Heavyweight Upset
Poland's Damian Knyba (18-1, 11 KOs) secured a unanimous decision victory over former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-3-1, 22 KOs) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The bout headlined the third installment of the TNT Sports and DAZN series. Ruiz returned to the ring after a two-year hiatus, while Knyba was coming off a knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in a WBC title bid.[S1]
From the opening bell, Knyba's height and reach advantage was evident as he used his jab to keep Ruiz at bay. Ruiz started slowly, stalking and trying to close the distance, but Knyba's effective jab caused redness on Ruiz's face by the fourth round. In the fifth, Ruiz began to press and target the body, but Knyba clinched frequently to neutralize the attack.[S1]
Key Moments and Scorecards
In the seventh round, a huge right hand from Knyba sent Ruiz to the canvas, hurting the former champion badly. Knyba swarmed for the finish, but Ruiz was saved by the bell. Ruiz bounced back in the eighth, landing solid shots and stopping Knyba's momentum. The judges scored the bout 117-110, 114-113, and 114-113 in favor of Knyba.[S1]
Following the win, Knyba called for a rematch against current WBC heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel. Ruiz, reflecting on his defeat, expressed his desire to continue fighting.[S1]
Undercard Results
In the co-feature, local middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. (24-1, 13 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Austin Williams (20-3, 13 KOs) in his homecoming. Mielnicki dropped Williams in the first round and controlled the fight with his jab and counterpunching, despite bleeding from the nose late in the bout. All three judges scored it 98-91.[S1]
Dominican lightweight Eridson Garcia (24-2, 14 KOs) claimed the WBO Latino title by handing Argentine Alan Chaves (22-1, 19 KOs) his first defeat, dropping him four times. Garcia started strong, dropping Chaves in the second round and twice in the fifth. The judges scored it 99-88, 99-88, and 99-87. In another bout, Newark's Zaquin Moses (8-0, 4 KOs) stopped Mexican veteran Angel Contreras (18-11-2, 12 KOs) after the fifth round due to a body attack.[S1]
