REMATCH: But is still over two stone lighter than Jarrell Miller, Andy Ruiz Jr comes in at heaviest weight since Anthony Joshua rematch 

Last time out, he defeated Luis Ortiz via unanimous decision in a WBC eliminator bout in September 2022 after weighing in at 268.8lbs (19.2 stone).

Ahead of his upcoming clash with Miller, Ruiz Jr has tipped the scales at 274.4lbs (19.6 stone) during a behind-closed-doors weigh-in.

Miller is over two stone heavier at 305.6lbs (21.8 stone).

For Miller, it is his lightest weight since 2018 and a 27.4lbs drop from his last fight against Daniel Dubois.

Meanwhile, Ruiz Jr’s weight is his heaviest since his rematch with Anthony Joshua in December 2019.

Ruiz Jr shocked the world in June 2019 when he knocked out Joshua to become WBA ‘super’, IBF, and WBO world champion in their inaugural encounter.

For the first fight, Ruiz Jr was 268lbs (19.1 stone) but when he ran it back with AJ six months later he was a whopping 283.5lbs (20.2 stone).

The stocky puncher blamed the 15lbs weight gain on ‘partying too much’ after winning the world titles and looked extremely sluggish as he laboured to a wide unanimous decision loss.

He will have to put on a far better display against Miller at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium if he hopes to return to the upper echelons of the heavyweight division.

Elsewhere on the bill, Crawford and Madrimov made championship weight for their WBA super-welterweight showdown.

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Crawford came in at 153.4lbs (10.9 stone) while the Uzbek weighed in at 154lbs (11 stone).

Isaac Cruz and Jose Valenzuela’s WBA super lightweight title fight will also go ahead with the champion making 140lbs (10 stone) and the challenger stepping on the scales at 139.8lbs (9.9 stone).

In the other heavyweight bout, Martin Bakole was 284.4lbs (20.3 stone) while Jared Anderson was 252.4lbs (18 stone).

The rest of the reported main card weights can be found above.

All of the results were made official in the early hours of Saturday morning (UK time) at the ceremonial weigh-in.

“We got to work really hard. He wants to be a champion, and I want to be a champion again. The best man wins on Saturday.”

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Miller is hoping to replicate Ruiz Jr and move himself into a position to fight for a world title.

The American said: “He knows what it feels like to have his hand raised and get a championship belt. I don’t know yet.

“So, I’m still seeking that thrill. I’m still seeking that feeling, and the hunger inside of me is even stronger now.

“I’m 35-years old. It’s do or die.”

Two Year Doping Ban: Top Heavyweight Who Fought Anthony Joshua And Deontay Wilder Gets Two Year Doping Ban

In recent times, Anthony Joshua has been scheduled to fight or has faced three opponents who have tested positive for banned substances.

First was that of Jarrell Miller in 2019, who was set up to welcome Joshua to the US. He tested positive for various substances and was subsequently replaced by Andy Ruiz Jr, the man who handed the Brit his first loss.

Miller was banned for the offence for six months before testing positive again and being suspended for two years. He returns to the ring to face Ruiz himself on August 3.

Joshua was working on a comeback last year following two losses to now-undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, and part of those plans was a rematch with Dillian Whyte.

The heavyweight rivals had previously fought for the British title back in 2015, but Whyte tested positive for a banned substance and was immediately pulled from the second fight. An investigation later concluded this was due to a contaminated supplement. 

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Joshua would knock out late-replacement Robert Helenius in seven rounds. The Finnish fighter tested positive in a UK Anti-Doping Agency post-fight test.

In a statement released by UKAD, it has been confirmed just under a year later that Helenius will serve a two-year ban despite claiming ‘eggs and chicken meat’ were to blame for the presence of Clomiphene – a defence familiar to British boxing fans from the Conor Benn case for the same substance, which remains ongoing.

“Mr Helenius stated that the clomifene detected in his urine Sample must have originated from his consumption of eggs and chicken meat. However, following a request by UKAD, Mr Helenius was unable to provide any evidence that the eggs and chicken meat he had consumed in advance of the bout originated from hens that had been administered clomifene. Mr Helenius was therefore unable to identify the source of clomifene in his Sample and therefore unable to reduce the applicable period of Ineligibility of two years.”

Helenius, speaking to Yle, said he continues to deny the offence ‘with all his heart.’

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“Yes, I deny it with all my heart. Although it is tough to accept that a suspension had to be imposed, I have to say I understand the decision in the sense that there needs to be some kind of sanction. Otherwise, anyone could claim that a positive result came from somewhere else.”

Helenius, 40, says he intends to continue his career – something he can’t do until September 17 2025. His record is paused with two brutal stoppage losses from his last three fights having been knocked out in the first round against Deontay Wilder in 2022.