Pioneer of Saudi Arabian boxing Zuhayr Al Qahtani has his eyes set on becoming the country’s first title holder on Saturday night when he faces off against fellow unbeaten Lightweight Omar Dusary for the WBC Middle East Title on the undercard of the colossal rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua.

Already recognised as Saudi Arabia’s first professional boxer, ‘The Arabian Warrior’ can also become the Kingdom’s first professional boxing champion with a win in front of his compatriots this weekend. 

Al Qahtani, now 30, had an unconventional route into the realms of professional boxing, first taking the sport up as a means of self defence, during a difficult period for him when he was studying in London.

Since making his professional boxing debut in April 2017, the southpaw has won seven on the bounce, the highlight coming in September of 2018 when he secured a points victory on the undercard of the World Boxing Super Series Final in his homeland, a bill topped by George Groves vs. Callum Smith. 

On Saturday, he features once again on the world stage, admitting it is a dream come true to be a part of an event of this magnitude.

“I can’t really express how I feel, I just want to get in the ring, get that win and when I have the belt in my hand I will tell you how I feel” said Al Qahtani. “I actually met Anthony Joshua after his fifth fight and told him he would one day become a World Champion and that I would fight on his undercard, so this is a dream come true.

“I want to win this title for Saudi Arabia and become the first champion in the country’s history, for me to get this title will be a starting point. I don’t take any fight lightly, I want to win this fight and then move on to the next one. Everything has gone to plan and I can’t wait to get in there, I want to fight today! My sparring partners have been amazing so anything he can bring will be nothing to worry about.”

Al Qahtani vs. Dusary is part of a huge night of boxing in Saudi Arabia. 

Main event sees Andy Ruiz Jr (33-1, 22 KOs) and Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) rematch in a colossal battle for the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles, Brixton Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte (26-1, 18 KOs) takes on Poland’s former World Title challenger Mariusz Wach (35-5, 19 KOs), Tom Little (10-7, 3 KOs) will be targeting a huge Heavyweight upset as he takes on former Amateur Word Champion Mahammadrasul Majidov (1-0, 1 KO), and the talented young duo of Leeds Super-Bantamweight Hopey Price (1-0) and Los Angeles Super-Middleweight Diego Pacheco (7-0, 6 KOs) will also be eager to impress at Diriyah Arena and UAE Lightweight Majid Al Naqbi (3-0, 1 KO) aims to improve his perfect record.

The Clash On The Dunes presented by PIF forms part of the Diriyah Season, an epic month of sports which kicked off with Formula E at the weekend, the Diriyah Tennis Cup featuring eight of the best men’s players on the planet, and the Diriyah Equestrian Festival, an elite competition with Tokyo Olympics 2020 qualifying points on the line.

Tickets for all of the Diriyah Season’s spectacular events, concerts and entertainment will be available at www.diriyahseason.sa. Follow Diriyah Season’s news and announcements on the official social media pages on twitter and Instagram @diriyahseason.

Andy Ruiz Jr has warned Anthony Joshua that he could beat him “even faster” than he did when he ripped the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO belts from ‘AJ’ on a memorable night at Madison Square Garden in New York back in June. 

The pair collide for a second time at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia on Saturday December 7 in one of the most highly-anticipated Heavyweight rematches in decades, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

‘The Destroyer’ believes Joshua will aim to regain his crowns by adopting a cautious in-ring strategy following their explosive first meeting that saw Ruiz knock down Joshua four times on route to a monumental seventh round stoppage win.

“I’m expecting that,” said Ruiz Jr. “But if he wants to bang, it’s better for me. I love to bang because that’s the fighter that I am. December 7 we have to pressure, work the body, break him down. Especially his mentality.

“We’ve got to see where he’s at because all the pressure is on him. The pressure isn’t on me because I followed my dream, made my dreams come true. Of course I want more though – I want the legacy of Andy Ruiz Jr.”

Ruiz Jr had previously explained that his sparring partners were being “slick” in anticipation of Joshua trying to be elusive.

“People haven’t seen me cut off the ring,” Ruiz Jr warned. “I actually break them down even faster when they try to box me around. We all have a plan until we get hit, like Mike Tyson would say. I’m pretty sure he will want to box me around.

“One punch can change the fight. That’s what happened on June 1. It might be a little harder than the first time. I’ve got to show my skills, my talent.”

Ruiz Jr’s only defeat in 34 fights came via majority decision to Joseph Parker in 2016, a verdict he still disputes. He insists that his style will always be a problem for Joshua.

“Especially me staying small. I don’t think he likes fighting against that style. I don’t think he’s ever fought a short guy that pressures, and is pretty slick. I felt like I was boxing him around even though I was the shorter guy. I was counter-punching him. When he would throw, I would throw back with more punches.

“He saw something that he’s never seen before. People said before, who would you rather fight: Joshua, Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury? I always said Joshua because of his style. Styles make fights. His style was perfect for me to become the unified Heavyweight Champion.”

Ruiz vs. Joshua 2 tops a huge night of boxing in Saudi Arabia. 

Russian powerhouse Alexander Povetkin (35-2, 24 KOs) returns from his August triumph over Hughie Fury to take on USA’s fast-rising Heavyweight talent Michael Hunter (18-1, 12 KOs) in an Eliminator for the WBA World Title, Brixton Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte (26-1, 18 KOs) takes on Poland’s former World Title challenger Mariusz Wach (35-5, 19 KOs), undefeated Croatian Heavyweight star Filip Hrgovic (9-0, 7 KOs) steps up to face former World Title challenger Eric Molina (27-5, 19 KOs) as he puts his WBC International Championship on the line for the third time, Tom Little (10-7, 3 KOs) will be targeting a huge Heavyweight upset as he takes on former Amateur Word Champion Mahammadrasul Majidov (1-0, 1 KO), and the talented young duo of Leeds Super-Bantamweight Hopey Price (1-0) and Los Angeles Super-Middleweight Diego Pacheco (7-0, 6 KOs) will also be eager to impress at Diriyah Arena, Zuhayr Al Qahtani  (7-0) clashes with Omar Dusary (7-0-1, 1 KO) for the WBC Middle East Lightweight Title and UAE Lightweight Majid Al Naqbi (3-0, 1 KO) aims to improve his perfect record.
 
The Clash On The Dunes presented by PIF forms part of the Diriyah Season, an epic month of sports which kicked off with Formula E at the weekend, the Diriyah Tennis Cup featuring eight of the best men’s players on the planet, and the Diriyah Equestrian Festival, an elite competition with Tokyo Olympics 2020 qualifying points on the line.

Tickets for all of the Diriyah Season’s spectacular events, concerts and entertainment will be available at www.diriyahseason.sa. Follow Diriyah Season’s news and announcements on the official social media pages on twitter and Instagram @diriyahseason.

Heavyweight World Champion Andy Ruiz Jr has been knocked out…by the iconic venue in Saudi Arabia where the Clash On The Dunes, his colossal rematch with Anthony Joshua, is set to take place. 

The American-Mexican fighter – known as ‘The Destroyer’ – toured the custom-built Diriyah Arena in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site ahead of the epic bout on December 7.

The 15,000-seater stadium has been constructed in the ancient remains of Saudi Arabia’s first capital, a place fittingly known as the ‘home of kings and heroes’.

Touring the Diriyah Arena, Andy Ruiz said: “It’s amazing man, it’s crazy how they built everything in a month and a half. It’s amazing to be fighting over here, it’s going to be really historic and I’m planning to make history over here.”

The World Champion first visited Diriyah for the official launch press conference in September, but since then 175 workers have created the arena in the 10,000 sq m site using 295 tonnes of steel.

Ruiz said: “It’s a lot different. When I first got here none of this was here so it’s unbelievable. All the workers and all the people who have put their efforts in, their designs in, this event and this arena is just something amazing.” 

Ruiz arrived in the Kingdom early Monday morning to set up his training camp ahead of his rematch with Joshua, with the US boxer determined to keep hold of the WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO belts he snatched from the Briton when they faced off in New York earlier this year.

“Right now, we are meditating, we are preparing, we are getting sharper in the ring and training as well. We are visualising the fight and becoming victorious,” said Ruiz.

“To all my fans please come and support me, it’s going to be a huge fight, it’s the Clash On The Dunes. We are two big guys fighting each other looking to be the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

“He’s trying to take my belts away so I’m going to do everything that’s possible to win and I’m going to do it for all my people.

“They can expect to see someone who is not giving up and doing everything possible to win, God willing we are going to take this victory.”

Fans will approach the Diriyah Arena via the Diriyah Oasis, a huge sprawling entertainment hub which includes ice-skating outdoors, sky diving, jetski-ing and ziplining among a host of activities on offer. The Diriyah Oasis is split into the four zones – Nature, Imagination, Reflection, Excitement- giving families a place to come together, and at its heart lies an astonishing grand installation by world-renowned Italian artist, Edoardo Tresoldi.

