According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former WBA Heavyweight champion John Ruiz has signed a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions and should pave the way for a mandatory title shot with currant champio David Haye in the spring.
Ruiz, whose contract with Don King expired, is due to challenge England’s David Haye for a version of the heavyweight title, probably on April 3 in London. Golden Boy also promotes Haye.
“I’m excited to become a member of the Golden Boy Promotions family and know that I have a great future ahead of me. I’m going to continue to make history and break records one fight at a time, starting with David Haye this spring,” said Ruiz, who became the first Hispanic heavyweight titleholder when he outpointed Evander Holyfield for a belt in 2001. “I know Golden Boy will help get me back to the top of the heavyweight division and to secure my place in the boxing history books.”
“John Ruiz is a very skilled and talented heavyweight and we are very excited to add him to our elite stable of fighters,” Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya said. “He has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to battle with the top guys in the division and will continue to do so in 2010 and beyond.”
“I saw him fight in Germany and everyone had told me how boring he was,”Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said. “But I thought it was an entertaining fight. Ruiz was the first Hispanic heavyweight champion and we are very involved in the Hispanic marketplace and we think John Ruiz hasn’t been properly exposed in that market. We want to increase his profile in the Hispanic market. That’s really the idea.
“He’s been more fan friendly in his recent fights and I think his new trainer, Miguel Diaz, is part of that.”
With Ruiz due to face Haye, Schaefer said that also played into the decision to sign him, because whatever happens in the fight, Golden Boy will have the winner under contract.
“That certainly didn’t hurt,” Schaefer said. “I’d be lying if I would say something different. But I discussed this with Adam Booth, David Haye’s manager and trainer. I informed him before we signed Ruiz and he was OK with it. Numerous promoters were after Ruiz after it became known he was no longer under contract with Don King. Frank Warren from England pursued him. If Hayemaker [Haye’s company] and Golden Boy were doing the Ruiz fight together it made sense for us to also work with Ruiz.”
