Never judge a book by its cover
/Never judge a book by its cover
By: Nick Mauriello
On June 1st, 2019 we all witnessed what is considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Andy Ruiz Jr. came into the fight verses Anthony Joshua a 14/1 underdog, with some gambling sites even calling him a 20/1 underdog. That night Andy Ruiz Jr. would TKO Anthony Joshua to win the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO Heavyweight World Titles. What was astonishing to the common person who has never watched a day of boxing in their life was not just the major upset, but it was the physique of Andy Ruiz Jr.
Anthony Joshua was the heavyweight champion and he looked the part. He was jacked and chiseled with muscles on top of muscles at 6'6 and 248 pounds. Then there was Andy Ruiz Jr., who weighed in at 268 pounds, and looks like he eats nothing but cheeseburgers, pizza, and burritos. To the common person, Andy Ruiz Jr. looks obese and like he couldn't fight more than two rounds without gassing out. Here is what the common person didn't know:
Andy Ruiz Jr. is a highly skilled world class athlete/boxer who amassed a professional boxing record of 32-1 (21 KO's) entering this fight. As an amateur he boxed to 105 wins with just 5 losses. Out of those 105 wins are that includes two Mexican National Jr. Olympic gold medals and the Ringside Heavyweight Championship. All those accomplishments certainly were not luck, but years of hard work, desire, heart, and skill.
The point of this article that I want to get across for law enforcement officers is that just because you might be a little overweight or you are not happy with your body, it does not mean you should be discouraged from training in some kind of martial art, such as boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai or wrestling, which could one day save your life. Some people might not have great genetics or might have poor eating habits and will never have six pack abs, but that does not negate the hard work they can put into training and become a highly skilled person. If you are a little overweight let Andy Ruiz Jr. be an inspiration to you to go join a boxing club, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu dojo or Muay Thai gym.
I am currently assigned to the Essex County Police Academy where I teach defensive tactics and I can't stress enough to the recruits to train in martial arts once they graduate from the academy. A police officer without training is an accident waiting to happen. Your body type does not matter! Just get out there and train because one day it could save your life. The number one thing we should all learn from Andy Ruiz Jr. is to NEVER judge a book by its cover.