The Clash On The Dunes forms part of the Diriyah Season, epic month of sports which kicked off with  Formula E at the weekend, the Diriyah Tennis Cup featuring eight of the best men’s players on the planet, and the Diriyah Equestrian Festival, an elite competition with Tokyo Olympics 2020 qualifying points on the line.

The Diriyah Season is also supported by the Diriyah Music Festival with huge concerts taking place around the event. On December 6, the night before the Clash On The Dunes, major artists who are yet to be announced will perform. So far artists such as Imagine Dragons, DJ Alan Walker, Clean Bandit and Maluma have performed to 40,000 concert goers.

Tickets for all of the Diriyah Season’s spectacular events, concerts and entertainment will be available at www.diriyahseason.sa. Follow Diriyah Season’s news and announcements on the official social media pages on twitter and Instagram @diriyahseason.

About Diriyah Season

Diriyah Season is an unmissable set of international sports and entertainment events, happening at the historic city of Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sports fanatics, entertainment seekers, foodies and shoppers, are invited to a month of energy, excitement, elegance, and memorable moments as the world comes to Diriyah! 

Watch the world’s top sporting events:

·       Diriyah E-Prix 2019: The thrilling electric race returns with a double-header race weekend – 2 Races on Friday and Saturday, November 22 & 23
·       A Historic Clash, known to the world as ‘Clash On The Dunes’ where Andy Ruiz Jr defends his title against Anthony Joshua for the World Heavyweight Championship 
·       A Battle for Glory as 8 of the world’s top Tennis stars compete for the ‘Diriyah Tennis Cup’ 
·       Diriyah Equestrian Festival on December 12^th, 13th, 14th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st , where contestants from all over the world will be one with their horses to qualify for TOKYO 2020 

Tourist Visa Entry to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has changed for tourists visiting the country and the process is a simple online application.

Available to complete online, visitors can follow four easy steps which take just a few minutes to complete.

• Step One: visit www.visa.visitsaudi.com
• Step Two: Fill the application
• Step Three: Pay the Visa fee 
• Step Four: Get your online Visa

Applications are often processed within a 48 hour period, with residents from 49 approved countries worldwide having their visas available through the fast track system.

Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte has landed a spot on the colossal Andy Ruiz Jr vs. Anthony Joshua 2 World title rematch taking place at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia on Saturday December 7, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US.
 
Whyte will take on Poland’s former World title challenger Mariusz Wach in his first fight back since climbing off the canvas to outpoint Oscar ‘Kaboom’ Rivas in an exciting battle at The O2 in London back in July that saw him move to 26-1 (18 KOs).
 
Wach (35-5, 19 KOs) was due to face Whyte back in 2017 before ‘The Body Snatcher’ withdrew from their contest with an injured foot, but ‘The Viking’, a former opponent of Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin, will now have the opportunity to lock horns with Whyte following back to back wins in his homeland.
 
Fellow Brit Tom Little (10-7, 3 KOs) will also be targeting a huge upset on the undercard as he takes on Mahammadrasul Majidov (1-0, 1 KO), the former world amateur champion.
 
Alexander Povetkin’s explosive encounter with Michael Hunter has already been confirmed, along with Filip Hrgovic’s step-up in class against Eric Molina on an action-packed evening of Heavyweight fights.
 
The talented young duo of Leeds Super-Bantamweight Hopey Price (1-0) and Los Angeles Super-Middleweight Diego Pacheco (7-0, 6 KOs) will also be eager to impress at Diriyah Arena.
 
“I’m delighted to be fighting in Saudi Arabia against Mariusz Wach,” said Whyte. “He’s probably got one of the best chins in the Heavyweight division.
 
“I have been training and working hard to fight so it’s great to get a date and it’s very exciting for me to be fighting somewhere different like Saudi Arabia.
 
“I want to fight in different places and different settings and this card has the biggest Heavyweight fight on it that we have seen in years.
 
“I’m just going to keep chasing the World titles, so if I keep winning then I hope to land that World title shot in 2020, that’s the plan for December 7.”
 
“This wraps up a huge card for what will be a historic night for the sport,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Boxing. “Ten big Heavyweights will descend on Diriyah to cause a shockwave through World boxing as Saudi Arabia hosts one of the biggest Heavyweight fights of all time. Ten days to go!”
 
Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “Anthony Joshua’s epic rematch night has even more heavyweight fireworks as Dillian Whyte battles Mariusz Wach on a bill which is brimming with big punchers.
 
“Whyte will be seeking to showcase his power against the battle-hardened Mariusz Wach, while the likeable Tom Little receives a dream fight against Mahammadrasul Majidov, the former world amateur champion.
 
“Hopey Price and Diego Pacheco are also keen to display their talent on a momentous night for the sport as we build towards Joshua’s spectacular showdown with Ruiz Jr.”

Heavyweight World Champion Andy Ruiz Jr has vowed to “make history again” as he landed in Saudi Arabia for the Clash On The Dunes, bringing his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO title belts with him.

The Mexican-American fighter followed his challenger Anthony Joshua into the Kingdom, touching down at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in the early hours of today to set up his own training camp to prepare for the epic bout on December 7.

The first-ever Heavyweight World Title fight to take place in the Middle East will be staged in the custom-built 15,000 seat Diriyah Arena which is now ready for action in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site, known as the home of heroes and kings.

When asked how he felt about boxing in the Kingdom for the first time, Andy Ruiz said: “It feels good. You know I made history in New York and I’ll make history again in Saudi Arabia.”

Joshua will be looking to regain the title belts on the line after losing them to Ruiz – known as ‘The Destroyer’ – at their first meeting in New York earlier this year. 

With hundreds of fans from throughout the US travelling for the bout, the collective number of kilometers travelled by Americans is a significantly larger commitment than any other fans from across the world, with tickets sold in 60 different countries. But his fans will have to their work cut out to match the volume of Joshua’s followers with thousands flying in from the UK.

A world-class undercard will support the compelling main draw, but even before they reach the arena fans will be knocked out by what is waiting for them.

Spectators will approach the Diriyah Arena via the Diriyah Oasis, a huge sprawling entertainment hub which includes ice-skating outdoors, sky diving, jetski-ing and ziplining among a host of activities on offer. The Diriyah Oasis is split into the four zones – Nature, Imagination, Reflection, Excitement- giving families a place to come together, and at its heart lies an astonishing grand installation by world-renowned Italian artist, Edoardo Tresoldi. 

The Clash On The Dunes forms part of the Diriyah Season, epic month of sports which kicked off with  Formula E at the weekend, the Diriyah Tennis Cup featuring eight of the best men’s players on the planet, and the Diriyah Equestrian Festival, an elite competition with Tokyo Olympics 2020 qualifying points on the line.

The Diriyah Season is also supported by the Diriyah Music Festival with huge concerts taking place around the event. On December 6, the night before the Clash On The Dunes, major artists who are yet to be announced will perform. So far artists such as Imagine Dragons, DJ Alan Walker, Clean Bandit and Maluma have performed to 40,000 concert goers.

Tickets for all of the Diriyah Season’s spectacular events, concerts and entertainment will be available at www.diriyahseason.sa. Follow Diriyah Season’s news and announcements on the official social media pages on twitter and Instagram @diriyahseason.

About Diriyah Season

Diriyah Season is an unmissable set of international sports and entertainment events, happening at the historic city of Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sports fanatics, entertainment seekers, foodies and shoppers, are invited to a month of energy, excitement, elegance, and memorable moments as the world comes to Diriyah! 

Watch the world’s top sporting events:

·       Diriyah E-Prix 2019: The thrilling electric race returns with a double-header race weekend – 2 Races on Friday and Saturday, November 22 & 23
·       A Historic Clash, known to the world as ‘Clash On The Dunes’ where Andy Ruiz Jr defends his title against Anthony Joshua for the World Heavyweight Championship 
·       A Battle for Glory as 8 of the world’s top Tennis stars compete for the ‘Diriyah Tennis Cup’ 
·       Diriyah Equestrian Festival on December 12^th, 13th, 14th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st , where contestants from all over the world will be one with their horses to qualify for TOKYO 2020 

Tourist Visa Entry to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has changed for tourists visiting the country and the process is a simple online application.

Available to complete online, visitors can follow four easy steps which take just a few minutes to complete.

• Step One: visit www.visa.visitsaudi.com
• Step Two: Fill the application
• Step Three: Pay the Visa fee 
• Step Four: Get your online Visa

Applications are often processed within a 48 hour period, with residents from 49 approved countries worldwide having their visas available through the fast track system.

Anthony Joshua OBE has promised the world an “iconic evening of boxing” as he lands in Saudi Arabia ahead of his rematch with World Champion Andy Ruiz Jr in the Clash On The Dunes.

