Andy Ruiz Jr vs Damian Knyba: LIVE round-by

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Andy Ruiz Jr vs Damian Knyba: LIVE round-by

Former heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz Jr will look to get his career moving tonight, when he returns to face Damian Knyba in the main event of this month’s “The Fight” on DAZN and TNT.

Bad Left Hook will be here from 8 pm ET with live results, reactions, and more, including round-by-round updates for the main event and chief support on the undercard, which will see Vito Mielnicki Jrface Austin “Ammo” Williams in what is really a must-win fight for both middleweights.

It’s a four-fight card in all, and we’ll also have the live chat rolling down in the comments section, so join us and your fellow fight fans tonight!

Ruiz Jr vs Knyba live blog

ON NOW: Andy Ruiz Jr vs Damian Knyba

Round 3:Ruiz has not showed any combination punching at all to this point. Granted it’s very early, but this is what Knyba wants the fight to be. If he can get it to stay this way, it’s going to be hard for Ruiz to win. He’s just losing these rounds because he isn’t doing near enough and Knyba is dictating. It’s on “small” work, but it’s effective, and nothing Ruiz is doing is. Knyba 10-9, 30-27
Round 2:Manny Robles wants Ruiz to look to the body, which does seem to be another obvious idea. Andy struggling to get there, though. Knyba keeping that jab moving, even just when it’s flicking out there. Ruiz throws the right to the body, Knyba takes a half-step back and jabs away again. Ruiz shoots an overhand right. But he’s struggling to get any momentum going here and the Knyba jab, albeit nothing devastating or whatever, is dictating the tempo entirely. Knyba 10-9, 20-18
Round 1:Knyba clearly wants to use his length and work behind the jab early. Obvious idea, and he’s trying to do it. He is significantly taller and longer than Ruiz, and he could be a minor puzzle. And I think he won a mostly unevenftul first round, because Ruiz just couldn’t get inside at all, and jabs beat, like, nothing. Knyba 10-9
Preview:It’s been over seven years since the last time Andy Ruiz (35-2-1, 22 KO) really impressed anyone. He’s always been a lot better “than he looks,” has always been dramatically more skilled than you’d think at a glance. Still is, really. But he’s also about to turn 37 and has basically been half-in the game for this entire decade. Beating washed Chris Arreola and ancient Luis Ortiz, drawing with Big Baby Miller — it’s just been a long time since you could really see Ruiz as a top contender. This is Comeback #4 in the last five years, this time it’s serious, and so on. We’ll see. He should be favored here, though. Knyba (17-1, 11 KO) does have big height and reach advantages, but if Ruiz isn’t shot I think Andy should win fairly handily. But you never know! Sometimes it’s just gone when fighters get so inconsistent with their schedule. They show up for another one and it’s just not there anymore.

