REWARD ELUDES RUIZ CHAMPION WANTS CREDIT, BIG FIGHT.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Assistant Sports Editor 

LAS VEGAS - John Ruiz once had the foolish notion that all he has to do in this sport is win.

And although he has had his disappointments, he has won. The heavyweight from the rough Chelsea section of Boston is 38-4-1 (with 27 knockouts), bounced back from a 19-second knockout by David Tua in 1996 to win the WBA heavyweight belt and went 36 vicious rounds with Evander Holyfield, going 1-1-1 in the three taxing fights.

His reward, as he sees it? No heavyweight of substance wants to fight him and he's constantly bashed by the media, who portray him as a crude, even dirty fighter unworthy of a title and Lennox Lewis as the true heavyweight champion.

Ruiz's title defense against Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday is symbolic of his plight: He had to face a light heavyweight to get a high-profile fight and is an underdog in spite of a 30-pound weight advantage. And he agreed to do it with no guaranteed purse, meaning he could make relatively little if the fight bombs on the pay-per-view market.

Well, Ruiz, known as the ``Quiet Man,'' is fed up and suddenly has plenty to say.

The first Hispanic heavyweight champion had just finished a spirited open workout Tuesday afternoon in a vast pavilion at Caesars Palace - before only 15 curious members of the public - and sat down on the edge of a boxing ring to speak to reporters. There, he calmly announced that he's considering retirement because of his frustration.

``I'm already thinking about moving on with life,'' said Ruiz, 31. ``I miss spending time with my (two) kids anyway. It's been a frustrating road. If everything works out good (Saturday), I'm thinking of packing it in. I'll go out with a bang, though, I'll take Junior here and beat him up.

``Then I'll ask God if he wants me to keep going.''

Ruiz was 16 years old when he first asked longtime trainer Gabe La Marca to work with him in La Marca's gym in the Boston suburb of Somerville. La Marca took note of Ruiz's passion and unusually good balance and decided immediately he had something special.

The trainer was right. Ruiz became a successful amateur, fighting alongside the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Vernon Forrest in major tournaments, and then embarked on a professional career in 1992. He was 27-2 and a rising heavyweight contender when he signed to fight Tua, a Tyson-like puncher from New Zealand.

The fight, in Atlantic City, N.J., wasn't much of a fight. Ruiz found himself trapped against the ropes seconds after the opening bell and then found himself flat on his back after taking several monstrous punches to end one of the briefest fights in history.

La Marca blames himself for failing to warm his fighter up properly before the fight. Ruiz, he said, didn't dwell on it.

``You wouldn't have wanted to be in the car when he drove back (to Boston),'' La Marca said. ``No one said a word. When we got home, though, he said, `Get me a rematch as soon as possible.' I knew then he'd be all right.''

No one lets Ruiz forget that night, which has left him with a label: vulnerable. He's regularly asked about the knockout even six years later, and it is shown over and over again, 24 hours a day, in a promotional commercial on every television in Caesars Palace, the hotel at which Ruiz is staying.

Rarely does anyone mention, Ruiz contends, that such a knockout destroys the confidence - even the careers - of many fighters, while he has clawed his way to a 13-1-1 record since and won one of the three major titles when he outpointed Holyfield in their second meeting in 2001.

``I came all the way back, all the way,'' Ruiz said. ``And what happens? No credit. It's been a long road and I've had a lot of frustration. Even when I became heavyweight champion of the world, even after going 36 rounds with a legend, people still were critical. Instead of getting easier, it gets harder.

``It's discouraging, it really is. This is the sport I love. Is it too much to ask for a pat on the back?''

Even more valuable to Ruiz would be a big-money fight or two.

One knowledgeable observer estimated that Ruiz has made no more than $5 million in his career, not bad by common standards but a paltry sum for an 11-year veteran who has held a heavyweight title for two years.

He'll probably make a decent payday against Jones when the profits are counted. However, he longs to fight Lewis for the recognition that has long eluded him and the truly big money the matchup would bring. He also would like to fight Mike Tyson or one of the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir or Vitaly, for the same reasons.

No one has been willing to oblige him. Lewis even gave up his WBA title to avoid a fight with Ruiz.

Why?

Ruiz's low profile and mellow demeanor make him the antithesis of a charismatic fighter like De La Hoya, who generates huge pots for all those involved in his fights to share, while Ruiz does pose a significant threat to any potential opponent. Big risk, minimal gain.

Not even Ruiz's title has been enough of an incentive.

``He's too big a risk just for a title,'' Jones said. ``People want to fight for titles but not as much as they want to fight for money.''

So where does that leave Ruiz?

Forget Lewis, he said. The Briton is seeking only the biggest possible paydays before he retires. Instead, as promoter Don King has it planned, Ruiz would fight IBF champion Chris Byrd to unify two of three titles if he beats Jones on Saturday. That fight is relevant in terms of the belts but would hardly stir the masses.

That means Saturday's fight against Jones, probably the best fighter pound for pound in the work, might be the biggest of Ruiz's career. He'll probably walk away with a few million dollars but little in the way of recognition regardless of the result.

``Come Saturday night, they'll find a way to make it a negative,'' he said of the media. ``If I lose, they'll say, `Ah, see, this is what we've been talking about all along.' And reverse that. If I win, they'll say, `He should've won. Jones is a light heavyweight.'

``That's the way I've been treated my whole career. At least I'm used to it.''

AT A GLANCE

Who: John Ruiz will face Roy Jones Jr. for Ruiz's WBA heavyweight title

When: Saturday

Where: Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

TV: Pay-per-view, telecast scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

John Ruiz, left, will defend his WBA heavyweight title Saturday against Roy Jones Jr., right.

Joe Cavaretta/Associated Press

Box:

AT A GLANCE (see text)