Ruiz’s eating habit ‘like a drug abuser’

Andy Ruiz Jr’s prospective trainer Teddy Atlas has likened the fallen heavyweight’s eating problems to the habits of a drug abuser.

The hard-nosed Atlas has admitted an interest in training the super-talented MexicanAmerican but first wants an introductory period to set out some parameters to their relationship.

It seems Atlas appears to have idea what he’s in for.

‘‘With a kid like Ruiz, it’s almost like dealing – and this is gonna sound harsh, and I don’t mean it to sound harsh – but again, the truth sometimes can sound that way . . . it’s almost like dealing with a drug abuser,’’ Atlas said.

‘‘You know, he’s got a problem with eating. And if you had a kid that you were really trying to save from drugs, what would you do?

‘‘You don’t have to be a drug counsellor to understand that you’d remove him from the things that are comfortable for him. You remove him from his surroundings.

‘‘Well, the same thing with a Ruiz. I’d have to remove him from his surroundings. ‘Oh, Teddy, you don’t want him with his father. Oh, you don’t want him with his family. Oh, you wanna be a dictator.’ Uh, yeah. Yeah. You wanna call it that, go ahead and call it that. You have to do what’s gonna be able to change things.’’

Atlas says with Ruiz’s current situation of having earned huge money for his win and loss to Anthony Joshua, it’s important as a trainer to know what’s motivating the fighter. That’s why he’s eager to set up an exploratory meeting.