Vito Mielnicki Jr def. Austin “Ammo” Williams by Unanimous Decision

Official Scores:98-91, 98-91, 98-91 for Mielnicki

Post-Fight Thoughts:The best performance of the 24-year-old Mielnicki’s career, as he improves to 24-1 (13 KO) with a fine win over a guy who has been in or around the top 10 at 160 for a while. 160 is weak, sure, and Ammo (20-3, 13 KO) is a very flawed fighter with beyond leaky defense, but Mielnicki has really come into his own. If you last saw him as a large child on the PBC FOX shows, give him a fresher assessment. This is not that same kid. He showed some toughness, he’s dramatically improved under Ronnie Shields, he’s grown and matured. He’s a legitimate contender now — in an admittedly weak division, but a legitimate contender all the same. He should be very happy with this win, and I think he showed us some of his own toughness, the grit that wasn’t yet there, understandably, when he was a teenager.
Round 10:Both guys have been told to go out and fight. Could be ready for some dramatics. But Vito’s hurting Ammo! Back-to-back uppercuts! But Ammo throwing shots back. The uppercuts from Vito just keep landing! Both hands! Body shot from Vito, good punch. Another right up top. Check hook lands. Ammo just has nothing left, he put what he had into the previous two rounds. But he just keeps eating punches, he is an exceptionally tough guy. Mielnicki keeps landing as it winds down. He put an exclamation point on it. Mielnicki 10-9, 97-92
Round 9:Ammo tells his corner that he knows he needs a KO. And he’s the kind of guy who will try to get it, too. We’ll see how Vito does if Ammo starts really pressing for it. Mielnicki’s sneaky good at using his elbow to create space; he’s not really fouling with it, but he gets it in there and buys himself a moment. Vito doing a good job of avoiding big shots this round, but little real offense coming back from him. And it’s smart, really. I don’t have to like it as a fight fan, but I get what he wants to do. And then Ammo lands another good shot, Mielnicki scampers away when he can. You could probably argue Vito quietly sneaking this round because he did some good work, but I’m nicking it to Ammo. Williams 10-9, Mielnicki 87-83
Round 8:Well, Ammo lands a real good shot coming out this round. He’s needed that. Can he follow up now? And he walks into a little check hook from Vito, but Ammo keeps marching forward. Whatever you think of his flaws, he is a tough, tough dude. And he’s got Vito’s nose bleeding. And Vito is starting to get a little stationary and looking more worried. The crowd is changing — Ammo is having real success this round. You can feel the energy shifting. Vito trying to jab and settle it down some. Williams 10-9, Mielnicki 78-73
Round 7:Williams really needs to find something big, and soon. He’s struggling pretty badly and Mielnicki is keeping things simple and effective, when he sees chances he presses a bit but he’s not fighting dumb, ever. And he just keeps landing solid shots on Williams, whose defense looks worse than ever and was always his biggest problem. And this was probably Ammo’s best round in a while, you could maybe argue it for him. Mielnicki 10-9, 69-63
Round 6:Ammo just keeps walking into and eating shots, but Williams is really trying hard to find something meaningful and slug his way back into this. But he doesn’t seem to be bothering Mielnicki or scaring him with anything that comes in. Mielnicki 10-9, 59-54
Round 5:Ammo hurt big with about a minute and change left, in a round Vito had been winning but not dominating or anything. Mielnicki just looks stronger and, more importantly, far less shopworn. I can’t ignore that. Ammo came into this one off of a beating and he’s taking another one. He got cracked again a couple times late and he does not look good going back to the corner. Mielnicki 10-9, 49-45
Round 4:Vito trying to pick up where he left off in the second half of Round 3. Ammo touching him, but Vito answering. Mielnicki getting around the ring near the ropes now, then moves back toward the center. He’s trying to get Ammo to chase a bit, but isn’t afraid to move forward, either. Williams keeps loading up big on that left hand, and it’s missing. Good right hand shot from Vito, right down the middle. Stats have Mielnicki landing just under 60% of his power shots so far, and that’s hard to overcome. Ammo hurt again on a right hand! Uppercut comes under a missed left hand, another good shot for Ammo! Williams is a tough dude but he got rocked around again here. Mielnicki 10-9, 39-36
Round 3:Williams looking like he’s gotten a little confidence back. Now that can be a good thing or a bad thing with guys who are defensively flawed like Ammo. But he’s working away and evening things up a bit right now. Some decent body shots. And then warned for going low with one. Vito looking to the body now, too. Vito seeing some openings again as the round wears on, first half of the round probably was Ammo’s, second half looks like Vito’s so far. So a close round! Williams really wants that right hook, and he’s getting pretty close with it. Shade the round to Mielnicki, who landed another good shot late. Mielnicki 10-9, 29-27
Round 2:Ammo with a decent shot early in the round, trying to get his feet back, trying to get some respect back. He’s not out of this fight or anything, it’s very early. And he’s landing some more solid shots, and looking to make a difference. I thought Ammo won this round, landed the better shots, calmed down, isn’t gonna fold. Williams 10-9, Mielnicki 19-18
Round 1:Good right early from Mielnicki. They’re staying center ring. Mielnicki circling into the left hand of southpaw Williams, which Mora notes is usually wrong but against Williams does work. DOWN GOES AMMO WILLIAMS AND HE’S HURT BAD! Got up too fast, but he’s trying to take the count more in the corner. Great shot that Ammo just ran into! But Ammo lands a shot that pushes Mielnicki back a bit, too! Vito got him again and he’s pressing for it here! Ammo trying to stay calm and find an opening for a counter, to get Vito to run into one like he did. Jersey crowd chanting for home state Mielnicki. Mielnicki 10-8
Preview:Mielnicki (23-1, 13 KO) was given too hard of a push back when PBC was on FOX, yet had no budget so they tried to focus on young, undercooked prospects they thought would draw eyes, like Vito and Joey Spencer. Both had hope, but also looked like they might hit a low ceiling. Spencer did. Vito is still in the game. He suffered an upset loss in 2021, but bounced back. He has started to figure himself out. He was 18 in that fight, he’s 24 tonight. And if he’s going to grow into being an actual contender, it was time to give it a go. Williams (20-2, 13 KO) is 30 and has been found wanting against Hamzah Sheeraz in 2024 and Carlos Adames earlier this year. He took a spirited beating in both fights. He needs to win this one, if he doesn’t it’s going to be really hard for him to really get back in the mix and not become a gatekeeper. But if he does, yeah, 160 is still open. And for Vito, this is his toughest fight yet on paper, a chance to prove he really belongs and isn’t a promoter creation.