The boxing superstar landed last night at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh as arrives to set up his pre-fight training camp to prepare for the epic bout on December 7.

The first Heavyweight World Title fight to be held in the Middle East, the Clash On The Dunes will take place in the custom-built 15,000 seat Diriyah Arena in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site known as the home of heroes and kings.

Joshua will be looking to regain his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO belts after suffering defeat to Ruiz in New York earlier this year, but the British Heavyweight will have the backing thousands of UK fans joining boxing enthusiasts from more than 60 countries.

“It’s going to be an incredible night and I’m thrilled so many of my fans are going to be there, particularly from the UK,” said Joshua. “It’ll definitely be a night people will tell their grandchildren they were at, one of those iconic evenings of boxing. Everyone from Saudi has been brilliant to work with.”

The Clash On The Dunes forms part of the Diriyah Season, epic month of sports which kicked off with  Formula E at the weekend, the Diriyah Tennis Cup featuring eight of the best men’s players on the planet, and the Diriyah Equestrian Festival, an elite competition with Tokyo Olympics 2020 qualifying points on the line.

The Diriyah Season is also supported by the Diriyah Music Festival with huge concerts taking place around the event. On December 6, the night before the Clash On The Dunes, major artists who are yet to be announced will perform. So far artists such as Imagine Dragons, DJ Alan Walker, Clean Bandit and Maluma have performed to 40,000 concert goers.

Tickets for all of the Diriyah Season’s spectacular events, concerts and entertainment will be available at www.diriyahseason.sa. Follow Diriyah Season’s news and announcements on the official social media pages on twitter and Instagram @diriyahseason.

About Diriyah Season

Diriyah Season is an unmissable set of international sports and entertainment events, happening at the historic city of Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sports fanatics, entertainment seekers, foodies and shoppers, are invited to a month of energy, excitement, elegance, and memorable moments as the world comes to Diriyah! 

Watch the world’s top sporting events:

·       Diriyah E-Prix 2019: The thrilling electric race returns with a double-header race weekend – 2 Races on Friday and Saturday, November 22 & 23
·       A Historic Clash, known to the world as ‘Clash On The Dunes’ where Andy Ruiz Jr defends his title against Anthony Joshua for the World Heavyweight Championship 
·       A Battle for Glory as 8 of the world’s top Tennis stars compete for the ‘Diriyah Tennis Cup’ 
·       Diriyah Equestrian Festival on December 12^th, 13th, 14th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st , where contestants from all over the world will be one with their horses to qualify for TOKYO 2020 

Tourist Visa Entry to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has changed for tourists visiting the country and the process is a simple online application.
Available to complete online, visitors can follow four easy steps which take just a few minutes to complete.

• Step One: visit www.visa.visitsaudi.com
• Step Two: Fill the application
• Step Three: Pay the Visa fee 
• Step Four: Get your online Visa

Applications are often processed within a 48 hour period, with residents from 49 approved countries worldwide having their visas available through the fast track system.

Anthony Joshua opened the doors to his training camp at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield yesterday as he draws nearer to his colossal Heavyweight World title rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia on Saturday December 7, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Free to use training images and video content from yesterday’s training session courtesy of Matchroom Boxing are available to view and download HERE.

Joshua was in a fiery mood as he looks to avenge the first defeat of his professional career at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1 and be crowned a two-time Heavyweight World Champion by winning back his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO crowns in the ‘Clash on the Dunes’.

Here are a selection of quotes taken from yesterday’s session:

“I’m fighting the best man in the world now. I’m going to whup him, and show how great I am.
“They think he’s so great, so when I beat him I want everybody to bow to my feet and tell me how great I am.

“I couldn’t beat Ruiz Jr before and get the credit I deserved.

“You saw me in the ring [before the fight] – I wasn’t fighting King Kong, was I? [I didn’t have] that mindset.

“Apparently I’m fighting the quickest hands and the best fighter in the division. So once I beat him I want everybody to bow to me.

“It’s a restart, that’s the best way of explaining it.

“We’ve had plenty of time to prepare for the rematch, I’ve always had the challenger mindset.

“I’m in for a tough fight but I don’t have any fear of Andy. I’m not gun-shy, I’m ready to swing and trade.”

Matchroom Boxing are delighted to have partnered with Boxpark to stage two official screening events for the colossal Heavyweight World title rematch between Mexico’s Andy Ruiz Jr and Britain’s Anthony Joshua taking place on Saturday December 7. 

Ruiz stunned Joshua to capture his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO crowns in one of the biggest Heavyweight upsets of all time at a sold-out Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1. Joshua attempts to regain his World titles next month and become a two-time Heavyweight ruler after tasting defeat for the first time in his professional career on his US debut in The Big Apple.

For fans who can’t make it out to Saudi Arabia for the ‘Clash on the Dunes’, what better way to enjoy the most anticipated Heavyweight rematch in decades than with family, friends and a great atmosphere. Supported by JD Sports and StubHub – Matchroom will be staging the unmissable events at Boxpark Croydon and Boxpark Wembley.

Fight fans in attendance can expect live music, plenty of great food and drinks, as well as the chance to get hold of the official event programme. With Sky Sports in attendance and covering each screening as part of their live broadcast, these knockout events will offer the electric atmospheres we’ve come to expect from Anthony Joshua fight nights!

Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Boxing, said: “Of course, not everybody can get out to Saudi Arabia for the fight – so we wanted to create something for the fans which would be an exciting alternative. We’ve seen before the popular fan parks which come with big football tournaments and matches, and we felt that this fight is on the same level and deserved something special as ‘AJ’ bids to become a two-time World Champion and win his titles back!”

Tickets start at just £10 and will be on sale at 2.00pm on Tuesday November 19 via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk).

Filip Hrgovi? (9-0, 7 KOs) steps up to face former World Title challenger Eric Molina (27-5, 19 KOs) as part of a colossal night of boxing at the Diriyah Arena in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday December 7 featuring the Unified Heavyweight World Title rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

The Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, who will be defending his WBC International Title, has made a blistering start to his professional career, racing to nine wins from nine fights – with seven of those wins coming by knockout – since making his pro debut at the Arena Riga in September 2017.

Ranked in the top ten in the world with the WBC, WBA and IBF, the 27-year-old already finds himself being propositioned for a World Title shot having been matched aggressively from the very start of this career, landing the WBC ranking title with a sensational knockout win over Amir Mansour.

Molina, a two-time World Title challenger from Texas USA, has mixed it at the top of the Heavyweight division throughout his twelve-year career as a pro. His first World Title attempt came against WBC king Deontay Wilder in 2015 when he took ‘The Bronze Bomber’ nine rounds before succumbing to a stoppage loss.

A year later he travelled to the UK to face IBF ruler Joshua at Manchester Arena and was stopped in three rounds in what was ‘AJ’s’ maiden World Title defence. Fights against Terrell Jamal Woods and Dominic Breazeale followed in 2017 before Molina made his return in February earlier this year, outpointing Nick Guivas in Brownsville.

“I’m very honoured to be a part of this great event,” said Hrgovi?. “It is a big step up for me in terms of the level of opponent and also the size of the event. 

“The whole world will be watching and this is a big opportunity for me to showcase my skills. I would like to thank my team Team Sauerland, Zeljko Karajica and Eddie Hearn for making this possible.

“I’m expecting a hard fight. Eric Molina has fought two times for the World title. He rocked Deontay Wilder in their fight and almost knocked him down. He is a very dangerous fighter with a lot of experience. This will be a big step up in competition and I am expecting the hardest fight of my career.

“From the beginning, we have started with very strong competition. I have told my promoter Team Sauerland that I am ready for anyone in the world and I have always wanted to fight the best so I’m excited for the challenge.

“Everything is perfect in training. I am getting stronger and better with every camp. Pedro Diaz is a great coach and I think we are a very good team. With every camp I see more and more of his knowledge and experience. I am very happy to be here training with him and I think he is bringing out the best in me.”

“I am beyond excited to be a part of this amazing boxing event in Saudi Arabia,” said Molina. “I am grateful to finally be back in the ring and I know exactly what this fight means. Eddie Hearn has given me more than enough time to be physically, mentally and spiritually ready for Hrgovi?.”

Promoter Nisse Sauerland said: “Filip is the fastest rising star of the heavyweight division so it is fitting that he play a part in this massive night for heavyweight boxing. This is a huge opportunity with the whole world watching and a chance for him to further his World title claim with a win over Molina.”

Russian powerhouse Alexander Povetkin (35-2, 24 KOs) is also confirmed for the undercard as he returns from his August triumph over Hughie Fury to take on USA’s Heavyweight talent Michael Hunter (18-1, 12 KOs) in an Eliminator for the WBA World Title.

