Daily Mirror

Ruiz celebrated his shock victory with his favourite choc bar and hopes to coin it in at the rematch and change his life... and body

- BY DAVID ANDERSON Boxing correspond­ent in New York @MirrorAnde­rson

ANDY RUIZ JNR celebrated one of heavyweigh­t boxing’s greatest upsets with a Snickers after beating Anthony Joshua.

Ruiz loves the chocolate bars and joked he would eat them in training to prepare for the biggest fight of his life against Joshua.

His trainer Manny Robles sensibly said no, but now he can have as many as he likes after becoming the WBA Super, IBF and WBO king.

“I’m the first Mexican heavyweigh­t champion of the world,” said California­nborn Ruiz, who fights for his parents’ homeland.

“It’s a blessing, man. No one can take that from me, nobody.

“I’m still pinching myself to see real. Wow, it’s amazing.”

His life, and those of his wife, five children and parents, have been transforme­d overnight and after receiving a purse of just £24,000 a year ago, he can now write his own if this is cheque for the rematch. Ruiz, who had his first fight aged seven against a 12-yearold, also hopes to receive an invitation from the Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

“Our lives are going to change,” he beamed, as his team held a Mexican flag behind him at his press conference. “I would love to get invited to the Mexican White House and this means so much to the Mexican people.”

The 29-year-old, whose record is now 331-0, accused Joshua of underestim­ating him and vowed to be even better in the rematch.

Flabby Ruiz, who has the ultimate dad bod, said: “They should have looked at me instead of making plans to fight Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury.

“We can do better. We can train harder and I can look in shape and look like AJ. I will be an even better fighter.”

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom