Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-2, 22 KOs) is one of the bigger names still awaiting their first assignment inside the boxing ring since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but new trainer Eddy Reynoso is confident he will get straight back to winning ways when he does return.
Reynoso, who is also the head trainer of Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, was hired in place of Manny Robles earlier this year, shortly after Ruiz Jr. was outpointed by Anthony Joshua in the Brit's return bout for the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight championships.
Ruiz had stunned the boxing world by stopping then-unbeaten Joshua on Jun. 1, 2019 in Madison Square Garden, but the failed first defense of the belts in Saudi Arabia in December was his second professional defeat after a majority decision loss to Joseph Parker in 2016.
"The important thing with Andy is that he is a fighter who is at the highest levels of his division, who can fight with anyone," Reynoso said in an interview with ESPN Deportes, translated by Boxing Scene.
"In the time that I've been working with him, I have realized that he is a boy who wants to continue to overcome.
"He is young and wants to get ahead. He has already tasted the honeys of victory, he already knows what it is to be a champion and not be a champion. Andy Ruiz is intelligent and he is going to return."
Reynoso also trains Ryan Garcia, Frank Sanchez, Luis Nery, and more. Nery's (31-0, 24 KOs) recent win over Aaron Alameda left a lot to be desired, despite it bagging the 25-year-old the vacant WBC super-bantamweight title, which Reynoso admitted was an issue to be addressed.
"He enjoyed himself during the time he wasn't fighting," Reynoso said of Nery. "He was away for a year, he had been going through some weight problems, he went up a division, it was his first fight at this weight, he changed his trainer.
"He lacked a little more preparation because they were canceling the dates, he was practically working for a fight since March, the pandemic came and he could no longer train...they gave us this date, we lacked a little more preparation, but Nery is a tremendous boy, who wants to learn and improve himself in boxing and he's going to advance."
Ruiz Jr. looks likely to have to wait until early 2021 to end his absence from the ring, after initial plans to fight Chris Arreola in late 2020 did not come to fruition. Nery, meanwhile, could soon defend his newly-acquired title against Daniel Roman, who beat Juan Carlos Payano in a final eliminator on the same Sep. 26 card as Nery-Alameda.