“The world will stop on December 7 to watch Ruiz vs. Joshua 2 and now they have more mouth-watering action to whet the appetite,” said Eddie Hearn. “Povetkin vs. Hunter is a brilliant match up with both men looking for a crack at the World Heavyweight Title in 2020 and unbeaten Hrgovi? makes his first step up against World Title challenger Eric Molina.” 

Boxing fans from around the world can flock to the biggest fight of the year – the Clash on the Dunes in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia – to support their heroes Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua after the Kingdom launched new super-fast tourist visas.

On December 7, in the UNESCO heritage site of Diriyah – known as the land of kings and heroes – Anthony ‘AJ’ Joshua will attempt to recapture belts taken from him by Andy ‘Destroyer’ Ruiz Jr in Diriyah Arena, a purpose-built arena for 15,000 fans on the night.

Tickets for this incredible showdown go on sale this Sunday, October 13, at 9pm KSA time (10pm in UAE, 7pm in the UK and 2pm US) and are available at www.diriyahseason.sa.

It will be the first-ever World Heavyweight Title fight ever to be staged in the Middle East and forms part of the month-long ‘Diriyah Season’, a spectacular season of world-class sport, global entertainment, and culture,  officially launched on Sunday night at a glittering ceremony in the ancient city, the birthplace of modern Saudi Arabia on the outskirts of Riyadh.

This follows the announcement in recent days that travelers from 49 countries across the world can now secure 90 day tourist visas online in just seven minutes to attend the festival. For more information got to visa.visitsaudi.com.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said: “This is the biggest boxing match on the planet, and it will be taking place in one of the most unique venues ever.

“We already know there is a great passion for boxing in the Kingdom, but AJ and Andy will want their fans to come and support them, from across the region and from the UK and the US and Mexico.

“It’s great news that these tourism visas have been launched, that’s a big step forward for the country and it means that boxing fans wherever they are can come witness an unmissable night. This fight will go down in history as one of the greats.”

Due to the unique venue, being staged outside of the UK or the US, the fight has already seen parallels drawn in the media to some of the most iconic fights in history, such as Muhammad Ali’s fights against George Foreman – “the Rumble in the Jungle” – and Joe Frazier – the “Thrilla in Manila”.

Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki AlFaisal Al Saud, Chairman of the GSA, said: “We have already seen the energy created by boxing when we staged the World Boxing Super Series match last year, this landmark moment – the first World Heavyweight Title fight in the Middle East – now takes that excitement to a whole new level.

“Athletes and audiences can expect to be knocked out by the passionate reception this event will enjoy in the Kingdom, and now, with the launch of tourism visas for 49 countries, it has never been easier for fans from around the world to come be part of history.”

HH Prince Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of SCEE, said: “This is a historic moment for Saudi Arabia welcoming the first World Heavyweight Championship. As a nation we have started to pave the way for becoming a global player in the sports and entertainment industry and we have witnessed a real appetite for the boxing sport.

“This is the biggest boxing fight that has taken place in the region to date and we are bringing it to Saudi Arabia on December 7 – the world is watching us and we promise to deliver an unparalleled experience. SCEE are a proud partner of the GSA bringing Clash on the Dunes to Diriyah Season, 2019.”

Tickets for all of Diriyah Season’s spectacular events and entertainment will be available online at www.diriyahseason.sa with Formula E Tickets on sale now, Clash On the Dunes tickets on October 13, and Diriyah Tennis Cup on October 26. Tickets for other events as well as season long tickets will be announced soon. Follow Diriyah Season’s news and announcements on the official social media pages on twitter and Instagram @diriyahseason.

EBENEZER TETTEH INSISTS he will punish Daniel Dubois for looking beyond the job in hand, while also vowing to inflict revenge on behalf of his countryman Richard Lartey.

Tetteh travels to the Royal Albert Hall from Ghana for a Commonwealth heavyweight title assignment on Friday September 27 encouraged by the problems the larger-than-life Lartey presented young star in the making Dubois at Wembley in April.

The pair engaged in a thrilling shootout that ended with the then once-beaten Lartey being stopped in the fourth. By opening fire and happily trading bombs, Dubois passed his chin-check on the night.

The unbeaten Tetteh, 19-0, is something of a potent puncher himself, with 16 KOs to his name

The 31-year-old from Accra reckons he will succeed where Lartey floundered.

“I am going to England to get revenge for my countryman Richard Lartey,” warned the latest entry to the Dubois hit list. “Richard gave Daniel hell but couldn’t get the job done – I will finish what Richard Lartey started.”

It hasn’t gone unnoticed over in Ghana that Dubois has been linked with and commented on potential future battles and Tetteh likens the situation to that of Anthony Joshua, who was continually responding to questions over fights with the marquee heavyweights ahead of his first professional reverse to the unfancied Andy Ruiz.

“Daniel is speaking a lot about fights with David Price or Dereck Chisora,” added Tetteh. “He is definitely overlooking me. It reminds me of when Anthony Joshua was going into the fight with Andy Ruiz and kept talking about fighting Wilder and Fury.

“He got punished for overlooking his opponent and I will punish Daniel Dubois.”

Daniel Dubois headlines the bill when he meets Ghana’s Ebenezer Tetteh for the vacant Commonwealth heavyweight crown and WBO flyweight champion Nicola Adams defends her title for the first time against experienced Mexican Maria Salinas, live on BT Sport.
The card will also feature WBO European super-featherweight champion Archie Sharp who makes his second title defence against Dublin’s Declan Geraghty.
Middleweight banger Denzel Bentley, heavyweight Jonathan Palata, lightweight Mohammad Bilal Ali and precocious bantamweight talent Dennis McCann are also in action.

Exciting prospects Lewis Edmondson, Eithan James and Sam Noakes all make their professional debuts.

Tickets for the September 27 bill at the Royal Albert Hall are available to purchase from www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.royalalberthall.com. Prices £40, £50, £75, £100, £150 Ringside.

By Bart Barry-

Latenight Saturday on ESPN+ lineal heavyweight
champion Tyson Fury will defend his strapless title against an undefeated
28-year-old Swede named Otto Wallin, a man BoxRec’s rankings place squarely
atop the formidable, fourperson Swedish-heavyweight heap (while allowing him to
crack the world’s Top 50 just barely). 
It will be shocking joyful if Wallin featherdusts Fury, and he won’t.

The Fury victory tour continues apace.  He rose from substance abuse to challenge
Deontay Wilder nearly a year ago and rose from Wilder’s wildness to win a
draw.  Those feats and promoter Top
Rank’s feat of finding its way back to a division in which its touch has not
been magical for a decade or two are the reasons we got served the June fight
with Tom Schwarz – ostensibly about a lineal championship (that traces all the
way back to Wlad Klitschko, who beat no one the previous generation considered
great but is brother to a man who gave Lennox Lewis a couple tough rounds). 

Aficionados rightly saw the Schwarz thing for what
it was.  In case they didn’t ESPN, more
camp than champ, saved its greatest enthusiasm for Fury’s ringwalk.

Saturday’s ringwalk better include live dinosaurs
accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. 

Less than that mayn’t reinflate the seeping Fury
balloon.  Ratings and press releases and multiplatform
coverage from ESPN will imply something else entirely, of course, but trust
your gut on this, come Sunday morning.

Fury’s style is not conducive to playing the
overdog.  Had he completed his denuding
of Wilder by remaining upright for 36 minutes Fury and his enablers would’ve had
another 18 months of goodwill to tinkle on. 
Alas, “Wilder &” Wilder dropped Fury often enough to dissuade any
loose immediate-rematch chatter from the lineal champ and make Wilder’s standard-loop
claims of being avoided feel a touch credible. 
Wilder’s folks, obviously, are in no real hurry to see their guy tested
again, or they simply do not know what they’re doing – but Luis “El Viejo”
Ortiz is still a more meaningful opponent at 40 1/2 than either of Fury’s recent
foes (if that fight actually happens). 

Which is all a fairly direct route to saying over
and again: Thank heavens for Andy Ruiz!

Ruiz’s stamping CUR on the nearest thing the
heavyweight division had to an undisputed champion is the one gift heavyweight
prizefighting gave us in 2019.  When he
does it again in December he will fairly well cut Fury out of the conversation
altogether.  However much Ruiz’s manager sacrificially
fed him to a rival promoter in June he’s still a PBC asset.  That means when AJ taps out again a few weeks
before Christmas, PBC will have each heavyweight belt except Fury’s imaginary
one.

It will require no imagination whatever for PBC to
host a fullthroated superfight in 2020, crowning a WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO Heavyweight
Champion of the World in a genuinely intriguing unification match between Ruiz
and Wilder.  Fury and Joshua will play
footsie for a year or two about a British-contenders-unite match whose purse
negotiations will not be helped by their post-Brexit economy. 

While the rest of the world forgets who they
are.  ESPN+ will have full coverage of
the negotiations and quite a few features about Tyson’s dad, “Gypsy John”, and
Anthony’s dad, Robert, with the striking, unforeseeable conclusion these men
influenced their sons.  “Not since I
promoted Muhammad Ali . . .” will go many of Bob Arum’s colorful quotes about Fury.

