Boxing
Eddie Hearn shuts down speculation about venue change for Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch
Matchroom Boxing officially announced Friday that the heavyweight rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua will take place on Dec. 7 in Saudi Arabia, but Ruiz apparently believes nothing has been finalized.
During a Q&A session on Instagram Live, Ruiz said "the real news" is coming soon and "we're gonna bring it back here in the United States."
After his shocking loss to Ruiz on June 1, Joshua triggered his rematch clause for the chance to reclaim the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. Joshua's Matchroom Boxing promoter, Eddie Hearn, dismissed Ruiz's comments and even threatened legal action if Ruiz doesn't honor the contract he signed before the original fight.
"[Ruiz] signed a contract with us that he was absolutely over the moon with, that gave him the opportunity of a lifetime," Hearn told Sky Sports. "He will 100 percent honor that contract. His choice is to have a legal battle that could put him out of boxing for years, or to defend his belts for a lot of money against a guy he has already beaten. There isn't any doubt he will take the fight."
Hearn fully expects Ruiz to defend his titles against Joshua, adding that "any messing around and Ruiz Jr. will lose his belts, and he won't want to do that."
