CRISTIANO RONALDO has jumped to the defence of pudgy heavyweight boxer Andy Ruiz Jr as he claimed ‘the body doesn’t matter’.
The Juventus star is still shredded at the age of 35 thanks to his gruelling training regime and fancy diet plan.
But the Portuguese ace has insisted that the body of an athlete does not matter – and that preparation is the key to success.
Ronaldo made the claim while speaking to two-time middleweight champ Gennady Golovkin for DAZN documentary ‘Parallel Worlds’.
He said: “The fight, Ruiz against Joshua – Joshua is top, but the other one is good.
“I talked with my friends and they said, ‘Ah, his body.’
“I said, ‘Listen, the body doesn’t matter. It’s preparation’.”
Mexican star Ruiz Jr backed up Ronaldo’s claim as he dethroned AJ in the summer of 2019 in New York.
The 25/1 underdog beat the British star in seven rounds to claim the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles.
Ruiz Jr vowed to lose some of his flab in time for the rematch with the 6ft 6in former Olympic champion.
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He vowed to cut out ‘three-patty hamburger with bacon and cheese’ and Snickers bars from his diet.
The 31-year-old planned to gorge on mushroom omelettes and chicken salads in a bid to lose some weight.
But he weighed in 15lbs heavier for the match as he tipped the scales at 20 stone.
He lost the second bout – and blamed his defeat on ‘three months of partying’.
Ruiz Jr – who has a record of 33-2 – has now dropped 20lbs as he plots his return to the ring.
Ronaldo also revealed what was said when he bumped into Joshua in Dubai.
He said: “We had the opportunity to speak last year in Dubai, I was with Joshua and we had conversation.
“33 years old is that age where you start to feel down.
“I don’t wanna be in the sport, in football, where people say, ‘Cristiano was an unbelievable player and now he’s slow.’
“I don’t want that.
“You can take care a lot of your body, the body’s not a problem I don’t think.
“It’s here [points to his head], your motivation, experience. I think this is the most tough.”
Unlike Andy Ruiz Jr, fitness fanatic Ronaldo has stayed in shape throughout his entire career.
Even after he tested positive for coronavirus, the former Manchester United star made sure to show off his muscles as he isolated.
Ronaldo follows a Pilates-based routine that focuses on resistance work to strengthen his core and he regularly hits the gym.
