2 in the world behind Floyd Mayweather. Carlos Molina might not always fight pretty, but in my opinion, he is one of the most underrated boxers in the world. Sign up for the Boxing Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, A critical look at the past week in boxing Here are the 10 best Mexican-American boxers of the modern era. List of Top Male Professional Boxers - Ranker After the fight, Ruiz said, "I think I got the win or at least a draw, I think I set the pace with my jab." Beltran is a classic case of a guy who battled his way up through the sport the hard way. Both men showed respect for each other throughout the contest. So I heard about it after the fact, and at first, I will admit I was shocked. He was killed in a motorcycle accident at 29. [51] Ruiz knocked Vargas out in round one. That's the big question. Navarrete also has too much for Villa. He brought unprecedented attention to smallest fighters in the process. He is trained by boxing legend Erik Morales in Tijuana, Mexico. Ranking the 10 Best Mexican Fighters in Boxing Today Emanuel Navarrete will get a shot immediately after stepping up a division and relinquishing his WBO junior featherweight belt recently. Stevenson developed quickly, and he has become one of the very best young boxers in the sport. Who has the edge? Ruiz fought on July 16 against 42 year old Josh Gormley (22-4, 21 KOs) at the Masonic Temple in Michigan. Stevenson's run at 126 pounds was short-lived, as he recently moved up in weight and vacated this belt. I live here. The fighter: Nakatani, a flyweight from Japan, is a tall, angular southpaw who likes to control the center of the ring and unfurl his left hand from distance. 6. "[76], In his first fight since losing his world titles, Ruiz faced former WBC title challenger Chris Arreola on Fox PPV on May 1, 2021. Andrs Ponce Ruiz Jr. (born September 11, 1989) is an American professional boxer. Now based in Minneapolis, the 22-year-old southpaw has two knockouts from as many professional fights since turning pro a year ago. ", "Andy Ruiz: 10 Things You Should Know About Anthony Joshua's Next Opponent", "Weekly viewing summary (Sky Box Office Events buys between 27 May 2019 and 9 June 2019)", "Andy Ruiz vs Anthony Joshua II breaks UK pay-per-view records", "Sources: The Andy Ruiz Jr.-Chris Arreola PBC on FOX PPV generated in excess of 125,000 buys at $49.99, and the final number could approach 150,000. He should be the next standout from Japan who will win titles in multiple divisions. The strapping Arizonan, a good boxer and big puncher, became the youngest champion in boxing at 20 when he outpointed Ronald Gavril to win the vacant WBC 168-pound title in 2017. Ortiz has yet to fight for a major title in the star-studded welterweight division but thats coming soon. Julio Csar Chvez Jr. is a Mexican boxer best known for his reign as the WBC middleweight champion from 2011 to 2012. Ruiz floored Willis in round five from a short right hand before referee Wayne Hedgpeth stopped the bout in round eight, after a combination of unanswered punches. He's still a prospect, but he seems to be a bit of a ticket seller early on. ", "Andy Ruiz Confirms He is in The Mix To Face Anthony Joshua", "Andy Ruiz Emerges as Frontrunner in Joshua Sweepstakes", "Team Ruiz Confirm Deal Nearly Finalized To Face Anthony Joshua", "Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz - Finalized For June 1, MSG", "Joshua vs Ruiz Jr: Anthony Joshua's opponent confirmed as Andy Ruiz Jr for US debut in New York", "Joshua to fight short-notice foe Ruiz on June 1", "Andy Ruiz Jr. Becomes First Heavyweight Champ of Mexican Descent", "Anthony Joshua Upset by Andy Ruiz Jr. in Stunning Seventh-Round Knockout", "Joshua vs Klitschko UK PPV record obliterated by Ruiz 2 principle, not Saudi rematch", "Anthony Joshua dominates Andy Ruiz for decision win, now a two-time heavyweight titleholder", "Andy Ruiz can never live down his failed approach to Joshua rematch", "Ruiz Jr vs Joshua 2: Andy Ruiz wants to face Anthony Joshua a third time after losing rematch", "Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Chris Arreola: Date, fight time, TV channel and live stream | DAZN News US", "Andy Ruiz Jr. rallies from knockdown to get unanimous decision over Chris Arreola | DAZN News US", "Andy Ruiz beats Luis Ortiz via unanimous decision after three knockdowns as Deontay Wilder welcomes all-American heavyweight clash", "Ruiz Jr wants Wilder fight after beating Ortiz", "Imperial County Boxer Andy Ruiz Jr. Wins Heavyweight World Championship", "Andy Ruiz Proves that Round is also a Shape in Heavyweight Boxing", "Andy Ruiz carries his Mexican heritage into the ring against Anthony Joshua. Lost to: Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley (twice), Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao In December 2012, he connected with one of the best right-hand counters in history to knock his longtime rival Pacquiao out cold. Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, U.S. Lost WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. In his recent fights, he has seemed to be improving. Future/ceiling/expectations: While Flores recovers from a back injury that he aggravated against Josec Ruiz on June 18, Top Rank will get him back into action when he's ready and then continue to carefully choose his next few opponents. Gonzales's mother died when he was two years old, and his father raised . Alexis Rocha, 16, T26. Super middleweight would be an easier division for Morrell to move through quickly, as light heavyweight is stacked with talent and big punchers. He dropped the belt to Abner Mares in his first defense by Round 9 TKO. His punching power has ensured an end to nine of his 14 fights within the first two rounds. Top 10 Best Female Boxers In The World All Time - SportsUnfold The fighter: The Orlando, Florida-based southpaw gained momentum with three wins in 2019, including stoppages over Ishe Smith and Zakaria Attou. This list is limited specifically to fighters of Mexican nationality, not simply Mexican ethnicity. I wanted to be with the family, I started investing my money. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Two years later, Benavidez won back the belt after stopping Andre Dirrell in the ninth round. He is a former unified heavyweight champion, having defeated Anthony Joshua to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles in 2019 to become the first male boxer of Mexican heritage to win a world heavyweight championship.. As of October 2021, he is ranked as the world's fifth-best active heavyweight by ESPN . [53], His next fight was scheduled to take place on July 7, 2018 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California against veteran journeyman Kevin Johnson (32-9-1, 16 KOs). [46], Ruiz failed to become the first heavyweight of Mexican ancestry to win a world title when Parker won the bout by a majority decision. Since turning pro in 2015, Nakatani has developed steadily and now looks poised to be the next world champion from this country. Benavidez will probably move up to the ultra-competitive light heavyweight division at some point, but he should wait until getting his opportunities at 168. -- Steve Kim. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any active fighter who has been treated worse by the referees and judges. [2] Ruiz has explained that his nickname, 'Destroyer', was acquired before he started boxing, because as a child, "I was always destroying stuff. Munguia stepped up a weight class, as he was struggling to make the 154-pound limit with his 6-foot frame, and he made an impressive middleweight debut when he stopped Ireland's Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan in the 11th round in January. Davis couldnt have performed much better than he did on a memorable Saturday night in Las Vegas. Because of his prowess as a boxer, he was known as the "fist" of the movement. The scorecards read 9892, 9694, and 9991, all in favour of Ruiz who retained his titles. And no one will be surprised if when? In putting together a list of the best 25 fighters under the age of 25, Ortiz was an obvious selection. The victory underscored "Tank's"' place among the best handful of fighters in the world. Daniel Ponce De Leon has been a professional fighter since 2001, compiling a record of 45-5 with 35 KOs. Defeated: Will Grigsby, Humberto Gonzalez, Melchor Cob Castro, Jorge Arce Haney has a variety of punches and is a delightful mover around the ring, making it hard for opponents to pin him down. Roman rebounded with clear decisions over Juan Carlos Payano and Ricardo Espinoza to prove that he remains one of the best junior featherweights on the planet. Joshua managed to get back on his feet again before being floored for a fourth and final time. Dubois is the other British heavyweight -- and if you don't know much about him yet, you soon will. In number one, we have Saul Alvarez, confirmed co-host Ricardo Celis. He has no true signature wins, however, and is probably on the outside looking in for big fights, due to the fact that his style is not exactly crowd-pleasing. Ramirez, a product of Californias Central Valley, is a former U.S. Olympian with an imposing blend of skill and power. 