Andy Ruiz Jr. loses comeback fight to Knyba

Andy Ruiz Jr.'s comeback hopes were dealt a severe blow on Friday night as he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Poland's Damian Knyba at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The defeat, Ruiz's third as a professional, came in his first fight in over two years and cast serious doubt on his ambitions to reclaim a world heavyweight title. Knyba, a 30-year-old with a record of 18 wins and one loss, controlled much of the fight with his significant height and reach advantages. He consistently kept the shorter Ruiz at bay with a long jab, making it difficult for the former champion to close the distance and land his combinations. The fight's pivotal moment arrived in the seventh round when Knyba landed a sharp one-two combination that sent Ruiz crashing to the canvas. Ruiz beat the count but absorbed further punishment before the bell, appearing visibly hurt. Despite the knockdown and a largely one-sided performance, the judges' scores were surprisingly close. Knyba was awarded the victory by scores of 117-110 and 114-113 twice.