Last June Andy Ruiz Jr became a world champion for the first time - the celebrations that followed naturally dragged on.
A rematch with Anthony Joshua was eventually organised but by the time the Mexican-American heavyweight re-entered the ring he was 15 pounds heavier. Joshua, meanwhile, came into the bout 11 pounds lighter and was thus enabled to keep his distance and pick off his opponent en route to a unanimous decision.
Andy Ruiz Jr says that he didn't 'concentrate on the fight' enough and that he needed to be more 'responsible' as heavyweight champion of the world
Read more: https://t.co/liOBzcXrxf— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) December 8, 2019
After the fight, Ruiz admitted that his response to becoming a world champion in New York played a part in his downfall in Saudi Arabia
"I don't want to say that three months of partying affected me but, to tell the truth, it did," he said.
Being overweight held me back because I was looking for one or two punches, normally I go for three or four punches. It got the best of me.
Being overweight, I couldn't perform to my best. I wasn't fluid, I couldn't move the way that I wanted to move.
As well as being overweight, the 30-year-old admitted that he was guilty of not putting in the same effort in the gym in the lead-up to the rematch.
"I should have trained harder, I should have listened to my coaches more," he continued on to say.
Maybe I shouldn't have put on all of this weight, I would have been faster and thrown more. I hurt him but let him survive.
There's no excuse besides me not training hard, and putting on all this weight. I know what I didn't do, and what I should have done. I will learn from my mistakes. I weighed in too heavy and I wasn't able to throw my combinations.
A third fight between the pair is now likely at some stage in the future, though Joshua may now be forced to face mandatory challengers first.
In Joshua's press conference, the English man said: "We will do it again. 100%"