1 contender in the WBC rankings. And while he doesnt have a resume worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, he is building a solid list of victims. Hes also evolving as a boxer, which isnt good news for his middleweight rivals. Austin weighed 18 pounds more than Ruiz at the weigh-in. Eight are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Record: 40-1, 30 KOs Vote up the best pound-for-pound boxers in 2022. . And the stakes of a potential Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk matchup undisputed heavyweight championship are massive. List of current world boxing champions - Wikipedia The Southern California fighter has an enormous social media following, which turned him into a star before he accomplished much in the ring. -- Parkinson. The fact is hes one of the best Mexican fighters of all time. As a boxer, he competed from 1992 to 2008, winning multiple world titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championship in three weight classes. The main goal for this bout was for Ruiz to get in some much needed rounds, having only completed less than a round in over a year. Fundora has demonstrated that hes more than just a physical freak. Accomplishments/biggest moment: Mendez won a world title in only his 14th fight with a shocking, unanimous decision over Victorio Saludar in which he displayed good boxing skills. Background: Little Red was a huge puncher with a questionable chin, which made him one of the entertaining little fighters of any era. Still, his success in the professional ranks cannot really be argued with. But in July 2012, he forced his way into contender status when he thoroughly outboxed Henry Lundy to earn a majority decision. Michel Rivera, 9, T36. Ruiz revealed he fractured his right hand during the second round. He is a good, polished boxer with the punching power to end any fight instantaneously. Birth: Dec. 15, 1987 He regained the belt by a decision two months later in a rematch with Dade and had four more successful defenses, giving him a division-record 19 total. He defeated fellow Mexican-American Chris Arreola by a wide decision in his first fight with Reynoso on May 1, which he hopes is only the first step toward regaining at least a share of the heavyweight championship. Johnson did not do much apart from throw a strong jab from time to time. He then moved up to flyweight, where he has truly found his home. Theyre a combined 67-0 (52 Gervonta Davis delivered another spectacular performance on Saturday night in Las Vegas, stopping Ryan Garcia in seven rounds in a scheduled 12-pound 136-pound fight. These Two Latina Boxers Are on the Road to the US Olympics - Remezcla 6-10 (in alphabetical order): Isaac Cruz (proved himself in loss to Davis), Julio Cesar Martinez (fights Gonzalez next month), Emanuel Navarrete (needs a few more big wins), Gilberto Ramirez (has done nothing but win), Rey Vargas (almost was No. [36] After this bout, Ruiz increased his record to 27 wins in as many fights. Estrada gave Gonzalez his closest fight in recent years but dropped a unanimous decision. Retained WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title; Home Depot Center, Carson, California, U.S. Texas Station, North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma, U.S. Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center, cancelled rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko, List of world heavyweight boxing champions, "Andres Ponce Ruiz, Born 09/11/1989 in California", "Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz Jr: Rematch will take place 'in November or December', "Divisional rankings: Usyk shakes up heavyweight division", "Rankings Transnational Boxing Rankings Board", "Andy Ruiz Jr. - Next Fight, Fighter Bio, Stats & News", "10 Things You Didn't Know About Andy Ruiz Jr", "Andy Ruiz carries his Mexican heritage into the ring against Anthony Joshua", "Andy Ruiz Jr. tale of the tape: Career record, highlights, age, height", "American Olympic Qualifications - Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago", "American Olympic Qualifications - Guatemala City, Guatemala", "Diego Magdaleno Decisions Perez, Retains NABF Belt", "Jessie Vargas Outpoints Vito Gasparyan Over 10 Rounds", "Andy Ruiz Jr, Brad Solomon, Roman Win at Home Depot", "Ruiz and Hanks Bring Heavyweight Muscle To Macau", "Zou Shiming, Estrada, Gradovich, Ruiz Win in Macau", "Pacquiao-Rios Undercard: Verdejo, Shiming, Ruiz Jr. Ortiz scored stoppage victories in all four of his fights in 2019, and this year was supposed to be when he made the jump to title contender in a stacked welterweight division and he's only 