While we’re on about Arum let’s use one of his
best verbs: To dissipate.  About 15 years
ago I had a chance to ask Arum a few questions at a media gathering in a
Phoenix supermarket.  One of those
questions concerned what qualities he looked for in a prizefighter before
signing him, and Arum listed but one: “Does he dissipate between fights?”

If Fury hasn’t dissipated fractionally so much as
expected between fights, interest in his rematch with Wilder sure has.  As goes its flagship division, so goes our
beloved sport.  If there isn’t less
collective interest in boxing in 2019 there most certainly is not more, and
that’s with the full might of late-boom economics driving network acquisitions
and broadcast calendars.

Storm clouds now gather on the American economy’s
horizon, and while a recession may mint a new generation of prospects it’ll do
nil to prod this generation’s fatted calves towards greatness.  Showtime will follow HBO, while Fox follows
DAZN and ESPN to boxing’s destination platform: App Store.  Circus barkers will contrive a new language
of YouTube likes and trailing-month replays, and what few of us still write
regularly about the sport will begin a fifth or sixth search for green shoots while
the BWAA hasn’t a choice but to award boxing’s best tweeters.  Floyd and Manny will make a desperate
cashgrab of a rematch, and the old salts’ll use whatever gaudy revenue number
comes along to do a 27th installment of the Boxing Is Not Dead serial.

Whatevs. 
We’ll always have and must always cherish what Andy Ruiz did to Anthony
Joshua on June 1, 2019.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki AlFaisal Al Saud, Chairman of the GSA:

“I want to start with welcoming everyone to Saudi Arabia, especially to Diriyah. I Would like to welcome the fighters here and I wish them luck. Firstly, boxing is one of our growing sports in the Kingdom, we have had events in the past and international events which started with Formula E, WWE, the Italian Super-Cup final and other events in the Kingdom. They all fall under the 2030 vision guided by the custodian of the two holy mosques, his majesty King Salman and the Crown Prince Hamed Salman. The direction of Saudi Arabia is to enhance sport because sport is good for everyone. We are not just focusing on one sport we are focusing on many sports and maybe that Is reflected on the number of events that we have hosted.

“We are very lucky that we have managed to host this fight in Saudi and in Diriyah, which is a very special place for all of us. We also want to reflect to the world what Saudi Arabia is and hopefully everyone can come and enjoy this fight in one of our special places in the Kingdom. I think everyone is already excited outside and inside the Kingdom. We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone, anyone who wants to come to Saudi and watch this fight is more than welcome to come. Sports reaches everyone, and I think it is fundamental in the ‘2030 Vision’ and one of the key visions in the 2030 vision is to promote and grow sports within the Kingdom. We are not just hosting fights, we are increasing the interest in the Kingdom. We have seen the interest in sports have grown drastically in the last few years and we want to give this opportunity to Saudi citizens who can come and watch this fight.

“This is the start of something exciting and everybody has been excited in the Kingdom since this fight was first announced. Everybody is looking forward to getting tickets and I think it will boost the interest in boxing in general. Lots of gyms and venues are opening up. Boxing is an old sport but is relatively new for Saudi Arabia. That is something that we would like to enhance from these events, to open up the interest in boxing in the Kingdom but also to have a long lasting plan to really encourage the youth in getting into boxing.

“I think that everyone who is coming to watch this fight is going to experience something that they haven’t experienced anywhere else in the world, that is our aim. In October we will announce all the details and how people can purchase tickets. We will have an easy system that anyone can apply to and anyone can apply for a VISA and come to Saudi and watch this fight. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone.”

Eddie Hearn, Managing Director, Matchroom Boxing:

“Thanks Ravi and thank you to the whole panel and of course everybody who made this event possible. The GSA, Prince Abdulaziz thank you, Skills Challenge Entertainment, Omar and the team and an huge thank you to Prince Khalid who plagued me and didn’t let this go to bring this fight here, we were so close and looking at almost a dozen other venues that were knocking at our door for this World Heavyweight Championship, the biggest fight in boxing today. Prince Khalid saw the vision, the love and passion for the sport and would not stop calling me. He would not stop trying to bring this event to Saudi Arabia. 

“I have to tell you, sitting here now and having just watched that incredible show and having been a fight fan for 30 years, I felt a bit emotional. This is such a monumental occasion for our sport which is sometimes very narrow minded – there’s Las Vegas, there’s New York, there’s London – no. There is a whole world out there and now there is Saudi Arabia for boxing. This is such a monumental opportunity for our sport and you’re not just bringing a fight to the Kingdom, you are bringing the biggest fight in world boxing, the biggest prize in boxing – the World Heavyweight Championship. 

“This is not a one off fight, this is a rematch for one of the fights of the year. Back on June 1 at the sold out Madison Square Garden we witnessed one of the greatest Heavyweight upsets of all time. Andy Ruiz may not feel it was an upset but it did go down in history that way, it was an incredible fight with both men on the canvas as Andy Ruiz beat Anthony Joshua to become the Unified World Heavyweight Champion.

“On December 7 in Diriyah we do it all again, for your entertainment in a purpose built, open air arena with 16,000 people. We love what you are doing here for sport and we love Formula E, we love the European Tour and I think that WWE is great, but there is nothing like the sport of boxing. You will witness an event that will go down in history – some people will be looking from the outside in and say this is a strange destination but they also said that with ‘The Rumble in The Jungle’ and ‘The Thriller in Manilla’, and this as an event will go down in history just like those iconic moments in our sport.

“I want to thank everybody for bringing this fight here and I want to thank the fighters – for those who know or those who are new to the sport of boxing know that these guys who are the gladiators. They are the guys who get in the ring and fight for these belts, for their legacy and for your entertainment. These are the guys that deserve so much respect. This is not just about bringing a major fight to Saudi Arabia, this is about the potential to grow the sport of boxing here. One of the reasons that we’re even here is because of Prince Khalid’s vision to grow the sport here. We’re already in the talks about academy’s and about grass-roots boxing, this is how you grow the sport of boxing. Trust me, the people of Saudi Arabia once they see this event and touch and taste the sport of boxing, they will be addicted. This will be a monumental occasion for this sport. The world will stand still to witness history in Saudi Arabia. Ticket details will be released in due course.”

Andy Ruiz Sr:

“First of all I want to thank all the people from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I felt so proud of my son when he won the fight – it was a dream that we had when he was six years old. I believe that dreams come true, I have been working for this and thinking who was going to be champion of the world. I had a dream I was going to have my Mexican Rocky and then it came true so I feel so happy and thankful to Eddie Hearn for this opportunity.”

Robert McCracken MBE, trainer of Anthony Joshua:

“This is Heavyweight boxing, we’ve seen it time and time again. Andy is a very good fighter and is the World Heavyweight Champion and Anthony is now challenging – it’s turned completely on its head. AJ is driven and determined to get those titles back so it’s going to be exciting and interesting to see. It is going to be challenging for both fighters but I think it will be a challenge they will look forward to, certainly Anthony is looking forward to it, he’s excited already. It’s December so it will be a little bit cooler which should suit both fighters and it will certainly suit Anthony and he will be prepared. He will be in tip-top shape and he knows that Ruiz is a tremendous champion, but he is a tremendous challenger and he’s aiming to win those belts back on December 7.”

Manny Robles, trainer of Andy Ruiz Jr:

“First of all thank you to everyone, the media and the country of Saudi Arabia for having us here in the city of Diriyah. This is an incredible country with very nice people and thank you for the warm welcome. It’s time to turn the page, dreams do come true but now it is a reality and it’s time to go to work. I can promise everybody and the fans here and across the world that Andy will be ready – he will be ready for the challenge. We respect Anthony Joshua and his team, he is a great fighter and we know that he is going to bring it, so that is the reason why we need to be at our best come December 7. It’s part two, it’s a continuation of part one. Both fighters know each other and know what to expect from one another so there will be changes. We will have more time to prepare this time around and we have begun our preparation – there will be some changes and you can expect a better, faster, leaner and stronger Andy Ruiz than we saw the first time around.”

Anthony Joshua OBE:

“Thank you all for your hospitality, to the people and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I never thought that I would be fighting outside of London or America so it is a blessing and I am humbled to be here. With the fight, I feel that I was up against a good challenger at the time and I was only champion until June 1, as Andy is champion now, that will last until December 7 when he has to put his titles in the air and two warriors will go to war and the best man will walk out victorious. I am really looking forward to the challenge and I am glad the people here are supporting boxing. Some may support me, others may support Andy, but at the end of the day we are going to have a really good night of boxing and that is what we are all here for.

