[dropcap size=big]O[/dropcap]n the night of June 1, 2019, Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr. became the first boxer of Mexican descent to capture the heavyweight championship of the world after defeating Nigerian-English fighter Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden in New York. He is the second Latino heavyweight champion, the first being Puerto Rican boxer John Ruiz, who defeated Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield for the World Boxing Association Heavyweight title back in 2001.
Most of the news headlines and Instagram posts are calling Andy’s victory a major upset. It is and it isn’t.
Born in Imperial, California, to Mexican immigrant parents, Andy Ruiz Jr.’s experience in and out of the ring is a classic underdog story. But seen another way, Ruiz’s disruption of the boxing industry’s sometimes scripted championship narratives is more than anything a result of careful training and grit to overcome massive odds.
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Mexican Heavyweight Champion 🇲🇽
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