IF it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s the view of Mike Tyson having witnessed Andy Ruiz Jr shed weight before facing Anthony Joshua.
The world heavyweight champion knocked out AJ earlier this year in one of boxing’s greatest upsets – considered so in part due to his podgy belly.
And Tyson, 53, reckons Ruiz Jr will have maintained a stronger punch with the trademark Snickers-loving style that he appeared to have lost in a recent image.
The former undisputed champ told Parimatch: “There have been rumours he has lost weight. I don’t like that.
“I believe losing the weight can affect power sometimes.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
“He did well at that weight, so he should stay at that weight.
“In the first fight, Ruiz put the pressure on him so fast that he didn’t know what to anticipate.
“And there were some hard punches.”
Ruiz Jr beat Joshua in New York at a whopping 268lb.
By contrast, Tyson fought at 214lb on his 1985 debut and finished his career at just under 240lb.
Part of the American veteran’s decision to quit the ring in 2005 came from the difficulty he had getting in shape for fights.
Ahead of the December rematch, Ruiz Jr stated: “I think being 10lbs lighter, I’m going to be a better fighter.”
In fact, he isn’t the only boxer undergoing a significant change for the bout with Joshua also becoming much leaner.