Andy Ruiz Jr. faces Damian Knyba September 4th in Newark

Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. will be headlining a fight card at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey as he will fight Polish heavyweight contender Damian Knyba. It will be the third headline show of TNT Sports and DAZN’s “The Fight,” and will be broadcast co-exclusively in the U.S. on TNT, truTV and DAZN and worldwide on DAZN.

Ruiz Jr. (35-2-1 22 KOs) recently signed with Matchroom Boxing, and is returning to the ring two years after his last bout which was in Los Angeles against Jarrell Miller. That bout was declared a draw in a highly contested matchup. In his previous two bouts he scored wins over Luis Ortiz and Chris Arreola. He won the unified heavyweight championship in 2019 with a TKO win over Anthony Joshua but relinquished it months later in the rematch.

Ruiz is eager to get back in the mix and try to be a champion again.

“I’m going to be fighting in Newark, New Jersey on September 4 baby,” Ruiz said. “After we get this victory, I would love to fight all the guys that have the belts the Oleksandr Usyk vacated and we’re going to become a two-time champion next year, let’s get it.”

Knyba (17-1, 11 KOs) is nicknamed “The Polish Hussar” and hopes to bounce back from his last bout which was a stoppage loss to Agit Kabayel, who was the WBC interim champion at the time. Kynba has fought at the Prudential Center three times in his pro career and won all of them by stoppage.

“I can’t wait to be back at the Prudential Center, my second home,” said Knyba. “I’m excited to be back in the ring in front of the New Jersey and New York fans, and they will fill the seats with white and red.”

Ruiz-Knyba will be accompanied by multiple fights on the card, which will include a middleweight battle between Vito Mielnicki Jr. and Ammo Williams. Mielnicki (23-1, 13 KOs) also signed with Matchroom Boxing recently, and he is months removed from fighting in Atlantic City where he defeated Omar Huerta. The native of Roseland New Jersey is a rising contender at the middleweight division, and a win over Williams could get him one step closer to a world title shot.

“Every fight is another chapter in my story, and on September 4, I’m ready to write my biggest one yet,” said Mielnicki Jr. “I respect Ammo Williams because he has proven himself against top competition, but this is my time.”

“When that bell rings, fans are going to see a fighter who is hungry, confident, and ready to prove he belongs among the elite. I’m coming to make a statement and take another step towards a World title.”

Williams (20-2, 12 KOs) wants to get back in the world title picture after losing to WBC champion Carlos Adames in March. The 30 year old from Palm Beach Florida will be training in Dallas with new trainer Derrick James and “Ammo” will use the experience that he had in the ring against Adames to get ready for his bout against Mielnicki.

“I am brimming with excitement to have this platform and opportunity to display my talents globally once again,” Williams said. “After my previous World Championship bout with Adames, I learned valuable lessons about what it takes to dominate at the highest level.”

“The hardest thing for me to do was separate from my family for the first time, all for the sake of seclusion and total focus. While training with Derrick James, I get to soak in new knowledge from a completely different perspective. This is the move and sacrifice that will unlock my superstardom and propel me to the level of undisputed World Champion.”

This fight card on September 4th will also include super featherweight Zaquin Moses, who will have his first bout that is scheduled for 8 rounds. Moses (7-0, 3 KOs) has won two bouts this year, defeating Leandro Medina in January and Travis Crawford in May.