Andy Ruiz Jnr’s rise to the top started in Macau when he was on the undercard of Pacquiao and Zou Shiming
- The Mexican-American was confident he would become world heavyweight champ back in 2013
- The boxer disposed of two heavyweight rivals at the CotaiArena, giving fans a glimpse of his talent
Andy Ruiz Jnr’s devastating seventh-round TKO victory against Britain’s Anthony Joshua came as a major shock to most boxing fans, but it was no surprise to those who have followed his career path from the days when he was on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao and Zou Shiming – both times in Macau, of all places.
Ruiz is well known to Hong Kong fans, having fought in the former Portuguese enclave as the “friendly Mexican kid” twice in 2013.
As a gawking 23-year-old, Ruiz already laid out his ambitions to become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion of the world in the early days of his career – echoing the exact same words in the lead up to the Joshua fight at Madison Square Garden.
“I have been dreaming about the heavyweight title it seems since I was born,” Ruiz told the South China Morning Post in 2013.
“My goal is to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world. I am trying to accomplish that. I am going to do the hard work and show all the dedication I need. I am pretty sure it will follow through,” he said.
