Andy Ruiz: Jake Paul More Likely To Beat AJ Than Andre Ward

Andy Ruiz Jr. says Jake Paul has a better chance of beating Anthony Joshua than Andre Ward, but is that accurate? 

Ruiz’s argument is about the heavyweight advantage. Ward, a former light-heavyweight and super-middleweight champion, is simply not a heavyweight. While Ward’s boxing IQ, and defensive skills are among the best, he is a much smaller man. His success was built on out-thinking and out-maneuvering opponents in his weight classes, not overpowering them. Given Joshua’s size, strength, and knockout power, a move to heavyweight would be a significant physical disadvantage. Joshua’s jab alone could keep Ward at bay, and if he lands a power shot, it’s very likely the fight would be over.

Conversely, Paul has a massive physical advantage over Ward. He is a natural cruiserweight who has bulked up to fight at heavyweight, and while he is still significantly smaller than Joshua, he is a physically stronger man than Ward. Paul’s biggest asset is his punching power. He has a history of knocking out opponents, even if they’re not top-tier boxers. 

The flaw in Ruiz’s argument is that it undervalues boxing skill and ring IQ. Ward is an Olympic gold medalist, who unified at 168 and 175. He retired undefeated with a perfect 32-0 record after beating Sergey Kovalev twice. He’s an expert at clinching, tying up an opponent, and frustrating them into making mistakes. While he may be smaller than Joshua, his ability to neutralize a bigger man through head movement and footwork would be a far greater threat than anything Paul could offer.

Ruiz Reacts

Paul is a novice. His wins have come against MMA fighters and a few low-level boxers. He has shown some power and improvement, but he has never faced a true elite boxer, let alone a world-class heavyweight with Joshua’s pedigree. Paul’s defensive flaws and limited ring generalship would be exposed. This is what Ruiz had to say.

“Everybody wants to fight Anthony Joshua because of the blueprint that he has now. I feel like everybody thinks they can beat him. He can’t take hits [shots] no more, but he’s still a dangerous fighter. He’s a heavyweight. I don’t know about Andre Ward fighting Anthony Joshua. I think that’s a hard fight. Jake Paul, I think that’s actually a little better. Shout out to Jake Paul, no one is doing it like him. Probably, because he’s been active, he’s bigger, he’s taller, and he’s a natural heavyweight,” Ruiz said