Andy Ruiz splits with trainer Manny Robles as he plots comeback from Anthony Joshua defeat

The veteran trainer said that he was ‘not surprised’ by the former champion’s decision

Andy Ruiz has split from his trainer, Manuel Robles Jr.

Ruiz became the unified heavyweight champion of the world when he sensationally dethroned Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden in June, only to immediately lose the WBA, IBF and WBO titles back to the Briton when he lost their Saudi Arabian rematch in December.

Ruiz was heavily criticised for entering the fight at 283.5lbs – 15.5lbs than his weight ahead of the first contest – and afterwards freely admitted that he was not well prepared for the rematch.

“I think I ate everything,” he told TMZ the weak after his loss. “I was having too much fun. I was celebrating too much. And drinking a few more Coronas than I should have.”

Ruiz is yet to agree to a comeback fight and has decided to part company with his trainer as he prepares for a return to the sport.

Robles told ESPN that he had “seen the decision coming” has he has had little contact with the former champion since December.

“I’ve seen it coming, I’ll be honest with you,” Robles said late Wednesday night. “I’ve seen it coming during camp. I saw it coming, Andy was just doing whatever the hell he wanted to do. The dad, obviously with him being the manager, he just had no control over his son. None of us had control of him, for that matter.

“So I just saw it coming, it wasn’t going to work because he wasn’t listening. He’s not listening to me, he’s not listening to his dad, he’s not listening to anybody. He said it himself after the press conference [in Saudi Arabia]. He apologized to me, to the dad, because he fucked up. So I figured, ‘OK, it’s only a matter of time before I get the call.’

“Fortunately for me, Andy took the blame on himself and didn’t sit there like a majority of fighters and blame the coach.”