Miguel Berchelt Returns, Stops Diego Ruiz After Two Rounds In Merida, Mexico

Miguel Berchelt went all the way home to pick up his first win in more than three years.

The former WBC junior lightweight champion ended a two-fight skid with a second-round stoppage victory over Argentina’s Diego Ruiz. The lightweight bout was stopped prior to the start of round three, when a right hand injury left Ruiz unable to continue in their DAZN-aired main event Saturday in Berchelt’s hometown of Merida, Mexico.

The bout was the first for Berchelt since a sixth-round knockout defeat to Jeremia Nakathila in a stunningly one-sided affair last March 26 in Las Vegas. Berchelt sought to bounce back that night from a brutal tenth-round knockout defeat to countryman Oscar Valdez in February 2021 to end his lengthy WBC 130-pound title reign.

Even a faded version of Berchelt was never a threat to lose to Ruiz, a made-to-order and undersized junior lightweight who only added three pounds to his frame for their lightweight affair.

Berchelt imposed his will on Ruiz and connected virtually at will. The 31-year-old Mexican hurt Ruiz with his left hooks both upstairs and to the body, and also landed a heavy right hand. Ruiz responded with a right hand over the top but was barely felt by the former titlist.

Ruiz was not given any space to operate as Berchelt made the ring a very small place in round two. The offense was free-flowing by the local favorite as Ruiz already looked like a defeated fighter. Berchelt walked down Ruiz and forced him on the defensive without any fear of incoming punches versus his reluctant foe. Berchelt landed a right uppercut and left hook that clearly hurt Ruiz (24-8-1, 12KOs), who somehow managed to remain on his feet.

What he wasn’t able to do, however, was continue after just two rounds of one-sided action.

The win is the first for Berchelt since a June 2020 non-title fight without fans in attendance due to the pandemic. It was his first victory in front of a crowd since a November 2019 knockout victory over Jason Sosa, which marked the sixth defense of the WBC 130-pound title he claimed in a January 2017 knockout win over Francisco Vargas.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox