Was John Ruiz avoided?

[KingOfGlory]

He was never a draw and having an ugly clinching fight with him would drop a fighter's value even if he won.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

I mean, technically yes, and looking back it's easy to make an argument for Ruiz being better than McCall, but, at the time it was seen as the better fight so folks don't like to call it a duck, but, facts are he was the mando and Lennox got stripped for refusing to fight him. TBF, even the bodies were cool with switching Ruiz for McCall, John had to sue to get his title shot actually.

I could be wrong, but, I think this case is why the WBA invented the WBA Super. That way they have two titles they can legally use as "title fights" and give their real champion a little wiggle room for their mandos...you know, before they went belt crazy and bastardized the whole idea.

My earliest memory of the WBA super was Roy getting awarded it around 2001 so he didn’t have to bother fighting Bruno Girard who was his WBA mando.

All the sanctioning bodies were pulling favours for Roy at that point, you had the Rocchigiani WBC situation and the IBF helped him cover up a the steroid scandal.

[Fanofreason]

Dude went life and death with A old Golota and got dropped a couple times. Come on man.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Dude went life and death with A old Golota and got dropped a couple times. Come on man.

I’m not trying to say Ruiz would beat any of those guys aside from maybe the shot version of Mike, but I just don’t get why none of them took his title, especially the Klitschko’s. The guy held the WBA for several years whilst they were champions/contenders.