The first weekend of September 20206 in the sport of Boxing will feature two stars of the sport at distinctly different stages of their careers. First up on September 4th former WBO/IBF/IBO/WBA World Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz will return to the ring for the first time in two years against Heavyweight contender Damian Knyba at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ in a scheduled twelve round bout that can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN and simulcast on TNT in the United States in the latest installment of “The Fight” collaboration series between the two networks. This will be the first fight for Ruiz since August 2024 when he was held to a twelve round draw against top Heavyweight contender Jarrell Miller in Los Angeles.
An obvious question that will surround this fight in addition to the subject of the inactivity of Ruiz, will be what type of shape he will be in. Ruiz has always been a fighter that has been criticized for his weight, despite having deceptively quick hands for a Heavyweight and having scored knockouts in twenty-two of his thirty-five career wins. There have been times where Ruiz has looked both impressive and lackluster, which some have attributed to weight fluctuations between fights. While the former world champion is not the first fighter in the Heavyweight division to experience swings in weight either up or down, the subject of his weight in addition to only competing three times since 2021 might have some questioning his overall commitment to the sport.
What has changed since his last outing is Ruiz, who long fought under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, recently aligned with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. Whether or not Ruiz’ inactivity was in part due to problems with the PBC, which has seen its schedule of events decrease in recent years is something that only he can say. With him now fighting under the Matchroom banner, one could assume if he is successful in this fight that Ruiz will see his activity increase inside the ring or will at least be given the opportunity to be more active.
In Damian Knyba, Ruiz will face a fighter with a record of 18-1, with 11 Knockouts. Despite the respectable record, Knyba is coming off the only defeat of his career as he was knocked out in three rounds in January at the hands of recently crowned unbeaten WBC Heavyweight world champion Agit Kabayel in Germany. Although Knyba is coming off of a loss to a fighter who was recently named world champion by the WBC, there are some who might view his selection as Ruiz’ opponent here as a soft touch given what happened to him against Kabayel. Anything can happen in Boxing and that holds especially true when it comes to the Heavyweight division. The key here will be if Knyba can establish a quick pace and put Ruiz’ conditioning to the test. Knyba must, however, be aware of both Ruiz hand speed as well as his underrated counter punching ability.
With the Heavyweight division currently in a period of transition following former longtime champion Olekaandr Usyk's decision to relinquish his world titles, contenders like Ruiz and Knyba are likely looking at this fight as an opportunity to maneuver towards a world title shot, potentially against Kabayel.
The second bout that will be taking place over Labor day weekend will be the final fight of a future first ballot Hall of Famer. Two-division world champion Katie Taylor will be taking her final bow of her legendary career headlining a card before an estimated crowd of 80,000 spectators at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. Taylor, a fighter who has become undisputed world champion in two weight classes, will defend her Undisputed Women's Jr. Welterweight world championship against undefeated IBO world champion Flora Pili in a world title bout that will headline a card that can be seen worldwide on DAZN.
What can be said that has not been said about Katie Taylor? One of the top stars in the entire sport of Boxing female or male, part of the collective of top female fighters along with Claressa Shields and her long-time rival Amanda Serrano that elevated the sport to new heights for women and being part of two fights along with Serrano, which made history in being the first women’s fights to main event in the main arena of Madison Square Garden. Those fights, part of an epic three fight trilogy with Serrano cemented both fighters Hall of Fame legacies.
It was after the third fight, Taylor's third win in the trilogy, that this observer felt both fighters would have been justified to each retire as neither realistically had anything left to prove and both had earned the right to go end their in ring careers on their own terms and to enjoy their lives after Boxing.
As some might recall, Amanda Serrano had a close call recently in her last fight against Lucrecia Mansur in August in defense of her unified World Featherweight championship and even though she was able to retain the title, the accumulation of years in the ring as well as the three battles she had with Taylor appeared to begin to show in Serrano. Taylor has also been through her share of battles throughout a long career dating back to her Olympic days where she won a Gold medal in the 2012 games. Although she has only lost one fight as a professional to Chantel Cameron in her first attempt to win a world title in the Jr. Welterweight division, a close loss that Taylor later avenged in a rematch, one has to wonder if she is in a similar position as Serrano and with this being announced as her final fight, whether the accumulative effects of an illustrious career will show itself in this fight.
While no fighter’s situation is exactly alike another, there have been times throughout history in both Women's and Men's Boxing where when a fighter announces that a given fight will be their final time entering the ring that it gives an impression that they have for lack of a better term, one foot out the door, and that can create a scenario where their opponent might be able to establish themselves either by defeating the fighter in their final fight, or putting forth a solid performance during the bout even though they may not get their hand raised. In Flora Pili, Katie Taylor will face an undefeated world champion who has won all twelve of her professional fights.
Pili won the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) World Jr. Welterweight championship in her last fight in scoring a ten round majority decision over Jelena Janicijevic in her native France. Despite the IBO not being part of the undisputed championship Taylor holds going into this fight, it does give Pili something to try and defend here beyond being a mere opponent under circumstances clearly designed to be the final bow and a celebration of a great fighter’s career in her home country before a record-setting crowd for Women's Boxing. Pili only has two knockouts in her twelve wins and has not fought the caliber of competition that Taylor has in her career up to this point. Though Taylor has six knockouts in her twenty-six career wins, she does have a significant experience edge both in terms of overall fights as well as caliber of opposition. It will be up to Pili to show that she can deal with the experience and skillset of Taylor, who at her best, is a boxer that uses lateral movement, quick combinations, and is a world-class counter puncher. Nearly fourteen months from her last fight, whether Taylor can put forth one more stellar performance to put an explanation point on her Hall of Fame career remains to be seen.
One fighter looking to resume his career with the aim of again challenging for a world championship, one fighter looking for a storybook ending to her career. Such stories are part of what makes Boxing so compelling. This observer looks forward to how these chapters are written.
“And That's The Boxing Truth.”
Ruiz vs. Knyba takes place on Friday, September 4th at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 7:30PM ET/4:30PM PT and will also be simulcast on general entertainment cable network TNT in the United States.
Taylor vs. Pili takes place on Saturday, September 5th at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on DAZN beginning at 11AM ET/8AM PT with preliminary bouts, which will be followed by the main card beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT.
(**North American Start Times Only. Cards and Start Times Subject to Change.**)
For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, Availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.
For more information about TNT including schedules and channel availability on your cable or live TV provider please visit: www.TNTDrama.com.
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