Ruiz, Breedlove and the science of the comeback

Light Heavyweight contender Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz begins his day by jogging at 7 a.m. through the East L.A.  barrio. The rest of his training, which is done throughout the day, consists of hitting the speed bag, the punching bag, jumping rope until his ankles beg for mercy and climbing into a hyperbaric chamber which resembles a ride you’d see in Disneyland. “I know it seems kind of strange,” said Ruiz before he climbed into the chamber for one of his hour treatments. “But you have to believe me when I say that it’s really made a difference in my life. I feel stronger and more athletic than ever.”

Ruiz can use all the advantages possible. The 33-year-old is coming off his first fight in almost three years. He looked impressive this November in dispatching Rodney Moore in a mere eighty seconds. He also looked impressive when he lost a close decision to Paul Briggs in his home turf of Australia in 2004. Ruiz believes he won that fight. “Briggs knows in his heart that he lost. He told us afterwards that he lost. I dropped the guy in the second round and I controlled the action,” Ruiz said. “It was a huge disappointment for me. I came so far and I ended up with a bad decision.” The fight was an important WBC eliminator. Had he won, he would’ve fought for the world title.

The hard-punching, Guanajuato, Mexico native had come a long way since his poverty-stricken childhood where his alcoholic father made his life a sad existence. Ruiz would’ve traveled the same alcohol-laden path but ultimately was saved by boxing.

The sport that’s saved so many others in the past—people like Archie Moore and Roberto Duran and countless others who never achieved hall of fame greatness or even got a crack at any kind of title.

Ruiz remembers the moment that prompted him into considering a boxing career. “I was watching the lightweight champion Jose Luis Ramirez fighting “Chapo” Rosario,” said Ruiz. “I was really impressed by Ramirez’s style. It was a great fight and I became infatuated with the sport at that moment.”

It was enough to motivate Ruiz to fill a large sack with sand and use it as a punching bag. Eventually, Ruiz found a gym and trained hard, driven by world title dreams. He started off well as he reeled off fifteen wins in a row with thirteen stoppages. Included among those wins was an impressive TKO over 10-1 fighter Glenn Robinson on Fox Sports.

He was moved up in competition against former world champion Julio Gonzalez in what was most likely a case of too much, too soon. Ruiz also blames the loss on himself to an extent. “I was way too overconfident for that fight,” remembers Ruiz. “I remember saying I was going to knock him out. I count it as a learning experience. I learned a huge lesson.” The result was a ninth round stoppage for Gonzalez who would then go on to battle a prime Roy Jones for the world title in a losing effort before taking the WBO strap from longtime champion Darius Michalczewski.

Ruiz’s luck continued to sour after losing a technical decision to former world champion Montell Griffin. “The fight was stopped in the tenth round because of an accidental head-butt so they had to go to the scorecards,” Ruiz said. “I felt it was a close fight but I definitely thought I won. One judge had me winning.” He took a decision loss to Rodney Toney after he went down to the 168 lb. division. He left his strength and vigor on the scale since 175 lbs. is his natural fighting weight. He rebounded with three straight knockouts before losing the dubious decision to Briggs.

A layoff ensued as he took some time to get himself together. Presently, Ruiz is taking unusual steps to make sure his career gets back on track. He knows he’s got limited time in the game but feels that his new training regimen will make all the difference. “Take a look at my fight against Moore. Look at how strong I was. That’s how I feel,” an enthusiastic Ruiz commented. “I can run for much longer distances than I could when I was twenty-five. These treatments work for me. I swear. I wouldn’t be doing them so much if I didn’t feel they had a positive effect on me.”

It’s all part of a new approach that Ruiz and his promoter, James Breedlove, are taking in what they feel will prove to be an advantage over their competition. According to Breedlove, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is an untapped resource that has been mostly ignored by the boxing community. “It works by saturating the body with Oxygen which helps a boxer like Chuy heal from any type of wounds he might acquire. It also helps to reduce swelling and speeds up recovery,” Breedlove stated.

The other F.D.A. cleared therapy used by Ruiz is called Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP). It’s basically a bed where Ruiz is strapped up to his waist with cuffs which constrict and releases the blood vessels along his body, therefore increasing blood circulation throughout. “Increasing blood circulation helps the body to recover quicker and reduces fatigue,” Breedlove said. “It’s technology that’s been used by other boxers like Lamon Brewster before his fight with Wladimir Klitschko which would help to explain his rapid recovery between rounds.”

If the Breedlove name sounds familiar it may have to do with Breedlove’s famous father who made plenty of headlines during the sixties by breaking several speed records. According to Wikipedia.org, Craig Breedlovewas a five-time world land speed recordholder. He was the first to reach 400 mph, 500 mph, and 600 mph, using a jet-powered vehicle named “Spirit of America”. His mother, Lee, held the woman's world land speed record of 308.56 mph.

Luckily for Ruiz, his son James inherited his father’s innovative spirit and is using it to help revive Ruiz’s career and body. Ruiz knows that second chances in boxing are few and far between and is extremely grateful. “I know that with Jim’s help I’ll get another shot at the title. I only have 23 fights. I’m not damaged goods. I’m fresher than ever,” Ruiz stated. “I have a lot of heart and I plan to meet someone for a world title soon. To all the champions and their promoters I say come on. Come and find out what a real Mexican Light heavyweight is made of. I’m here and I’m more serious than ever. This is the new and improved Chuy Ruiz. I feel unstoppable.”

To see the impressive eighty round demolition of Rodney Moore on November 10, 2006 by Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KCGn-VPj7Y

For information regarding Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz or his (HBO) and (EECP) treatments please contact James Breedlove at tbreedlove@aol.comor by going to www.breedlovepromotions.com

For Jesus Ruiz’s record click here: http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=24968