WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has revealed he could face unified champion Andy Ruiz Jr before rematching Tyson Fury.
Ruiz Jr stunned the boxing world with his seventh-round knockout of Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden in New York last month. The Mexican-American is expected to face Joshua in an immediate rematch later this year.
Wilder, who is booked to face Luis Ortiz next and is widely to expected to face Fury in the first quarter of 2020, refused to rule out facing Ruiz Jr ahead of the ‘Gypsy King’.
“Anything is possible in boxing, we’ll see what happens with the rematches,” said the 33-year-old American to World Boxing News. “I’d love to unify all the belts. It’s coming down to it. It’s getting closer and closer to a unification (with Ruiz).
“I think that’s what the heavyweight division is missing. We need one champion, one face, one name, it’s Deontay Wilder.
“I can’t wait for that to happen. I’m the right guy for the job.”
Ruiz Jr, a late replacement for drugs cheat Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller, recovered from an early knockdown against Joshua to have the big Brit on the canvas four times en route to the seventh-round stoppage.
A prohibitive underdog coming into the fight, Ruiz Jr said the victory was life changing for himself and his family.
“I mean, I’m happy for Ruiz though to be able to come out of the situation that he was in with his family. Like he said, ‘momma, we don’t have to struggle anymore’,” Wilder said.
“I’m happy for him that they can see brighter days. He can now provide for his family. But how long that’s going to last, who knows?
“In this moment of time, he should embrace everything (he has). Ruiz should enjoy the moment right now while he is the champion.”
