Top Rank and Matchroom Boxing Present Ruiz vs. Knaba Prudential Center DAZN Card
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Robert Brizel’s Prediction Record: 132-30-9, with 7-5 in Featured bouts
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Newark, NJ (September 3rd, 2026)– DAZN, USA TNT Sports, Top Rank and Matchroom Boxing will present a solid seven bout card of professional boxing on Friday, September 4, 2026, Labor Day weekend, featuring the heavyweight main attraction, featuring former world heavyweight champion Andy ‘Destroyer’ Ruiz Jr. versus former world title challenger Damian ‘The Polish Hussar’ Knyba in a scheduled 12 rounder.
Ruiz is the favorite at -235 to -330, while Knyba is the underdog at +235.
Ruiz, 35-2-2 with 22 knockouts, Imperial, California, age 36, has been out of the ring for over two years, has not won a bout in four years, and ring rust has not been known to benefit elite fighters of late, such as Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. At 6’2″ and 74 inches of reach, Ruiz possesses lightning-fast speed and power. Ruiz last weighed in at 274 1/2 pounds
However, as demonstrated by new International Boxing Federation World Heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic, reach advantage can prove a critical key in a punch counterpunch war that is dragged significantly late into the championship rounds. 17-1 with 11 knockouts, Bydgoszyz, Poland, now training out of New York, stands 6’7″ and has 86 inches of reach. Knyba last weighed in at 258 pounds, and this gives him the superior foot maneuverability that Deontay Wilder had in his prime over a roly-poly, flat-footed opponent.
Knyba did not show much in his three-round titular loss to Agit Kabayel in January 2026, but he did win 13 of his first 14 bouts, and he has been active whereas Ruiz has not been active. Depending upon what lessons he learned in the Kabayel loss, Knyba must use his size and strength, and reach advantage to his advantage, and keep Ruiz on the outside out of range, striking with long-range jabs which score for points and win rounds. Knyba has trained in the gym with Anthony Joshua, and will attempt to fight a facsimile bout, outpointing Ruiz at distance range and frustrating him by tying him up frequently whenever Ruiz tries to get inside. Knyba will have no Plan B if this approach fails and Ruiz gets inside, making his ability to maneuver out of range and score with consistent jabs his key to victory.
With 86 inches of reach, Knyba has a reach advantage longer than Nicolai Valuev, Jess Willard, Primo Carnera, Dr. Vitali Klitschko, Dr. Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Daniel Dubois, Robert Helenius, Bob Foster, Jack Johnson, Muhammad Ali, and many noteworthy names in the heavyweight division. Such an asset could prove invaluable if used correctly and trained to jab perfection. Knyba’s reach advantage could spell doom for the inactive Ruiz if used to create a late-round bloody war.
Ruiz, an elite counterpuncher, on the other hand, has a Rocky Marciano-type assignment with an A.J. Joshua-sized opponent. If Ruiz can get inside on Knyba as he did in the first Joshua bout at 268 pounds, he can drop and stop Knyba in six rounds or less. However, if Ruiz shows up at 283 pounds as he did for the 6’6″ Joshua in the rematch, he will be a slow-moving hamburger with ketchup for 12 rounds, unable to get inside while being outpointed. It depends which version of Ruiz shows up, and his long stretches of inactivity could work to his disadvantage. If Knyba has any type of a game plan, he will be on the move and make Ruiz chase him with combination punching accuracy accompanied by reserve caution. Body-hook combinations on the inside will help his cause, accompanied by superior head movement. If Ruiz shows up overweight, he will get hit too much and will get exposed. Knockdowns will affect scoring and are expected in this high-stakes bout.
Stamina is going to be a big key in this bout. Edge to the more experienced Ruiz here, but Knyba has been more active, and this do-or-die crossroads bout for both combatants will not be a social call for either of their careers. It should be pointed out that in two similar prototype bouts, Robert Helenius, ‘The Nordic Nightmare’, used his height and reach advantage combined with a lesser weight to stop Adam Kownacki twice and trainwreck his career permanently. Ruiz is built similarly to Kownacki, at 6’2″, actually one inch smaller. If Ruiz gets hit with power by Knyba, there would be no answer. Similar to heavyweight Rocky Balboa versus Clubber Lang II in the mythical movie, Andy’s best chance-and only chance-is to get Knyba out of there early in the first half of the bout, and avoid a stamina war of attrition as Moses Itauma ran into in the eighth and ninth rounds against Hrgovic in their heavyweight title war last week. If Knyba succeeds in dragging the aging and inactive Ruiz into the later rounds, he is going to win it, and Ruiz cannot afford to take that chance.
Andy Ruiz Jr. is predicted to win by this reporter by stoppage. Ruiz could be a candidate for Filip Hrgovic if he wins this bout, and the winner of the upcoming Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua all-British battle passes on Hrgovic.
Prudential Center Newark DAZN USA TNT Undercard Predictions
Former two-time world title challenger 20-2 Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams is predicted to win by 12-round unanimous decision over 23-1 Vito ‘White Magic’ Mielnicki Jr. in a WBO Global Middleweight title bout scheduled for 10 rounds in the preliminary bout to the main event. The southpaw Williams is favored at -132, the 4:5 betting favorite, with his tier of world-class experience. While Mielnicki is the underdog at +112 to +130 11:10, he is a highly polished technical fighter and has improved under trainer Ronnie Shields, with quality sparring work against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, making way for an exciting contest which could surprise experts.
22-0 Alan Chaves is predicted to win by 10-round unanimous decision over 23-2 Eridson Garcia in a WBO Global Lightweight title bout scheduled for 10 rounds.
11-0 Dennis Thompson is predicted to win by eight rounds unanimous decision over 7-1-1 Jose Casillas in a super bantamweight prospects bout.
New Jersey’s 8-0 Kahshad Elliott is predicted to win by six rounds unanimous decision over 4-0 Ecuadorian Jean Pierre Valencia in a middleweight prospects bout.
3-0 Brooke Mullen is predicted to win by four rounds unanimous decision over 2-1 Bria Miller in a female welterweight prospects bout, two-minute rounds.
Jordan Simpson is predicted to win his middleweight pro debut over 0-1 Michael McDonald by four rounds unanimous decision in the opening bout on the Prudential Center Newark card.
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