22. At age 20, time is on his side. Yeah, it could be the byproduct of favorable matchmaking, but Berlanga has faced some decent opposition in Cesar Nunez and Jaime Barboza, and he got each of them out of there in quick fashion as well. "[75] In addition, he showed respect to Joshua, saying "Anthony Joshua did a hell of a job. This experience should serve him well in the future. The former 130-pound titleholder has been untouchable, with the A critical look at the past week in boxing Facebook Logo Twitter Logo In the third round, Joshua knocked Ruiz to the canvas, which was the first time Ruiz had suffered a knockdown in his career. Defeated: Kelvin Seabrooks (twice), Paul Gonzales, Clarence Adams, Edwin Santana, Sergio Reyes Gervonta Davis. However, strictly from a quality-vs.-quality standpoint, it doesnt get better than Crawford vs. Spence for all four welterweight belts. -- Parkinson. The Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight was huge because of the fighters fanbases. Garcia is currently taking time off to tend to mental health issues but hes expected to return to the ring, where he will surely continue to generate great excitement. The fighter: Like another well-known left-hander from the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao, Taduran is an active, quick pressure fighter who likes to come forward and let his hands go. This is the kind of fighter who comes along once in a generation. Future/ceiling/expectations: For the time being, Mielnicki will be guided carefully, and perhaps by the end of the year he'll be in six-round fights. The fans. Mendez could own the division in the near future. CompuBox stats showed that Parker landed 119 of 560 punches thrown (21%) and Ruiz landed 107 of his 416 thrown (26%). And, at 33, hes not finished. And who would round out the Top 5? Mexican boxers are some of the most entertaining . He's right-handed but has power in both hands. The Greatest Mexican Boxers - The Famous People He also is the telegenic type who is infinitely marketable. [37] Ruiz won the fight via third-round TKO. Garcia is just starting to mature physically and is honing his overall skills under the direction of trainer Eddy Reynoso. That doesnt erase what this superb boxer-puncher has accomplished, though. Hometown: Sacramento, Calif. Just before the end of round three, Ruiz again managed to fell a disoriented Joshua after forcing him into a corner and unleashing a series of power punches. Xavier Martinez, 14, T29. Titles: WBO junior bantamweight (1994-98); IBF junior bantamweight (1997-98); WBA bantamweight (1998-99); WBO bantamweight (2000); IBF featherweight (2002) But those three are tied up over the next year, so, more likely are fights against others lower down in the world top-10, plus a U.S. debut. He is ranked No. The title became vacant when former champion Tyson Fury vacated the title. Felix Alvarado (IBF) is his most realistic option as the others -- Ken Shiro, Hiroto Kyoguchi -- are too good right now, plus Soto would have to go to Japan to fight them. Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, Lemoore, California, U.S. Most notably Tank gave Garcia precious few openings to land his vaunted left hook, which gave the underdog next to no chance of winning the fight. The victory underscored "Tank's"' place among the best handful of fighters in the world. Future/ceiling/expectations: Hopefully, Stevenson gets to fight any of the junior lightweight titleholders -- Miguel Berchelt, Joseph Diaz Jr., Leo Santa Cruz and Jamel Herring. Here are the five best possible opponents for the rising star from Baltimore. 1 pound-for-pound in the world, outpointed Joet Gonzalez to win the vacant WBO featherweight title, he stopped Ireland's Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan, a devastating first-round defeat by Jermell Charlo, he forced the experienced Yonfrez Parejo to retire. In recent decades, especially, boxing fans with Mexican heritage on both sides of the border have been essential for keeping the sport strong. His only other loss came in his fifth professional fight against future WBC world champion Bermane Stiverne, which was stopped after Lawrence injured his arm in round one. Jessica Mccaskill: Sandali Sandali Lubin has successfully rebuilt his career since a devastating first-round defeat by Jermell Charlo for the WBC world title in October 2017. Joshua continued to box economically and land the more meaningful punches. Hall of Fame: No Hometown: Los Angeles And he was brutally knocked out by Gervonta Davis in his penultimate fight, which put a instantaneous halt to any momentum he had. Joey Spencer, 