Ruiz having his fun, but vows to be ready for Joshua rematch

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Ruiz having his fun, but vows to be ready for Joshua rematch

2019-09-06 06:30 Last Updated At：06:40

Wearing a black sombrero on his head and a big grin on his face, Andy Ruiz Jr. looked like a guy who wants to keep the party going.

He was back in New York, where he changed not only his life but the entire heavyweight boxing picture in June by stunning Anthony Joshua to win three title belts. And after being suddenly thrust into a whole new level in his sport and tax bracket, he allowed himself to enjoy it.

But, he said, that's going to stop. He and Joshua will fight again Dec. 7 in Saudi Arabia and, if Ruiz loses, he insists it won't be because he thought his work was done.

"This is not enough," Ruiz said Thursday. "I want to be more."

He's heard the comparisons to Buster Douglas, who like Ruiz upset an undefeated champion when he knocked out Mike Tyson, but then looked like he ate a lot and trained a little for his next fight and was knocked out by Evander Holyfield.

"That's what a lot of people are saying ... because I bought some jewelry, things that I always wished and I always wanted," Ruiz said. "That doesn't mean that I'm not focused, that doesn't mean that I'm not hungry no more. So a lot of people are saying that I'm not focused or that I don't want this. They're crazy."

Ruiz and Joshua made the second stop of a three-day tour to promote the rematch that few outside Ruiz's camp thought would be necessary. The fight at Madison Square Garden was the first in the U.S. for Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs), and it wasn't expected to end with him going back to Britain without his WBA, IBF and WBO belts.

But he was knocked down four times by Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs), who was a late replacement after Jarrell Miller failed multiple drug tests. The victory that was assumed looked likely when Joshua knocked Ruiz down in the third round, but Joshua may have been too eager to make a statement and got careless in going for the knockout.

"I was like, this is it, which may have been my downfall," Joshua said.

Joshua's promoters originally targeted Britain for the rematch. Instead, they decided to go to the Middle East, ignoring criticism of the selection because of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

The fighters started their tour there Wednesday, and Ruiz said he found good food and good treatment, alleviating his concerns about the event's location after hoping it would have returned to New York.

"This is where it all happened, where I became the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion of the world and it would have been cool if the fight was right here, but it's going to be amazing over there in Saudi Arabia," Ruiz said.

Joshua blamed himself for the loss and said he will make things right in the rematch. He expects to benefit from a few months to train for Ruiz and the quicker-than-expected hand speed he possesses for a guy with his portly frame, after having little time to prepare for the June bout.

"I've seen Ruiz more this week than I did in the whole buildup to the last fight," Joshua said.

The extra time should also aid the champion. Joshua looks like he lives in the gym and Ruiz looks like a guy whose gym membership expired, but Ruiz's trainer said the fighter will be slimmer and in better shape for the rematch. Ruiz said his target weight is 255 pounds, 13 fewer than in the first fight, but he downplays the focus on his figure, anyway.

"You know what, just the way that I look don't mean nothing," Ruiz said. "What matters is being in the ring and ready to fight, that's what really matters."

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter at https://twitter.com/briancmahoney

‘Civil War’ declares victory at the box office, toppling 'Godzilla x Kong'

2024-04-15 21:38 Last Updated At：21:51

Alex Garland’s provocative “ Civil War ” didn’t only ignite the discourse. The film also inspired audiences to go to the cinemas this weekend where it surpassed expectations and earned $25.7 million in ticket sales in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It’s the biggest R-rated opening of the year to date and a record for A24, the studio behind films like “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “The Iron Claw.” “Civil War” also unseated “ Godzilla x Kong ” from its perch atop the box office. The titan movie from Warner Bros. had held the No. 1 spot for the past two weekends.

“Civil War,” starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura and Cailee Spaeny as front-line journalists in the near future covering a devastating conflict in the U.S. and trying to make their way to Washington, D.C. The story, written by Garland, who is also the mind behind “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation,” imagines a U.S. in which California and Texas have united against a president who has disbanded the FBI and given himself a third term.

Though entirely fictional, “Civil War” has been inspiring debates since the first trailer that have extended beyond the musings of film critics and traditional reviews. This weekend, The New York Times ran two opinion pieces related to the movie, one by Stephen Marche and another by Michelle Goldberg. There were also pieces on CNN and Politico.

Going into the weekend, projections pegged the film to debut in the $15 to $24 million range. The studio said “Civil War” overperformed in markets “from LA to El Paso.” The data analytics company EntTelligence reported that the film has attracted over 1.7 million patrons this weekend and that the top three markets were Los Angeles, New York and Dallas.

“The title alone is enough to spark a conversation in a year where the political discourse is top of mind,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “And they couldn’t have picked a better date. This movie is perfectly timed in a month that is very quiet.”

The film opened on 3,838 screens in the U.S. and Canada, including IMAX. It’s the most expensive movie that the studio has ever made, with a production budget of $50 million, which does not account for millions spent on marketing and promotion.

IMAX showings of “Civil War,” which was playing on 400 of the large format screens, accounted for $4.2 million, or 16.5% of the domestic total.

Reviews have been largely positive. It’s currently at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 77% audience score. Its CinemaScore was a B-, which has sometimes indicated that word of mouth might not be strong going forward. But that might not be the case with “Civil War,” which doesn’t have a tremendous amount of competition over the next few weeks until “The Fall Guy” opens on May 3.

“You have to take all the metrics together, including the competitive landscape,” Dergarabedian said.

But it is a notable win for the studio, which doesn't always open films nationwide out of the gates. Before “Civil War,” A24’s biggest debut was the Ari Aster horror “Hereditary,” which opened to $13.6 million in 2018.

“This isn’t destined to be a $200 million global blockbuster. But it’s a very high-profile win for A24,” Dergarabedian said. “They’re a studio that pushes the envelope. They’re a brand associated with a certain level of quality and filmmaking expertise, pushing boundaries and taking risks. It’s well-earned over the years.”

Second place went to “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” which earned $15.5 million in its third weekend to bring its running domestic total to nearly $158 million. Another “Empire” movie, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” took third place in its fourth weekend with $5.8 million. It’s now at $160 million worldwide.

Rounding out the top five was Universal and DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda 4,” in fourth with $5.5 million in weekend six, and “Dune: Part Two” with $4.3 million in its seventh weekend. “Dune 2” has now earned $272 million domestically.

This weekend also saw the box office year-to-date comparisons take a big hit. Last year, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” brought in over $92 million in its second weekend in theaters. On the same weekend in 2023, the top 10 accounted for over $142 million, compared to this year's $68.4 million. The year to date is back down to 16% after seeing some recovery with the success of “Dune: Part Two.”

“The box office has been a seesaw,” Dergarabedian said. “But we all knew this was going to be a rough month for comps because of ‘Mario.’”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Civil War,” $25.7 million.

2. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” $15.5 million.

3. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” $5.8 million.

4. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $5.5 million.

5. “Dune: Part Two,” $4.3 million.

6. “Monkey Man,” $4.1 million.

7. “The First Omen,” $3.8 million.

8. “The Long Game," $1.4 million.

9. “Shrek 2," $1.4 million.

10. “SUGA - Agust D Tour ‘D-DAY’ The Movie,” $990,881.