The couch admission reinforces the criticism rather than answering it.

Knyba Can Make Ruiz Look His Age

Knyba lacks elite credentials, but his six-foot-seven frame and 86-inch reach present an awkward test for a short heavyweight returning from more than two years away. A persistent jab, movement, and clinching can prevent Ruiz from reaching the inside, where his hand speed carries the most value.

The former champion should win, particularly because Kabayel exposed Knyba’s difficulty handling sustained pressure. The question is how long Ruiz needs to find his range and how many punches he can produce once the fight extends beyond the early rounds.

The scale provides one encouraging sign. Ruiz was 268 pounds when he stopped Anthony Joshua in June 2019, then ballooned to 283.7 for their rematch. He weighed 274.4 against Jarrell Miller and faded following a fast start. Ruiz came in at 254.3 pounds Thursday, his lightest weight since 2018.

That shows he trained without establishing that his reflexes and conditioning have returned.

Nearly Seven Years Cannot Be Recovered

Since losing the Joshua rematch in December 2019, Ruiz has fought only three times. At 36, the former champion must do more than flatten a carefully selected opponent. He needs frequent fights against progressively stronger heavyweights.

Knyba offers Ruiz activity and confidence, nothing more. Beating him cannot erase nearly seven years of inconsistency or confirm that Ruiz remains among the elite. The real evidence will come later, if Ruiz follows through on his plan to fight again in December.