish.
In an interview with Casino.org, though, Ruiz claims he remains capable of pulling off a sizable upset against someone like Fury.
“I’d love to fight him. Tyson Fury actually messaged me asking what I thought about fighting him, but everybody was saying that’s too dangerous for him right now, so I’m pretty sure that’s why he picked Makhmudov.
“If I fought [Fury], I think I’d be way too much. Although a lot of people are saying that Fury would box me around, people have to remember that they haven’t seen me when I fight really good people. I come out like a beast, especially when I’m in shape.”
When asked who he believes is the most overrated active fighter, Ruiz made sure to stoke the fire of a potential clash with Fury.
“I’m gonna say Tyson Fury because they hype him up so much but, to me, I don’t even think he’s a crazy fighter. Yes, he’s done a lot in the sport. But I feel like the only person that he really beat up that was good was [Deontay] Wilder.”
While Fury and Ruiz are unlikely to square off any time soon, it is a matchup that could begin to make sense in 2027.
