Former Heavyweight Champion Ruiz Jr. Faces Knyba in Sept. 4 Newark Headliner

NEWARK, NJ — September 4, 2026 — Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2-1) will make his Matchroom Boxing debut when he takes on former world title challenger Damian Knyba (17-1, 11 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round heavyweight showdown at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

For Ruiz, this is more than just another fight. The former champion has been out of the ring since his 2024 majority draw with Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller and now returns looking to remind the heavyweight division that “The Destroyer” still has plenty left in the tank.

Standing across from him is the 6-foot-7 Knyba, a dangerous Polish heavyweight who has built a reputation as one of the division’s rising contenders. Knyba will look to spoil Ruiz’s Matchroom debut and score the biggest win of his career.

Ruiz famously shocked the boxing world in 2019 when he stopped Anthony Joshua to become unified heavyweight champion. Seven years later, he’s chasing another opportunity to climb back toward a world title shot.

The co-main event will feature a competitive collision between newly signed Matchroom Boxing fighter Vito Mielnicki Jr. (23-1, 13 KOs) and world title contender Austin “Ammo” Williams (20-2, 13 KOs). The two fighters will battle it out in a scheduled 12-round bout for the WBO Global Middleweight Championship.

Another intriguing matchup on the card will see undefeated, world-ranked lightweight contender Alan Chavez (22-0, 19 KOs) face a formidable adversary Edrison Garcia (23-2, 14 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout with the WBO Latino Lightweight Championship on the line.

This card delivers an exciting combination of crossroads fights, with each matchup carrying major stakes for the next phase of these fighters’ careers.