In the tumultuous world of boxing, some fighters are celebrated, while others bear the brunt of criticism. Throughout the late 1990s and the 2000s, no fighter faced more relentless scrutiny than John Ruiz, a two-time WBA heavyweight titlist.

“It hurt my feelings in many ways,” Ruiz confessed when reflecting on the barrage of criticism he endured. “I think the media was looking for me to say something about it, but I didn’t. I let them create an image of me. I should have been a little more open and shared more instead of being quiet and not saying anything. A lot of the criticism was about my crew.”

Born on January 4, 1972, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Ruiz was named after John F. Kennedy by his mother, Gladys. She had immense respect for the Kennedy family and named all her children after its members: John, Robert, Edward, and Jacqueline. After a few months of age, he moved to Puerto Rico and resided there for seven years before relocating to Chelsea, Massachusetts.

Ruiz's journey into boxing began as an accomplished amateur. He represented the United States at the 1991 World Championships as a light heavyweight. Although he didn't make it to the medal rounds, he attempted to qualify for the Olympics the following year, only to lose in the Olympic trials to Jeremy Williams.

"The Quiet Man," as Ruiz came to be known, made his professional debut in 1992, securing victories in his first 14 fights. He faced setbacks with split decision losses to Russian Sergey Kobozev and former Olympian Danell Nicholson but demonstrated resilience and a willingness to learn from those experiences.

However, a significant turning point occurred in 1996 when he appeared on HBO's "Night of the Young Heavyweights." In a mere 19 seconds of the opening round, Ruiz was knocked out by David Tua, causing his record to stand at 25-3.

Reflecting on this traumatic event, Ruiz explained, “I heard a lot about that fight then and even today. It’s not about getting knocked out; it’s about what you do after that. I thought about my kids and what I needed to do to give them a better life. I knew I had to keep fighting for them, to have a good career and win the world title. I always had my family in mind and couldn’t give up.”

At that point, nobody would have expected much from Ruiz, let alone predict that he would have a more successful career than David Tua.

Over the next four years, Ruiz demonstrated remarkable progress, going 11-0 with 10 knockouts. He secured and defended regional titles, steadily climbing the WBA rankings. His journey led him to face the legendary Evander Holyfield for the vacant WBA heavyweight title. Although he controversially lost the first fight in August 2000, Ruiz gained his revenge in the rematch, becoming the first Latino heavyweight titlist in the process in March of the following year.

In December 2001, they faced each other in the rubber match, which resulted in a draw, leaving their trilogy tied at 1-1-1. Ruiz also defeated the previously undefeated Kirk Johnson by 10th-round disqualification and then suffered a decision loss to the immensely talented Roy Jones Jr., who dethroned Ruiz as the WBA champion. This made Jones the first man in 106 years to hold a portion of the middleweight championship and later capture a version of the heavyweight title.

Ruiz made an impressive comeback, recapturing the vacant WBA title by defeating Hasim Rahman via unanimous decision. He successfully defended his title against Fres Oquendo (TKO 11) and Andrew Golota (UD 12). His journey took an unexpected twist when he faced James Toney, resulting in a loss that was later changed to a no-contest when Toney was found to have a banned substance in his system.

Regaining his title, Ruiz ventured to Germany, where he fought against the gigantic Nicolay Valuev, losing via a majority decision in December 2005. His journey continued with a split decision loss to future champion Ruslan Chagaev, 11 months later, and another loss to Valuev in August 2008, this time under less controversial circumstances.

Ruiz's final fight took him to England in April 2010, where he battled David Haye for his old WBA title. In the ninth round, Ruiz was stopped, concluding his career with a record of 44-9-1 (30 KOs). He had been part of 12 major title bouts.

Unlike many boxers who struggle with life after retirement, Ruiz embraced the transition, saying, “I stayed grounded. I wasn’t out partying all the time. I went to camp, fought, and then went home to spend time with my family. I always stayed in boxing but away from any bad influences in boxing.”

Despite facing several top heavyweights, there were two he wished he had the opportunity to share the ring with. "Lennox Lewis," he stated, "I would have loved the opportunity to have fought him in a unification, especially because I spent a long time in his camp when we were both with Panix Promotions. Fighting him in a unification would have been a great opportunity. I wanted an opportunity to fight another legend, Mike Tyson, but he had problems with Don King (Ruiz’s promoter at that time) and that got in the way."

John Ruiz's career serves as a testament to resilience and determination, proving that even in the face of adversity, one can rise to remarkable heights. His journey from the devastating loss to David Tua to becoming a heavyweight champion and maintaining a successful life after retiring is a story of true inspiration in the world of boxing.

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