10, T34. Power? Promoted by Salita Promotions. Darmani Rock, 7, T41. Future/ceiling/expectations: Wanheng Menayothin leads the way at strawweight, but at 34 there are doubts as to how long Menayothin can continue. In round seven, Ruiz knocked Joshua down once again with a short sequence of heavy blows. The jury is still out on what Munguia can accomplish but he seems to have the tools to succeed on the highest level. He has turned himself into a complete fighter, one who can outbox you to win a wide decision or knock you out in brutal fashion. [57][58] For the fight, Ruiz weighed 262 pounds and Dimitrenko came it at 259 pounds. However, it might be too soon to write him off. Hall of Fame: Yes Evelyn Bermudez, 2, T46. [30][31] In June 2015, Ruiz began training with well-known trainer Abel Sanchez, whose most notable boxer was Gennady Golovkin. Andy Ruiz is a Mexican American Boxer, with a professional record of 34 wins and 2 losses. 10 best Mexican-American boxers today - Boxing Junkie And he has gotten progressively better over the years, which is a testament to his work ethic. 11 Carlos Palomino, No. Warriors Boxing president Leon Margules said a year ago on his company website: "Bob Arum thought enough of Lomachenko to put him in a world title fight in his second fight. As an amateur, he beat Stevenson and Haney. Accomplishments/biggest moment: Last year, he faced the trio of Herrera, Orozco and Brad Solomon, three fighters who never had suffered stoppage losses. His career is just beginning; let's see how he handles six-round fights by the end of 2020. 2 in the division in the latest ESPN divisional rankings, and he has revived his career following a positive drug test for cocaine in September 2018, resulting in him being stripped of the title and kept out of the ring for 13 months. -- Parkinson. I can easily see him winning a belt at 147 and, with his athleticism and ability to switch-hit, being as good as anyone in the division. Joseph Adorno, 1. The 10 Best Boxers in the World Right Now, Ranked - Business Insider It wasn't an easy task to rank them, but this incredible collection of talent shows that boxing is in good hands in the years to come. Background: Tapia was known best for his Vida Loca crazy and self-destructive life but he was also a damn good fighter, collecting five major titles in three divisions. He's probably slick enough to outpoint Alvarado (although it won't be easy), but you wonder how he will do against guys who are a bit younger and fresher. His record of 28-6-1 with 17 KOs looks a bit like a journeyman's resume, and for a long time Beltran made a part of his living serving as a sparring partner to Manny Pacquiao. He was only 45. Retained WBO Inter-Continental and WBC-NABF heavyweight titles. This was the last time Liakhovich fought. Native Americans of Mexican descent continue to make their marks in most of the weight divisions, including heavyweight. For the purposes of my list, if BoxRecdoesn't rate them as Mexican, I have not rated them as such, either. Dubois is an exciting, big puncher who has stopped all but one of his 14 opponents. Davis couldnt have performed much better than he did on a memorable Saturday night in Las Vegas. And it hurts me the way a lot of people talk about Mexicans when I know we're all about hard work and dedication. Abram Martinez, 4, 44. The Top 100 Boxers In The World In 2022, Ranked Pound-for-Pound Future/ceiling/expectations: Haney has been linked to British fighter Luke Campbell for his next fight, while there are some big potential fights at lightweight in the future against fellow young sensations Ryan Garcia and IBF titlist Teofimo Lopez Jr.. Campbell, who has twice lost world title shots on points against elite opponents Lomachenko and Jorge Linares, would be the best opponent Haney has faced so far and a true test of his potential to become a standout star in the sport. At just 23, Juan Francisco Estrada has to be viewed as one of thefastest-rising young stars in the sport. Soto, who earned a unanimous decision over then-unbeaten Edward Heno in October, can bang, and this was also evident in a one-round wrecking job on Javier Alejandro Rendon in a nontitle bout in February. -- Kim. Diaz lost his title on the scale before his first defense against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in February, a fight that ended in a majority draw. Hall of Fame: Yes Background: Hernandez was a superb boxer known for his consistency and a title-winning victory over Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson in 1997. 