According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former two-time Heavyweight champion, John Ruiz announced his retirement.
“I’ve had a great career but it’s time for me to turn the page and start a new chapter of my life,” Ruiz said in a statement. “It’s sad that my final fight didn’t work out the way I wanted, but, hey, that’s boxing. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished with two world titles, 12 championship fights, and being the first Latino heavyweight champion of the world. I fought anybody who got in the ring with me and never ducked anyone. Now, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family.”
“With my experiences in boxing I want to go home and open a gym where kids will have a place to go, keeping them off of the streets, so they can learn how to box and build character,” Ruiz said. “Someday, I’d like to see one of them go on to represent the United States in the Olympics. I want them to have the same opportunity to see the world that I had as an amateur. I’ve always tried to be involved in community and charity work in the past and now I’ll have more time to work with kids.
“Maybe, someday I’ll get into training, but right now I just want to spend time with my wife, Maribelle, and my children. I wasn’t around as much as I would have liked for my two oldest children, John and Jocelyn, because I was away training or fighting. Now, I’ll be around for them and my 3-year-old son, Joaquin, as he grows up,” he said.
“I’m going back to my roots in Massachusetts, where a lot of my family and friends live, and look forward to helping young boxers avoid some of the bad things that I experienced in the sport but help them to experience the good times, too. Boxing is brutal but also beautiful. As I look back, I’m happy about my career, and my future is very bright.”
“I want to thank all of my fans for staying in my corner through a long, up-and-down ride, as well as members of my family and team — my manager and legal advisor, attorney Tony Cardinale, my brother [and cornerman], Eddie, and [strength coach] Keith McGrath, who’ve been with me so long,” Ruiz said. “I also want to thank my trainer Miguel Diaz and [assistant] Richie Sandoval for teaching an old dog new tricks, and my promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, the fairest promoter in boxing.”
