Andy Ruiz Jr vs Chris Arreola to headline April 24 FOX PPV

After missing all of 2020, Andy Ruiz Jr is finally set to return to action, though the circumstances probably won’t be to your liking. The Athletic’s Mike Coppinger, expanding on earlier reporting from Jake Donovan and ESPN KnockOut, claims the former unified champ will headline an April 24 FOX pay-per-view.

The fight was first proposed last summer, and even got the beginnings of an undercard before unceremoniously falling through. That, for the historians among you, is what led to Luis Ortiz vs Alexander Flores serving as a PBC on FOX main event.

I don’t need to explain you all why this isn’t PPV-worthy; it’ll definitely be interesting to see what sorts of physical and technical improvements Eddy Reynoso managed to wring out of “The Destroyer” (33-2, 22 KO) during his time away from the ring, but even if Arreola (38-6-1, 33 KO) shows off the form that let him throw 1,000 punches at Adam Kownacki, this would need one hell of a supporting cast to justify the price tag.

Coppinger says the undercard will have “heavy Mexican influence”; a couple commentators took that to mean the planned clash between Luis Nery and Brandon Figueroa, which would definitely be one to tune in for. That’s a good enough springboard for speculation, methinks. Any ideas?