10 of the best active American heavyweights - Boxing News Top Rank is as good as anyone at moving and nurturing young boxers, and you get the sense that one day, as the fighters in the current crop of 130-pound belt holders eventually move up, Flores . Thats a whos who of the best little men of a generation. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Accomplishments/biggest moment: Villa has made fights that were meant to be tests look comfortable through his boxing skills, using his jab rather than flattening opponents. He's just 22, and the future is very bright. 2 at lightweight by ESPN. [49], On December 19, 2017 Angel "Memo" Heredia, a well known strength and conditioning trainer, confirmed that he would be working alongside Ruiz. The Greatest Boxers of All Time. Defeated: Chucho Castillo, Danny Lopez, Ruben Olivares, Bazooka Limon (twice), Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Freddie Roach On February 5, 2011, Ruiz knocked out Kelsey Arnold in the third-round and in the same month defeated Alvaro Morales via unanimous decision 5955, 5955, and 6054. The Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight was huge because of the fighters fanbases. The Mexican-American former UFC champion is one of the few fighters to become a UF C double champion (ruling two divisions simultaneously). Three KO wins in four fights has put Lubin back in title contention. Years active: 1992-2008 He had worked his way onto most pound-for-pound top 10 lists. [29] Ruiz was taken to the ten round distance for the first time in his career by Liakhovich, who trained hard for this fight and tried to win. Ruiz had his next three fights of 2010 also in the U.S., defeating Miles Kelly via KO, Raymond Lopez via unanimous decision and Francisco Diaz via KO. He started off well, landing a sharp right hand in the first round that cut Ruiz to the side of his left eye. [66] Terms were agreed within a week. 5 here). Titles: IBF junior lightweight (1999-2000); WBO junior lightweight (2004); WBO lightweight (2004-05); WBC lightweight (2005-06) This young man is a hard-hitting welterweight with legitimate power in both hands. The fans. Lost to: Ruben Olivares (twice), Bazooka Limon, Alexis Arguello, Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Ray Mancini Jose Zepeda. [citation needed] Ruiz also represented Mexico in two 2008 Beijing Olympic Games qualification tournaments, losing to eventual Olympians Robert Alfonso of Cuba and scar Rivas of Colombia in the first and second qualifiers. Hector Tanajara, 3, 45. DAZN presents: The top 10 Hispanic boxers today #10 - Gilberto Ramrez #9 - Jose Zepeda #8 - Jos Ramrez #7 - Emanuel Navarrete #6 - Chocolatito Gonzlez #5 - scar Valdez #4 - Yordenis Ugs #3 - Juan Francisco Estrada #2 - Tefimo Lpez Jr. #1 - Canelo lvarez -- Nick Parkinson. Record: 39-6 (30 KOs) The Best Current Boxers. 15 Paulie Ayala, Sign up for the Boxing Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, A critical look at the past week in boxing Northern Ireland's Michael Conlan, the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, is No. Joshua was able to get back up, but did not respond as aggressively as Ruiz had, instead choosing to remain on the defensive. Haney made a successful first defense via a unanimous decision against Alfredo Santiago in November but suffered a right shoulder injury in the process. Top 10 Mexican-American boxers of all-time - ProBoxing-Fans.com Future/ceiling/expectations: Junior middleweight is a wide-open and changing division, and over the next few years Lubin will feature in the power grab. It wasn't the most exciting fight, but Colbert gained valuable experience. 1) Andy Ruiz Jnr. Jared Anderson, 8, T36. In July, he handed Milan Melindo his first professional loss. Carlos Canizales, who holds the secondary WBA title, is another option for Soto, who can win another world title if he gets Canizales or Alvarado in 2021. He is immortalized in boxing lure forever for his trilogy with fellow Mexican Erik Morales. As well as a mandatory defense against Rios, a rematch with Ceja also makes sense for Figueroa when he can work on correcting some defensive faults he showed against in their first fight. "As long as I keep performing, eventually I will fight them [bigger names]," Dubois said. Keeping busy will be the No. Hometown: Los Angeles Valdezs reputation took a hit when he tested positive for a banned substance yet was allowed to defend his title against Robson Conceicao in September but there is no denying his unusual all-around ability. Ruiz won on points after eight rounds.[34]. Sign up for the Boxing Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, A critical look at the past week in boxing