Ruddock was also known for his exceptionally heavy punching; some of the best examples of his left hand and overall power were his knockouts of former WBA heavyweight champions James Smith in 1989, Michael Dokes in 1990, and Greg Page in 1992.
More controversy would follow in April 1985 when he lost to journeyman David Jaco, who would be KO'd by a young Mike Tyson the next year.
To his doctors' surprise, Ruddock made a full recovery within 10 months and resumed his boxing career by winning nine straight fights.
This victory placed him in line for a title bout against undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, scheduled for November 1989 in Edmonton, Alberta.
[7] Ruddock hoped to fight Evander Holyfield (fresh from a KO win over James "Buster" Douglas for the heavyweight championship).
[9] Tyson was magnanimous after his triumph, praising Ruddock as a great heavyweight: "Man this guy is tough, he'll be champion of the world one day if he stays dedicated and doesn't slip up."
After losing to Tyson for the second time, Ruddock picked up victories over former heavyweight champion Greg Page and got a win over undefeated hope Phil Jackson; both fights again were won by KO.
[citation needed] After more than two years out after the Lewis defeat Ruddock came back in 1994 with a points win over Anthony Wade which led to a fight with Tommy Morrison in 1995.
Ruddock was scheduled to challenge Vitali Klitschko for the WBO heavyweight title in April 2000, yet was forced to withdraw at late notice due to injury.
Ruddock made a comeback to the ring at age 59 on November 11, 2023, when he fought 55-year-old James Toney, a former three-division world champion and hall of famer, in Kingston, Jamaica.
[16] In the late 1990s, Ruddock had filed for bankruptcy as a number of failed investments, including $1 million that he lost when his Fort Lauderdale nightclub "Razor's Palace" went under; had left him cash poor.
Ruddock marketed the device he designed one day after becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of waste his family was collecting,[18] and sold it from his website Razorruddock.com.