“My parents and their heritage is from Nigeria and I was born in England. I started boxing when I moved to London and my cousin was training. I was only doing it as a mindset thing. I needed to change my mindset when I was younger, I was getting in some sorts of trouble and I wasn’t really focused on my education as such. Being around the older generation and the wise generation they gave me advice and a lot of game that I could use on my day to day life and I started thinking as an individual. In three years from being a novice in the gym I was competing at the Olympics and by that point I had been to so many countries around the world representing Great Britain.

“I turned professional and based myself in England where I won the gold medal and I have been competing out of Great Britain ever since until I went to America when I lost my titles. I should say ‘the’ titles because I believe that being a champion is more than just having belts which I have always said, being a champion has responsibilities and it’s about having a championship mindset. The belts will go in the air and we will fight for them again and this time around it’s not London, it’s not America, it is Saudi Arabia.”

Andy Ruiz Jr:

“I’m really happy to be here and I thank everybody. On June 1 I made my dreams come true with a lot of sacrifice, blood and tears. I just believed in myself and I think I am here for a purpose and I just want to tell everybody that if they have a dream they’ve got to follow through with it and everything is possible.

On December 7 I know that Anthony Joshua is going to come hard, he’s going to come strong and will be preparing really well but so am I. I’m really hungery, a lot of people have been saying that I’m not training or taking it seriously but come on I have all these belts and there is responsibilities to this. I am going to try my best and I’m going to keep these belts and take them back to Mexico. On December 7 I am going to make history again and win here in the same fashion and the same way that I won on June 1 and I am going to prove everybody wrong.

“The hunger still remains, I don’t want 15 minutes of fame I want this to last for a generation. I want to be a champion for many years and I have a good fighter next to me who is going to try and take these belts but god is with me and we’re going to be training really hard for December 7. 

“I expect a tougher test this time round, he is more hungry and wants his belts back but that is what is motivating me and making me more hungry. I want to train harder because I know he is, I only had a month, month and a half, to train for the first fight but this time we have a whole camp so it benefits me. It is going to be an exciting fight, a hell of a fight – two big Heavyweights punching each other in the face – tune in December 7, it’s going to be a hell of a fight.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz agreed to his mandated rematch with Anthony Joshua.

The fight is scheduled for December 7th in Saudi Arabia.

Unified Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz is having reservations about his December 7th rematch with Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I know everyone is talking about the fight and all that,” Ruiz said on Tuesday in a live Instagram chat. “But we got the real news coming soon and the fight is gonna happen soon.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn reiterated that the site will be Diriyah.

“Absolutely it will,” Hearn told ESPN on Wednesday. “We have been in constant contact with Ruiz’s promoter (Tom Brown of TGB Promotions) and team about the rematch. Together we have written to all the governing bodies to confirm the date and location of the bout and the press conference will take place at the beginning of September.”

AJ, he’s scared. Hell yeah, why do you think he’s over there, trying to make the fight in Saudi Arabia,” Ruiz said in his Instagram video. “Look, United States of America wants to… never mind, I can’t say nothing. But the fight is gonna happen soon.”

The much anticipated rematch between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua will take place on December 7th in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

Bulgarian IBF #1-rated heavyweight contender Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev and his team have officially petitioned the IBF, requesting they order their world champion, Andy Ruiz, to postpone his rematch with former champ Anthony Joshua and make an immediate mandatory defense against Pulev.

Team Pulev say their fighter has earned the right to an immediate title fight by winning two IBF eliminators (October 27, 2018, when he defeated IBF #3-rated Hughie Fury and May 7, 2016, when he defeated former European champion and world title challenger Dereck Chisora) and by staying active against top competition. For example, on March 23 of this year, he knocked out WBA #14-rated Bogdan Dinu on ESPN.

Pulev had originally been scheduled to face then-champion Anthony Joshua on October 28, 2017, in Cardiff, Wales, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. Joshua went on to defeat substitute opponent Carlos Takam and then make two more defenses then lose to Ruiz by TKO 7 in June of this year without facing Pulev.

And now, even though long-time IBF mandatory challenger Pulev has re-earned his spot as the IBF mandatory by beating Fury, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing has made clear he and Joshua intend to exercise their contractual right to an immediate rematch against Ruiz.

“We’ve been waiting patiently. The time is now,” said Bob Arum, founder and CEO of Top Rank, which co-promotes Pulev along with Epic Sports. “Andy Ruiz has an obligation to fight #1 mandatory IBF contender Kubrat Pulev.”

“Eddie is running this heavyweight title like it’s his own private enterprise,” said Ivaylo Gotzev of Epic Sports. “The bottom line is, Pulev originally fought an IBF eliminator over three years ago and was next in line with his IBF mandatory status. The IBF is an organization that has set a precedent for following their written rules and, according to rule 5.A.1., Ruiz’s rematch clause against Joshua does not affect his obligation to defend his title against the IBF leading available contender. Mandatory obligations supersede a promoter’s promotional rights. The IBF should not set aside their rules over the contractual details of a past fight.”

Ruiz himself is an indirect beneficiary of the IBF’s respected reputation for strictly adhering to its rules.

When Tyson Fury defeated Wladimir Klitschko to win the IBF title, the Klitschko camp exercised its contractual right to an immediate rematch with Fury. When Fury then refused to fight his IBF mandatory, opting for the more lucrative rematch with Klitschko, the IBF correctly vacated the title and ordered the two leading available contenders, Vyacheslav Glazkov and Charles Martin, to fight for the vacant IBF title.

Martin defeated Glazkov to become the IBF champion. In Martin’s first defense of the IBF title, he lost to Joshua which in fact was Joshua’s first bout for a major heavyweight title. Ruiz, who has now acquired the IBF title by defeating Joshua, is therefore the indirect beneficiary of the IBF’s policy of strictly complying with its rules, and Ruiz should therefore also be held to the IBF Rules and ordered to fight the IBF No. 1 available contender, Pulev, in his next bout.”

In another example, superstar fighter Gennady Golovkin was stripped of his IBF middleweight title in 2018 after choosing to face Vanes Martirosyan and failing to set up a mandatory defense against Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Daniel Jacobs then won the title by beating Derevyanchenko in a fight for the vacant belt.

“Two months have gone by since the Joshua bubble burst,” continued Gotzev. “No deal has been confirmed, only the occasional blurb by Eddie Hearn, of potential site and really no particular date. Eddie Hearn was talking to us for a November date at Wembley Stadium and Andy Ruiz ruined those plans. Andy is the new face of heavyweight boxing and we respect his fighting abilities. Pulev vs Ruiz will be a formidable battle.”

“I was ready to face Anthony Joshua in November and now I’m eager to challenge Andy Ruiz,” said Pulev. I will fight Ruiz anywhere in the world. Let’s make it happen.”

ANDY RUIZ JR is backing Nathan Gorman to join him on his throne as boxing’s upset King.

Big Andy caused an all-time shocker earlier this month when he hammered Anthony Joshua to defeat and became IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion.

Gorman (16-0, 11KOs) has been inspired by the achievements of the Mexican who like him isn’t a body beautiful.

What Ruiz Jr achieved at Madison Square Garden will be in Gorman’s mind when he attempts to upset the odds by defeating Daniel Dubois (11-0, 10KOs) in their vacant British heavyweight title clash at London’s o2 on Saturday July 13.

Ruiz Jr has gone out of his way to contact Gorman ahead of the fight even though he is emerging as a rival.

He told him via his official Twitter account: “Good luck mate! You got what it takes.”

Ruiz Jr clearly appreciates the support given by Gorman who said he was capable of springing a surprise against Joshua.

Gorman knows how crucial the Dubois fight is, but admits he will be in no immediate hurry to jump straight into a fight against Ruiz Jr and the division’s elite.

“My main concentration is Daniel, but in the next 12 to 18 months I can get there,” says Gorman who admits it is hard not to think of becoming world champion.

“Being a British heavyweight champion these days you are virtually on that world door, aren’t you?”

Tickets for ‘Heavy Duty’ featuring Daniel Dubois v Nathan Gorman for the vacant British Heavyweight Title, plus Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce v Bryant Jennings are on sale now. The show also features British Middleweight Champion Liam Williams, super flyweight sensation Sunny Edwards and super featherweight contender Archie Sharp. Also returning after an impressive debut is Kent bantamweight Dennis McCann. Hamza Sheeraz, Mark Chamberlain, Jake Pettitt, Louie Lynn, Mickey Burke Jr and Florian Marku add to an exciting line up and tickets are available via AXS.com, Eventim and Ticketmaster and are priced as below:
 
£300 – (Hospitality)
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier/Floor
£75 – Floor/Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has exercised the rematch clause that will set up the fight with the man who dethroned him, Andy Ruiz Jr.

“After meetings with AJ, Rob Mc and the management team in NY, we have today triggered the contracted rematch clause with Andy Ruiz Jnr. The fight will take place in Nov/Dec at a venue to be confirmed shortly,” Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn wrote on social media.

