Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Chris Arreola: How to watch, time and everything you need to know
Two of Mexico's best are ready to do battle.
Former unified heavyweight world champion Andy "The Destroyer" Ruiz Jr. will face off with all-action heavyweight Chris "The Nightmare’’ Arreola in an all-Mexican boxing main event this weekend in a FOX PBC pay-per-view that you can purchase right here, right now.
Here's everything you need to know heading into this boxing extravaganza available on FOX Sports pay-per-view.
When and where is the fight?
The title fight takes place Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with the main card starting at 9 p.m. ET.
How can I watch?
The fight is available through FOX Sports pay-per-view, and you can buy the fight right here. Again, the main card begins at 9 p.m. ET Saturday, but you can watch the fight any time after it airs, as well.
Who's the favorite?
Welterweight titlist Mikey Garcia would bet on Ruiz to take home the victory and reclaim the title after earning it via TKO against Anthony Joshua on June 1, 2019, before relinquishing it to Joshua when the two rematched on Dec. 7, 2019.
"He's got a great opportunity that it wasn't just a fluke, it wasn't just a lucky punch that he won the title ... and he's got a tough opponent in Chris ... and that's what makes it such an exciting matchup."
"Showtime" Sean Porter agrees, liking Ruiz's odds mainly because he has already tasted championship glory.
"He has everything it takes to become a world champion. He did that. Now it's a matter of getting back ... and he's got to make that statement right now against Chris Arreola."
Even though Porter believes Ruiz will come out victorious, he anticipates a battle between the two contenders.
"[Arreola's] got to come in, use his fast hands and keep the pace high and basically challenge – stay in Andy's face all night — and those are things he can do, and that's what I expect him to do on Saturday night."
According to FOX Bet, Ruiz is a massive -5000 favorite, which means a $10 bet would win you 20 cents in profit. Arreola is +1200 (meaning a $10 bet would win you $120, plus your $10 back).
How did we get here?
Ruiz Jr. enters the fight with a record of 33-2, with 22 of those wins by knockout.
Ruiz Jr. held the prestigious title of the first fighter of Mexican descent to win a heavyweight world title after he took down the heavily favored Joshua in their June 2019 showdown.
Meanwhile, Ruiz Jr. enters the fight with a record of 38-6-1, with 33 of those wins coming by knockout.
The two-time world title challenger Arreola hasn't seen the ring since August 2019. After a close bout against Adam Kownacki, Arreola contemplated retirement, but he never stopped training during the year-and-a-half respite.
Arreola isn't calling it a comeback, but if he does defeat Ruiz, it will help his goal of fighting for a world title for the fourth time after falling short at the hands of Vitali Klitschko, Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder.
What are the competitors saying?
Ruiz joined Colin Cowherd to discuss his upcoming bout, how his loss to Anthony Joshua impacted his mentality and the fighters he idolized growing up.
"I learned a lot to not take things for granted, to be more disciplined, to work harder. ... Right now I feel I'm more focused, I'm more disciplined, and I know exactly what I need to do.
"I respect every fighter that jumps in the ring because at the end of the day, we're risking our lives out there," he added. "I kind of learned a little bit from each and every fighter, but one of my favorites was [Julio César] Chávez and [Evander] Holyfield as well."
Meanwhile, Arreola has the utmost respect for his opponent, who is one of the fighters he has always wanted to match up against.
"That's one of the main fighters I want to fight: Andy Ruiz.
"I respect him," he said. "That's why I trained extra hard for this fight because I know this is going to be a rock 'em, sock 'em kind of fight. ... and I worked hard for that."
For more up-to-date news on all things PBC, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!
