Andy Ruiz Jr. begins heavyweight comeback against Damian Knyba in September

Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. is set to return to action after a two-year absence when he faces Poland’s Damian Knyba at New Jersey’s Prudential Center on September 4, having recently signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.

The bout marks the first step in Ruiz’s latest bid to climb back into world title contention. After drawing with Jarrell Miller in the summer of 2024, ‘The Destroyer’ will be aiming to rebuild momentum and prove he remains a major force in the heavyweight division.

Standing in his way is 6ft 7in Polish heavyweight Damian Knyba, who presents Ruiz with a difficult first test after two years away from the ring.

The 30-year-old enters the contest with a professional record of 17-1, with 11 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Knyba will also be looking to bounce back after suffering the first defeat of his career against the newly crowned WBC heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel earlier this year.

Rather controversially, Kabayel was declared the winner in the third round after the referee stepped in when Knyba was left wobbled by a clean right hook to the head.

Kabayel, who had previously held the WBC interim heavyweight title, was elevated to full champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles earlier this year.

While Knyba fell short, sharing the ring with one of the division’s leading names raised his profile considerably. A victory over former unified champion Ruiz would elevate his standing even further.

For Ruiz, the challenge will be overcoming Knyba’s physical advantages, with the Polish heavyweight holding a significant height and reach advantage.

Knyba will also be returning to familiar surroundings in September, making his fourth appearance at what he considers his "second home", the Prudential Center, where a strong Polish support is expected to fill the arena.

However, ‘The Destroyer’ will look to utilise the fast hands and aggressive style that helped him shock Anthony Joshua in 2019 as he begins his latest push towards the top of the heavyweight division.

Also announced for the card, Vito Mielnicki Jr. will take on Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams in a middleweight contest, marking Mielnicki’s first fight under Eddie Hearn’s promotional banner.

Fighting in his home state of New Jersey, the 24-year-old will be looking to make the most of the biggest opportunity of his career so far as he continues his rise through the 160lb division.

Currently riding a 15-fight unbeaten streak, Mielnicki has consistently impressed on major US cards and will be eager to maintain that momentum on another high-profile stage.

Standing opposite him will be Austin Williams, a former world title challenger who enters the contest looking to rebuild after falling short against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames earlier this year. Despite the defeat, Williams pushed the champion the full distance in Orlando during Adames’ fourth successful title defence.

With both men aiming to position themselves for another major opportunity, the matchup adds further intrigue to a card headlined by Ruiz’s long-awaited return.

All eyes will be fixed on Ruiz and whether he can rediscover the form that saw him shock the world in New York back in 2019.

A victory over Knyba would represent the first step towards rebuilding his place among the heavyweight elite, but another setback could leave Ruiz’s hopes of becoming a two-time heavyweight world champion in serious doubt.