Different Ruiz Promised for Holyfield Rematch

Getting a rematch with Evander Holyfield usually is not in a boxer’s best interest.

The four-time world heavyweight champion, and current World Boxing Assn. titleholder, has had 42 professional fights since his career began in 1984. He has fought six boxers at least twice, and one opponent, Riddick Bowe, battled Holyfield three times.

Only one boxer, current World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation champion Lennox Lewis, ever defeated Holyfield the second time.

But John Ruiz, who lost a controversial decision to Holyfield last Aug. 12 for the vacant WBA belt, doesn’t care about Holyfield’s resume. On Saturday, Ruiz, 29, wants to become the first Latino heavyweight champion.

“It’s been my dream since I was a kid to be champion,” Ruiz said during a Monday news conference. “I know there are still a lot of nonbelievers out there. All I can say is you can either go to the fight or watch on television to see a fighter achieve greatness.”

Ruiz added that he was hampered by a punctured left eardrum and a shattered nose during the first fight, “but I didn’t want to make excuses.”

For his part, Holyfield, 38, who wants one final chance at unifying the heavyweight titles before he retires, said he wants to redeem “a poor performance” from the first fight.

“Ruiz wants to be champion but he’s in the wrong era--my era,” Holyfield said. “No disrespect to John, but I will knock him out.”

The pay-per-vew fight card at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas also includes IBF bantamweight champion Tim Austin against Jesus Perez, welterweights Miguel Angel Gonzalez and Manuel Gomez, and women boxers Christy Martin and Jeanne Martinez.