“There was no point in waiting,” Hearn told ESPN. “We’ve talked about it and it’s happening. There’s no other fight AJ wants, so there was no point waiting 30 days. Everybody needs clarity. We sat down and it wasn’t even a case of him asking what else is out there. The rematch is the fight we need, and that’s what we’ll be doing.”

“It’s an upset. One shot on top of the dome rattled me quite a bit. Tried to stay in there a few more rounds but the better man won. Respect to Andy and I move forward and look out for the end of the year,” said Joshua, more than two hours after the fight, when he decided to meet the few remaining media members still at the Garden after it had been announced he would not appear because of a concussion. “I never underestimate anyone. He’s a decent puncher, decent fighter. This was his chance, and I always say anyone who comes to box me is 50, 20 percent better than what we’ve seen. These guys are coming to win and he was the better man.”

“It’s a minor setback, if that’s what you want to call it. I feel like this is just part of the journey I’m on, and this is boxing, so what I have to do is evaluate the situation, make it better and we go again,” Joshua said. “I just got beat tonight. On the record it says I got beat, and that’s it. It’s a test of character. I don’t want to say this went wrong, that went wrong. I ain’t dwelling on this. Just move forward, correct it.

“I’ll bounce back and get my hands on those belts again. … I’m gonna beat him up. Tidy up, brush off the cobwebs and fight again. Losing is something we can learn from. Tighten up. Get smart. There’s more to come. Winning is everything, but if you do happen to take an ‘L,’ reset, readjust and bounce back. I do not condone losing. On to the next one. The hunger is always there. I’m ready to go back to work tomorrow.”

“The way I look, the extra flab that I carry — now I want to get in really good shape and look like a Mexican Anthony next time we fight,” Ruiz said with a laugh about why he was so dismissed. “We made it happen. No one can take that from me. Nobody. I just shocked the world. Now I’ve got to work even harder and make a legacy. I’m not going to let these belts go.”

NATHAN GORMAN has been given further inspiration to beat Daniel Dubois by new world heavyweight champion, Andy Ruiz Jr.

The Mexican looks out of shape, but that counted for nothing when he bludgeoned granite bodied Anthony Joshua to defeat in New York on Saturday night.

Gorman who admits that like Ruiz Jr he isn’t body beautiful either, challenges Dubois (11-0, 10KOs) for the vacant British heavyweight crown at The O2, London on Saturday July 13.

Gorman (16-0, 11KOs) told Dubois after watching Ruiz Jr’s stunning win: “Turns out chiselled muscles aren’t everything.”

The Nantwich boxer had already been hammered by chiselled Dubois for his shape and described by his bitter rival as “slobby”.

Gorman said: “He knows at the bottom of his heart that I am no easy fight, that is guaranteed.

“It’s a of nonsense to call me “slobby”. My slobby style is going to beat him.

“And when the referee raises my hand I will say to Daniel, ‘You lost to a slob.’

“I take it with a pinch of salt when people mention my body definition.

“If it was bodybuilding competition, Daniel would be Mr Olympia, but it is a fight and if there is one thing I can do well it is fight.

“You don’t have to be body beautiful to win a world title. Andy Ruiz Jr proved that.”

Tickets for ‘Heavy Duty’ featuring Daniel Dubois v Nathan Gorman for the vacant British Heavyweight Title, plus Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce v Bryant Jennings are on sale now. The show also features British Middleweight Champion Liam Williams, super flyweight sensation Sunny Edwards and super featherweight contender Archie Sharp. Also returning after an impressive debut is Kent bantamweight Dennis McCann. Hamza Sheeraz, Mark Chamberlain, Jake Pettitt, Louie Lynn, Mickey Burke Jr and Florian Marku add to an exciting line up and tickets are available via AXS.com, Eventim and Ticketmaster and are priced as below:

£300 – (Hospitality)
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier/Floor
£75 – Floor/Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

By Bart Barry-

Saturday at Madison Square Garden in a fight
broadcast by DAZN, statuesque world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and misshapen
challenger Andy Ruiz made quite possibly the funniest spectacle in our beloved sport’s
history.  If you weren’t laughing or at
least smiling you missed one of life’s unique opportunities, and if you were
among others who weren’t laughing with you, why, you must improve your
associations immediately.

Chubby Andy Ruiz, brought in on short notice for a
ritual humiliation with the baddest man on the planet, razed Joshua a fourtime,
made him a passive round-7 quitter, and humiliated the whole of boxing’s heavyweight
institution.

The moment was ecstatic.  As ringside commentators and scribes readied
their solemnest tones to impart the historic import of what just happened, the
DAZN replays, hyper-definition hyper-slo-mo showed the challenger’s back,
jiggling pornographically, as he put the finishing touches on AJ.  It was a form of visual comedy whose
authenticity someday may be matched but cannot be topped.  It was a sight so wondrous a child couldn’t
miss its absurdity and any right-thinking adult had to enjoy it a hundred times
more for its rarity.

Joshua, to his credit, laughed through the entire
episode; perhaps the absurdity enchanted him, too, or perhaps he was knocked
silly or perhaps longsuffering aficionados called for comeuppance in a single
voice and for once the universe heeded us. 
It was not a joke on Joshua so much as his enablers.  The selfaggrandizing fleshpeddlers and
circusbarkers, the celebrity tourists and their publicists, the vlog buffs and
podcast critics and every dweeb with a calculator app and pay-per-view
prediction, the lot of them, didn’t know enough to laugh – didn’t realize the
moment called for joyful selflessness, for losing oneself not in Ruiz’s triumph
but in our sport’s absurdest moment.

“Honest to God, he’s going to lose to Ruiz.”

“AJ’s going to get caught with a lucky punch?”

“Nope.”

“He’s going to separate his shoulder or sprain his
ankle?”

“Not even close.”

“He’s going to get robbed by Yank judging?”

“Colder.”

“I give up.”

“Fully able to continue, after getting spanked and
sparked by an obese lad over whom he towers, Joshua’s going to spit his
mouthpiece, retreat to a corner and refuse to defend his four titles one second
longer.”

Part of the ecstasy of the moment was its impossible
unpredictability.  Even if a wiseacre or
innocent among us bothered to pick Ruiz on a lark, not even he might’ve
predicted Saturday’s final instants: Joshua’s taking a knee, enduring another
count, rising robotically, retreating to a corner, refusing to toe the line,
telling the referee he wanted to toe the line, reclining further in his corner,
refusing to toe the line, telling the referee he wanted to toe the line,
watching the referee wave hands in front of him, feigning a momentary disgust, resigning
himself, reclining once more.

Joshua’s hardest fight was with disbelief much as Andy
Ruiz.  Told his entire career what a
business he was, how many livelihoods he sustained throughout the kingdom, how
groundbreaking be his brand, AJ waited patiently for some institutional
intervention; his majesty requested a sabbatical in round 7, and only the
grandest act of ingratitude might deny it. 
Then it happened – his request got declined.  As you read this, whether on the day it is
published or 10 years later, Joshua still can’t believe his request for recovery
time got rejected.

Do you have any idea who I am?

It’s funnier still to know, as we all now do, his
request for sabbatical, if granted, wouldn’t have changed anything but the
official time of stoppage.  Joshua was
beaten in round 3, not even a halfminute after dropping Ruiz with a dandy
hook.  Ruiz rose, confused, while
something like the word “inevitable” went through every bystander’s mind at
once.  It was, then, time to train our
eyes on Joshua, the better to observe how quickly he took Ruiz’s consciousness,
compare it in real time with our recollection of what Deontay Wilder did a few
weeks back, and birth a fully formed conclusion on who would win the
hypothetical match between them.

And then in the middle of the sacrifice Saturday’s
scapegoat nipped its highpriest.  Just a
nip, truly, a balance shot but nothing a baddest man on the planet should register.  Then the entire artifice came down in a laughable
heap, rose, then came down again and again. 
We can leave the serious analysis to anyone who still takes any
heavyweight seriously but drop a breadcrumb as we skitter away laughing: Ruiz
nearly broke Joshua in half with a midrounds right cross to his midsection that
dropped the champion’s left guard surely as fatigue dropped the champion’s full
self, and that tells you the wisdom of Joshua’s wanting an immediate rematch.

How damnably fragile be these giants!  Ten punches in his finishing move Joshua was
suffocating, heaving his gorgeous pecks and regal delts, pleading Manhattan
thicken its air.  What the hell kind of
professional fighter finds himself drowning 10 punches in to a fight’s ninth
minute?

It added to the moment’s high mirth, though, it
did.  The fatman’s shimmying pursuit, the
giant’s ridiculous retreat, the most important arena in the history of
important arenas gone muted, the imperial palace reduced to what red sauce and
orange cheese cover an enchilada plate.

