Boxing is back on a Sunday for the Labor Holiday weekend, and it comes by way of a Fox Sports PPV. Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr (34-2) will face the crafty veteran Luis Ortiz (33-2), serving as a WBC title eliminator. These two warriors will face each other inside the Crypto.com arena in downtown L.A.
Since losing the rematch to Anthony Joshua in 2019, Ruiz Jr. hasn’t been that active. In May 2021, he won a unanimous decision over Chris Arreola (38-7-1) and hadn’t been in the ring since. Ruiz Jr. will have to quickly brush off sixteen months’ worth of rust when he faces Ortiz, who is no slouch even at his advanced age.
Photo Credit:Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions
Luis Ortiz also recently had his share of inactivity but had a TKO victory over Charles Martin (28-3-1) on New Year’s Day. Ortiz has been given quite a few opportunities and faced some of the division’s biggest names, but father time is calling, and he knows that another title shot will only be considered if he keeps winning.
So, will we see Andy “The Destroyer” layout Ortiz or will “King Kong” Ortiz gobble up “Snickers” before the final bell? Vegas looks to have Ruiz Jr. as the favorite, so here are the current betting odds breakdown for this heavyweight clash.
Per Draft Kings, Andy Ruiz Jr. is the favorite at -350, and Luis Ortiz is the underdog at +260.
Andy Ruiz Jr.: Decision +250; KO/TKO -120
Draw: +2000
Luis Ortiz: Decision +650; KO/TKO +500
Date: Sunday, Sept. 4
Main card: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT/ 2 a.m. GMT
Main event ringwalks (approx): 12 a.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT/ 5 a.m. GMT
These timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights.
U.S.: Fox Sports PPV (Price: $74.99) & PPV.com (Price: $74.99)
PPV.COM is not a subscription service, and most events are available in English and Spanish.
U.K.: FITE TV (£14.99)
The Destroyer. King Kong.
You will not want to miss the fight this Sunday LIVE on PPV at 9pm ET/8pm CT. #RuizOrtiz pic.twitter.com/K2coTr9aCQ
— FOX Sports: PBC (@PBConFOX) August 29, 2022
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Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, Abe grew up in a family who were and still are die-hard boxing fans. He started contributing boxing articles to NYF in 2017. Abe through his hard work, has made his way up the ranks and is now the editor at NYFights. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).