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Andy Ruiz Jr. was given an extraordinary 24 seconds to recover from his seventh-round knockdown against Damian Knyba, with the referee not waving the fight back on until only ten seconds remained. Ruiz was already in serious trouble after being caught by several blows as Knyba piled on the pressure in Newark. With Ruiz stumbling against the ropes, the referee appeared close to stepping in. Knyba continued throwing as Ruiz finally went down with 34 seconds remaining in the seventh round. World Boxing News reviewed the footage and timed 24 seconds between Ruiz hitting the canvas and the referee finally waving Knyba forward again. By then, just ten seconds remained and Ruiz survived until the bell. Ruiz Gets 24 Seconds The delay was also spotted by respected trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, who questioned why so much time passed after Ruiz had already returned to his feet. Edwards focused on the remarkable amount of time Ruiz spent standing in front of the referee before Knyba was allowed to continue. Knyba lost a significant amount of time in which he could have attempted to finish a badly hurt opponent. Knyba Loses His Chance Once the fight resumed, Knyba had only seconds to work before the bell ended the round. Ruiz recovered sufficiently between rounds to continue and ultimately heard the final bell, although Knyba comfortably deserved the unanimous decision victory. Two judges somehow scored the fight 114-113, while the third returned a far more convincing 117-110 card. Ruiz was heavily dropped in the seventh and struggled with Knyba’s height, reach and jab throughout the fight. The 36-year-old subsequently rejected calls to retire and asked for a rematch. “I want to run it back. He was a great opponent, I didn’t want an easy fight, and that’s why I chose Damian,” Ruiz said. “I’m not done, just because of this loss. I have still got it in me, and I want to fight again.” Knyba was respectful of the former unified heavyweight champion afterward. “Andy is a great fighter, and it was an honour to share the ring with him. I wish him nothing but the best.” Whether Ruiz continues is another matter. What is beyond dispute from the footage is the clock. Ruiz hit the canvas with 34 seconds remaining in round seven, but Knyba was not waved forward again until ten seconds remained. Twenty-four seconds had disappeared. About the Author Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.