Ruiz-Joshua rematch set for Saudi Arabia in December

[rooster59]

Ruiz-Joshua rematch set for Saudi Arabia in December

 

FILE PHOTO: Boxing - Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz Jr - WBA Super, IBF, WBO & IBO World Heavyweight Titles - Madison Square Garden, New York, United States - June 1, 2019 Andy Ruiz Jr in action with Anthony Joshua Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

 

(Reuters) - Mexican-American world heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. will fight Britain's Anthony Joshua in a rematch in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 7, Sky Sports reported on Friday.

 

Ruiz produced one of boxing's biggest upsets by beating the 29-year-old Joshua with a seventh-round stoppage at New York's Madison Square Garden on June 1.

 

The Briton, previously undefeated and fighting for the first time in the United States, was defending his IBF, WBA and WBO titles but was knocked down four times in the fight.

 

Promoter Eddie Hearn had already confirmed three days after the bout that Joshua had triggered the contracted rematch clause for what he called a 'must-win' fight for the 2012 Olympic super-heavyweight champion.

 

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Ken Ferris)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-10

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[spidermike007]

Saudi Arabia? Sounds like a barrel of fun. Will they relax the alcohol laws for the weekend? Will they allow people to have fun? Is that possible in Saudi? Vegas was not interested? I think the problem with Ruiz, is that the boxing establishment cannot wrap it's head around the idea of a fighter who is not an Adonis type. 

[phantomfiddler]

Personally I think the first fight was a fix. Judging by Joshua,s totally uncharacteristic gloom on entering the stadium, he knew that he was going to lose, and with such unbelievable odds against Ruiz someone was going to make an awful lot of money.

Every previous fight, Joshua was smiling, relaxed, and completely confident. This time it was the opposite.

[Baerboxer]

On 8/10/2019 at 1:59 PM, spidermike007 said:

Saudi Arabia? Sounds like a barrel of fun. Will they relax the alcohol laws for the weekend? Will they allow people to have fun? Is that possible in Saudi? Vegas was not interested? I think the problem with Ruiz, is that the boxing establishment cannot wrap it's head around the idea of a fighter who is not an Adonis type. 

 

Sure you can have fun and enjoy yourself in Saudi Arabia. I did when I worked there. But you must obey the laws, as you must in any country you happen to be in. Whether you like them or not.

 

I guess the Saudis threw big money at this. Khan recently fought some non entity Aussie there. So maybe they want to stage more sporting events? 

 

I doubt they'll relax the alcohol laws or be tolerant to non Muslims as in the Gulf states. Nor will there be ladies lavishly displaying their wealth and beauty at ringside or parading with ring numbers. 

 

I read the Ruiz Jr says he finds the Saudi climate to his liking. 

 

All power to him - he proves you don't need to be muscle bound to have great boxing skills.

[Baerboxer]

21 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

Personally I think the first fight was a fix. Judging by Joshua,s totally uncharacteristic gloom on entering the stadium, he knew that he was going to lose, and with such unbelievable odds against Ruiz someone was going to make an awful lot of money.

Every previous fight, Joshua was smiling, relaxed, and completely confident. This time it was the opposite.

 

Something definitely looked wrong. I wondered if he'd been drugged. He just couldn't get going. 

[spidermike007]

19 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Sure you can have fun and enjoy yourself in Saudi Arabia. I did when I worked there. But you must obey the laws, as you must in any country you happen to be in. Whether you like them or not.

 

I guess the Saudis threw big money at this. Khan recently fought some non entity Aussie there. So maybe they want to stage more sporting events? 

 

I doubt they'll relax the alcohol laws or be tolerant to non Muslims as in the Gulf states. Nor will there be ladies lavishly displaying their wealth and beauty at ringside or parading with ring numbers. 

 

I read the Ruiz Jr says he finds the Saudi climate to his liking. 

 

All power to him - he proves you don't need to be muscle bound to have great boxing skills.

Always fun to see a major underdog get the prize. Especially when one is as atypical as Ruiz. Refreshing, to say the least. 

 

In one corner was Anthony Joshua, a man who is in possession of abs you could grate cheese off. Joshua — as many boxing experts (or those with eyes) would attest — has quite the rig. The 29-year-old boxer is an undisputed champion of the sport. He won gold at the last Olympics and is bankrolled by Under Armour.

 

In the other corner sat Andy Ruiz Jr, a Mexican man eating a Snickers as Joshua entered the Garden — the modern day colosseum for sports lovers. Ruiz Jr tips the scales at 121kg. His hobbies include eating chocolate bars before a bout and taking the piss out of himself. 

 

Ruiz Jr has the type of physique that personifies those T-shirts you buy in Bali after a few too many Bintangs that say: “It isn’t a beer belly, it’s a fuel tank for a love machine.” He also has the personality and chutzpah to pull it off.

 

https://thewest.com.au/opinion/jenna-clarke/why-andy-ruiz-jrs-boxing-upset-is-a-win-for-mens-body-image-ng-b881219288z