Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. will run it back on Dec. 7.
After weeks and months of deliberation as to when and where the rematch will take place, Eddie Hearn and Joshua made the announcement on social media. To much surprise, the event will take place in Saudi Arabia, not in the United Kingdom as widely speculated or perhaps even back in Madison Square Garden.
According to The Athletic, they will fight in an open-air stadium where it is expected to hold six to seven thousand people in a city called Diriyah. A press conference is also set for Monday in London where Hearn will be joined by Saudi reps to reveal details on the fight, like the start time.
It’s official! #RuizJoshua2 will take place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on December 7 #ClashOnTheDunes #COTD pic.twitter.com/AC2ZAFWKRn
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) August 9, 2019
https://twitter.com/anthonyfjoshua/status/1159874669228507136
“Neutral grounds — LETS GO — Dec. 7th, time to be a 2X — 258MGT,” Joshua wrote.
The two first fought back on June 1 at Madison Square Garden. There, Joshua was entering the bout with a perfect 22-0 record and was making his United States debut. Although the Englishman was a -2000 favorite, it was Ruiz Jr. who pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever as he won by knockout in the seventh round.
It was a huge disappointment for Joshua and Hearn, who triggered the rematch clause instantly. When the two fight again, they will be fighting for the WBO, IBF, IBO, WBA world titles. The exact titles the Englishman lost to Ruiz back in June.
Before the Joshua fight, Andy Ruiz Jr. was 32-1 with notable wins over the likes of Alexander Dimitrenko, Kevin Johnson, and Devin Vargas. His lone loss came at the hands of Joseph Parker back in 2016.
Saudi Arabia last hosted a boxing event when Amir Khan beat Billy Dib in July.
Who do you think will win the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr.?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/9/2019.