Andy Ruiz JR has split from trainer Manuel Robles Jr who claimed the boxer was “out of control” during camp for the heavyweight’s rematch with Anthony Joshua.
Under Robles’ guidance, Ruiz pulled off a remarkable victory over Joshua last June before getting schooled in the rematch he turned up for looking grossly out of shape.
Joshua reclaimed the WBA, IBF and WBO belts in Saudi Arabia in December but Robles thinks that was always going to happen given the Mexican-American’s attitude.
Speaking to ESPN, he said: “I’ve seen it coming, I’ll be honest with you.
“I’ve seen it coming during camp.
“I saw it coming, Andy was just doing whatever the hell he wanted to do.
“The dad. obviously with him being the manager, he just had no control over his son. None of us had control of him, for that matter.
“So I just saw it coming, it wasn’t going to work because he wasn’t listening.
“He’s not listening to me, he’s not listening to his dad, he’s not listening to anybody.
“He said it himself after the press conference [in Saudi Arabia]. He apologised to me, to the dad, because he f—ed up.
“So I figured, ‘OK, it’s only a matter of time before I get the call.’
“Fortunately for me, Andy took the blame on himself and didn’t sit there like a majority of fighters and blame the coach.”
Ruiz, 30, himself admitted “three months of partying” was behind the one-sided defeat.
Speaking after the fight, Ruiz Jr admitted his preparation was to blame for the tame loss.
The 30-year-old said: “Three months of partying and celebrating affected me, what can I say?
“Being overweight, I wasn’t fluid enough, I wasn’t moving the way I wanted to move.
“I think if I’m lighter I’m going to let my hands go and be a completely different fighter.”
And even his dad Andreas weighed in on his son’s lax attitude.
He said: “He was not listening because of the fame.
“He was with a Rolls-Royce, he was with his friends, he was throwing parties, and not listening to the camp.”
But despite the split and his man’s inability to knuckle down for the rematch, Robles remains grateful for the experience.
He added: “Look I’ve got to tell you I’m absolutely grateful and blessed to have been able to experience everything that I was able to experience in 2019.
“I mean, we made history, and I have to be thankful for that.
“I have to be thankful to Andy and his dad for giving me the opportunity to be part of something special, to have made history — for him to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world.
“I really believed coming into the second fight that we were going to be able to do it again.
“But obviously you can’t do that if the fighter isn’t there, if the fighter doesn’t want it.
“I did everything I could as a coach, as a teacher, as a friend, but again, as I said, if the fighter’s not there, what can I do?”
Under Robles’ guidance, Ruiz pulled off a remarkable victory over Joshua last June before getting schooled in the rematch he turned up for looking grossly out of shape.
Joshua reclaimed the WBA, IBF and WBO belts in Saudi Arabia in December but Robles thinks that was always going to happen given the Mexican-American’s attitude.
Speaking to ESPN, he said: “I’ve seen it coming, I’ll be honest with you.
“I’ve seen it coming during camp.
“I saw it coming, Andy was just doing whatever the hell he wanted to do.
“The dad. obviously with him being the manager, he just had no control over his son. None of us had control of him, for that matter.
“So I just saw it coming, it wasn’t going to work because he wasn’t listening.
“He’s not listening to me, he’s not listening to his dad, he’s not listening to anybody.
“He said it himself after the press conference [in Saudi Arabia]. He apologised to me, to the dad, because he f—ed up.
“So I figured, ‘OK, it’s only a matter of time before I get the call.’
“Fortunately for me, Andy took the blame on himself and didn’t sit there like a majority of fighters and blame the coach.”
Ruiz, 30, himself admitted “three months of partying” was behind the one-sided defeat.
Speaking after the fight, Ruiz Jr admitted his preparation was to blame for the tame loss.
The 30-year-old said: “Three months of partying and celebrating affected me, what can I say?
“Being overweight, I wasn’t fluid enough, I wasn’t moving the way I wanted to move.
“I think if I’m lighter I’m going to let my hands go and be a completely different fighter.”
And even his dad Andreas weighed in on his son’s lax attitude.
He said: “He was not listening because of the fame.
“He was with a Rolls-Royce, he was with his friends, he was throwing parties, and not listening to the camp.”
But despite the split and his man’s inability to knuckle down for the rematch, Robles remains grateful for the experience.
He added: “Look I’ve got to tell you I’m absolutely grateful and blessed to have been able to experience everything that I was able to experience in 2019.
“I mean, we made history, and I have to be thankful for that.
“I have to be thankful to Andy and his dad for giving me the opportunity to be part of something special, to have made history — for him to become the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world.
“I really believed coming into the second fight that we were going to be able to do it again.
“But obviously you can’t do that if the fighter isn’t there, if the fighter doesn’t want it.
“I did everything I could as a coach, as a teacher, as a friend, but again, as I said, if the fighter’s not there, what can I do?”