Eridson Garcia def. Alan Chaves by Unanimous Decision

Official Scores:98-88, 99-88, 99-87 for Garcia

Post-Fight Thoughts:Huge win for Garcia (24-2, 14 KO) and a big, bubble-busting setback for Chaves (22-1, 19 KO). Chaves had a massive disadvantage in reach, he’s kind of small at 135, and he it was a big problem that he couldn’t do anything about. I do think, as many have already suspected, that Chaves had a nose issue from early on, and he was very tough in there, but he was dropped four times and just totally dominated overall. Garcia had his number and Chaves never had an answer.This fight was designed to make Chaves a top contender at 135; that is not what Matchroom got from it in the end.
Total domination from Eridson Garcia in what should be a clear, unquestionable upset victory. BLH Unofficial Score: 99-87 for Eridson Garcia
Chaves down for a fourth time in Round 9. Again gets out of the round. This has been an awful night for Alan Chaves, but the man is tough. He’s proven that. That’s about it, being brutally honest.
After Round 8, the NJ commision has reviewed the slip and ruled it a slip. Could totally swing that round from 10-8 Chaves to 10-9 Garcia. I do love that the judges are now being asked to remember how they felt about an uneventful round from about 10 minutes ago. Great system.
Garcia ruled down early in Round 6 on what appeared to clearly be a slip. Remainder of the round is uneventful. BoxRec study in the future will make that seem like a lot more success than Chaves has had so far. He didn’t even actually land a punch there. Garcia slipped on obvious water on the canvas.
Chaves down AGAIN. About a minute left in Round 5 and will try to continue. He does, and he makes the end of the round, but this has become one-way traffic.
Chaves down again early in Round 5! He’s hurting in there. He gets up but Garcia is completely dominant so far.
Chaves was rocked pretty hard again right before the end of Round 4. This is getting increasingly one-sided. Chaves fighting like he just doesn’t have ideas.
We’re three rounds in and Chaves is having a terrible time with Garcia. Chaves has the power to still be dangerous but Garcia came in here with a great plan and is executing it.
Garcia with a nice opening round and now Chaves is down in Round 2! He’s up but he got nailed there, he’s struggling with the reach of Garcia.
Preview:Chaves (22-0, 19 KO) is 25, southpaw, out of Argentina, might be a real contender at 135. He’s got some decent wins and looks good on the eye test, he can punch, and he smashed Miguel Madueno in his first fight away from home in April, good to see him back pretty quickly and continuing to try and build his name in the States. Garcia (23-2, 14 KO) was a Zuffa hopeful who appears free to roam after his loss to Andres Cortes in April. I didn’t think Garcia did poorly in that fight or anything, but he’s a fairly low-ceiling guy. Still, has to be taken seriously here; he did upset Taiga Imanaga in Riyadh, and he’s scored some decent wins. He can fight! I think this is a pretty nice matchup to be third from the top on this show. He also has a crazy reach advantage in this fight.

Zaquin Moses def. Angel Antonio Contreras by TKO after Round 5

Post-Fight Thoughts:Fine performance from young Moses, now 8-0 (4 KO). His corner was pressing him to go for the stoppage if the sixth round had started, but it didn’t, the corner pulled the plug after five. I think commentary called Contreras (18-11-2, 12 KO) “The Tough Mexican” about 30 times in the five rounds we got. He came here to fight, but the class difference was obvious and just too much, and even if Moses is not a huge puncher, he was doing damage to the body especially. He’s a cool, confident young fighter, doesn’t hunt for knockouts, believes in his skills, but also doesn’t fight arrogantly.
It’s over! Contreras’ corner pulls the plug after five rounds. Moses TKO-5
We’re through four rounds. The gulf in talent is, as expected, very wide. Moses has done some nice body work.
Zaquin landed one of the most incredible super-low blow/head butt combos you’ll ever see in the opening round.
Fight’s about to start. Harvey Dock is your referee.
Preview: Should be a typical Prospect vs Guy fight, Moses (7-0, 3 KO) is the 21-year-old cousin of Shakur Stevenson, and also a Newark native, so he’s on home turf and also here to sell some tickets. Legit prospect, not sure if he’s some super blue chipper or anything like that. Contreras (18-10-2, 12 KO) is a 32-year-old journeyman from Monterrey, Mexico, has won two straight but at very low level. But he’s tested a lot of good prospects — Bruce Carrington, Michael Angeletti, Justin Viloria, Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez — and he tends to go the distance.
Super Featherweights, 8 rounds