Andy Ruiz Jr. set to fight Luis Ortiz next instead of Tyrone Spong

Andy Ruiz Jr. is set to fight Luis Ortiz in his next bout.

Ruiz Jr. initially agreed to fight Dutch boxer and mixed martial artist Tyrone Spong at the July 16 Triller pay-per-view in Mexico City. However, it has been reported by ESPN correspondent Mike Coppinger that 'Destroyer' signed a contract to fight Ortiz on PBC before signing to fight Spong.

Check out Coppinger's post below:

The news comes shortly after the Cuban hit out at Andy Ruiz Jr. for supposedly ducking the fight with him. Here's what Ortiz said as reported in a tweet by talkSPORT's Michael Benson:

"He's a coward. He knew how badly I wanted to fight him, but he decided to take an easy route. I repeat, he is a coward… A fight is coming that nobody is interested in and that is useless in his career."

It is unclear whether Canelo Alvarez's stablemate was planning to avoid Ortiz and decided to change his mind. However, with both heavyweights being promoted by PBC, a bout between them should be easy to make.

---

Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Luis Ortiz

Andy Ruiz Jr. is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision victory against fellow Mexican-American Chris Arreola. The fight took place back in May 2021. Despite being dropped in the second round, 'Destroyer' rallied to claim a convincing win and showcased his improved boxing skills from his training with Eddy Reynoso.

Meanwhile, Ortiz last fought at the start of 2022 against Charles Martin. The Cuban was knocked down in the first and fourth rounds, but landed a devastating left shot in the sixth round to hurt Martin and then force the stoppage.

Watch the fight highlights of Ortiz vs. Martin on PBC:

At 43 years old, Ortiz is in the latter stages of his career. 'King Kong' has two losses on his record, which have both come against Deontay Wilder. It is plausible that the Cuban is looking for one final lucrative payday before he decides to hang up his gloves.

Meanwhile, Ruiz Jr. is only 32 and shocked the boxing world when he stopped Anthony Joshua back in 2019 to become a Unified World Heavyweight Champion. Since losing the rematch to 'AJ', the man from California has only fought once and a win against Ortiz is crucial for him to reach his potential.