And what better way to accomplish that than to reach out to those who played central roles during his greatest triumph.

Ruiz (35-2-1, 22 KOs) returns from a two-plus-year layoff to face Damian Knyba (17-1, 11 KOs) on Friday at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, to headline a Matchroom Boxing show on "The Fight" series on DAZN, TNT and truTV.

To mark the occasion, Ruiz has linked up with longtime coach Manny Robles, the trainer who guided Ruiz to one of the sport's most shocking upsets on June 1, 2019, when "The Destroyer" detonated Anthony Joshua to become the unified heavyweight champion of the world.

He has also signed a three-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, the promoter whose world was turned upside down after he dropped Joshua four times and stopped the Brit at New York's Madison Square Garden during his disastrous United States debut.

Ruiz lost his passion for boxing and rusted over the last seven years, as he overindulged in the spoils that came with being the first ever Mexican-American heavyweight champion in boxing history.

Since scoring the career-best win, he has fought just four times (2-1-1, 0 KOs) while dealing with a heavy diet of concerns regarding his motivation to fight and dedication to training. In between, he dealt with hand and shoulder surgeries and a messy split from his partner that spilled into the public, as well as failed negotiations for a fight against Deontay Wilder that was seemingly there for the taking.

After missing out on the recent wave of big-time heavyweight fights, the 36-year-old Ruiz realizes it's now or never to resuscitate his career for one last serious run.

"A lot of people don't know the struggles that us fighters have, not just inside the ring, but outside of the ring," Ruiz said. "I had to take a little time off. I had to get that hunger back. I had to be with my family. I think every fighter should take little breaks like that. But maybe not too long.

"I feel good. It is a blessing now that everything has healed. I'm ready to go. There's nothing better than just to get back in the atmosphere, where I belong."

The last seven years of Ruiz's career have been forgettable, to say the least.

Ruiz lost the immediate rematch to Joshua, showing up nearly 16 pounds heavier and unable to find lightning in a bottle as he did six months prior. He admitted afterward that he was unfit to fight and enjoyed the victory parade for far too long. His commitment issues forced the respected Robles to move on from him.

After the Joshua rematch, Ruiz returned in May 2021 and survived a knockdown to outlast Chris Arreola by unanimous decision in what turned out to be his lone fight with trainer Eddy Reynoso. In September 2022, after another long layoff, Ruiz dropped Luis Ortiz three times and beat the aged Cuban by unanimous decision. He last fought in August 2024 to a majority draw against Jarell Miller, a fight many believe "Big Baby" won.

For those keeping count, following the Joshua rematch on December 7, 2019, and heading into the fight against Knyba, Ruiz has had layoffs of 17 months, 16 months, 23 months, and 25 months before fights.

He's now relying on Robles' Midas touch to reclaim his seat in a stacked division.

"I had to go back to Manny, because he's the one who got me to where I made history," Ruiz said. "We're gonna do it again. I was training myself to my own understanding in the fights before.

"When you're just alone, and you're controlling your whole training camp, you slack off, you don't do the right thing. So that's one of the reasons why I looked bad. Now that I'm with Manny, I'm gonna be awesome."

While Ruiz will battle ring rust, Knyba will come into the clash more polished, albeit without the ring experience of Ruiz.

Knyba turned pro in June 2021 and has fought 18 times compared to Ruiz's two outings in that same span. The 30-year-old Pole stepped up opposition last time out in January only to get crushed by Agit Kabayel inside three rounds in Germany.

"He's a big dude. I have to pressure him, throw my combinations, and try to make him quit," Ruiz said. "I know he's a strong man. I know he wants to become champion as well. He's just someone that I need to take off the list. He's in the way of my mission, so I gotta destroy him."

With a strong showing, Ruiz believes he can reinsert himself right into the heavyweight picture for a title shot.

"Everybody that has the belts is on my hit list," Ruiz said. "Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belts, so there's a lot of opportunities and chances. I just want to climb back up the ladder by beating this guy."

Ruiz has already enjoyed his made-for-Hollywood moment, but he believes a successful sequel is also in store.

"The script is rewriting itself," Ruiz said. "We're gonna make history again."