Andy Ruiz Jr. to stay busy through summer

Jun

Andy Ruiz (left) vs. Sergei Liakhovich. Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Promotions

Heavyweight Andy Ruiz Jr. has two fights lined up in the coming months.

Ruiz will fight July 16 at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan, promoter Dmitriy Salita confirmed to RingTV earlier this week.

He is scheduled to return to the ring eight weeks later (Sept. 10) on a Top Rank Promotions card at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California.

Both fights are scheduled for 10 rounds.

Ruiz (27-0, 18 knockouts) does not have an opponent yet for the July 16 date but told RingTV he is hoping to secure one within the week. Salita is promoting a card that has a number of unbeaten prospects.

Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman told RingTV that Ruiz will headline a ‘Solo Boxeo Tecate’ bill against face Franklin Lawrence on Sept. 10 in Lemoore.

UniMas will broadcast the fight, beginning at 11 p.m. ET/ PT.

In his last bout on May 14, Ruiz stopped former world title challenger Ray Austin after the fourth round at Sportsmans Lodge in Studio City.

Ruiz, who is originally from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico and trains in the Las Vegas area, currently holds a regional title belt and is ranked in the top 10 among all sanctioning bodies except the WBA.

The 26-year-old Ruiz is ranked No. 10 by THE RING magazine.

Lawrence (21-2-2, 16 KOs), who resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, has won his last nine bouts in a row.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since October of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper, BoxingScene.com and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.