The spectacle was relentless fantastic.  The champion tagged and toothless, his mouth
alternating between airsucking ovals and get-this! smirks, the champion’s
boundless selfassurance swapped in a realtime identity crisis (how about that
ridiculous bouncing-n-boxing thing in round 6), and all for our entertainment.  Sport can be no more entertaining than
Saturday’s main event.  If you’re new to
boxing be grateful you’ll have a standard of comparison the rest of your days,
and if you’re old to boxing be grateful you lived long enough to witness the
funniest moment of the modern era.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

NEW YORK – History and hype. The first was made by Andy Ruiz Jr., the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. The second was exposed in Anthony Joshua, whose reign came crashing down Saturday night in front of UK fans who witnessed their chiseled king get undressed by the most unlikely of challengers.

 Ruiz entered Madison Square Garden, perhaps the world’s biggest stage, looking like he had spent more time at the dessert table than the gym. He jiggled, almost from head to foot. The UK crowd dismissed him. Then, booed. Then, sang God Save The Queen.

 But neither God nor the Queen can save Joshua from the ridicule he heard after he was dropped four times, pulled down like a statue from a pedestal by a short- pudgy stand-in. Ruiz knocked down Joshua four times, finishing him in the seventh when his corner said no mas.

At one level, it was pathetic.

 At another level, it was exhilarating.

 At every level, it was historic. It was the biggest heavyweight upset since Buster Douglas upset Mike Tyson on Feb. 11 in 1990.

 “I did this for my people,’’ Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) said. “Nobody ever gave me a chance.’’

 You could probably put Douglas and Tyson among those who thought that Ruiz only had a chance to get knocked out. He did get knocked down in the third. But that only seemed to embolden him, unlike Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs), who appeared to be more interested in saying hello to American fans in his U.S. debut.

 Ruiz got up and took the fight to Joshua, who never responded. He waved a jab in front of Ruiz. It looked like the Queen waving her gloved hand at adoring fans from the backseat of her London limo.  Meanwhile, Ruiz knocked down Joshua twice before the third was over. Then came the seventh. Joshua was looking around, seemingly confused and unsure of the speed that powered Ruiz’ hands. The punches came at Joshua like New York cabs racing out of blind corners.

Two more knockdowns in the seventh and suddenly it was over. Joshua’s corner had surrendered. Still, Joshua smiled. But the winning in that smile was gone, at least from the perspective of the once-trusting UK fans. The genuine was gone from the grin. The fans who mocked Ruiz now directed a deeply genuine ire at their fallen hero. They booed and headed toward Joe Louis Plaza, the sidewalk that surrounds the Garden. For them, Joshua could have been just another Bum-of-the-Month that was once part of Louis’ heavyweight reign.

 Does Joshua come back from this? Can he, perhaps in a rematch? Remember all the talk about a showdown with Deontay Wilder? Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn said that the inability to put together Joshua-Wilder was “embarrassing.’’ 

But nothing was more embarrassing than what happened to Joshua in what was supposed to be his hello to a bigger audience.

 For now, it just looks like a goodbye delivered by the fast hands that made history. 

Callum Smith wins in a crushing stoppage

Three rounds. Three knockdowns.

Katie Taylor takes majority decision over Persoon in a women’s all-timer

Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon did what no woman has since Christy Martin. Martin was the original, an acknowledged pioneer of women’s boxing. Taylor and Persoon took it a step further with 10 punishing rounds fora world lightwweight title.

Hands down. it was Josh Kelly in a majority draw

It’s hard to score points with defense. But there’s a price for not practicing defensive fundamentals, and it looks as if UK welterweight Josh Kelly might have paid it on the Joshua-Ruiz undercard. Kelly (9-0-1, 6 KOs) kept his hands at his side in a Roy Jones-like posture for several rounds. Finally he put them up, but it was too late to save him from his first bout without a victory.

UK light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi wins stoppage 

Joshua Buatsi had the right first name. He had the right style. He had the right opponent. All of the pieces came together for the UK light-heavyweight on a card featured by Anthony Joshua’s American debut against Andy Ruiz Jr. Marco Antonio Periban, of Mexico, was no match for him.

Chris Algieri (24-3, 9 KOs) was left with darkening welts beneath both eyes. He took punishment. But he took more than that. He took Tommy Coyle’s best shots and countered with even more, forcing Coyle’s corner to end it after eight rounds of a hard-fought junior-welterweight bout.

Algieri, of New York,  scored a knockdown in the fourth. He battered Coyle (25-5, 12 KO) around the ring throughout the eighth. Just when it looked as it was over, however, Coyle, of the UK,  delivered a long counter hook. It might have been Coyle’s way of saying he wanted to continue. But his corner had seen enough, saying no mas to the ringside physician and Coyle.

First Bell: Heavyweight Garden Party opens with Cissokho winning unanimous decision

Souleymane Cissokho, a quick powerful and middleweight from France, added the sound of punches to empty echoes at Madison Square, opening a Garden party featuring Anthony Joshua American debut against Andy Ruiz Jr. Saturday.

Seconds after first bell, there was little doubt that Cissokho (9-0, 6 KOs) was a better fighter than Wladimir Hernandez (10-4, 6KOs). Throughout eight rounds, Cissokho scored repeatedly, winning a unanimous decision.

Houston middleweight Austin Williams calls himself Ammo. He didn’t need much of that in a swing bout on the Joshua-Ruiz undercard. Williams (2-0, 2 KO) blew out Quadeer Jenkins (0-2), of Trenton, N.J., within three minutes, scoring a first-round stoppage at 2:14 of the round.  

DOORS 16:30

BOXING STARTS 16:45

8 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest
SOULEYMANE CISSOKHO 156.8 lbs v WLADIMIR HERNANDEZ 162 lbs
(Bagnolet, France)                                  (Denver, Colorado)       

17:00 EASTERN: LIVE ON SKY SPORTS BOX OFFICE

17:30 EASTERN: LIVE ON DAZN 

12 x 3 mins WBO International Super-Lightweight title
CHRIS ALGIERI 139.8 lbs v TOMMY COYLE 139.6 lbs
(New York, USA)                   (Hull, England)

10 x 3 mins WBA International Light-Heavyweight title
JOSHUA BUATSI 174 lbs v MARCO ANOTINIO PERIBAN 172 lbs
(Croydon, England)            (Mexico City, Mexico)            

10 x 3 mins WBA International Welterweight title
JOSH KELLY 146.4 lbs v RAY ROBINSON 146 lbs
(Sunderland, England)    (Philadelphia, USA)

10 x 3 mins IBF, WBC, WBO, WBA, Ring Magazine Women’s Lightweight World Championships
KATIE TAYLOR 134.6 lbs v DELFINE PERSOON 130.6 lbs
(Bray, Ireland)                      (Roeselare, Belgium)

12 x 3 mins WBA ‘Super’ World, WBC Diamond, Ring Magazine Super-Middleweight titles
CALLUM SMITH 167.6 lbs v HASSAN N’DAM 166 lbs
(Liverpool, England)            (Monte Carlo, Monaco)

12 x 3 mins WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World Championships
ANTHONY JOSHUA 247.8 lbs v ANDY RUIZ JR 268 lbs
(Watford, England)                     (California, USA)

FLOATS:

4 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
AUSTIN WILLIAMS 159.4 lbs v QUADEER JENKINS 161.6 lbs
(Texas, USA)                              (Trenton, USA)        

4 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest
DIEGO PACHECO 164.2 lbs v JARED CHAUVIN 163 lbs
(Los Angeles, USA)                 (Macomb, USA)        

BITTER rivals Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman are finally in agreement…..both insist that Andy Ruiz has the tools to give Anthony Joshua a hard night.

Roly-poly Ruiz challenges Joshua for his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles this weekend, with many writing him off.

Gorman (16-0, 11 KOs) has been stung by criticism of his own shape with Dubois (11-0, 10 KOs) who he faces for vacant British heavyweight title at The O2, London on Saturday July 13, poking fun at him.

But peace broke out when the pair gave verdicts on the big fight at Madison Square Garden.

Gorman who has been branded “slobby” by Dubois says: “Ruiz is a typical Mexican. He gets in close, roughs you up, throws body shots, hooks and is very fast-handed.

“I am gonna back Joshua, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there is an upset. It wouldn’t surprise me because Ruiz can fight.

“I like the way he and Joshua fight. In my opinion it is a much better fight than Joshua against Jarrell Miller, miles better.”

Dubois also believes Ruiz isn’t to be underestimated when he meets Joshua in New York on Saturday night.

“I think it’ll be a good fight. I think Ruiz will give all he has got. He has nothing to lose,” said the rapidly emerging knockout artist.

“Joshua is the defending champion and it’ll be good while it lasts. May the best man win.”

Whoever wins the brilliant Dubois v Gorman match which is live on BT Sport will be closing in on the world’s best, while the loser faces a rebuild job.

“My main concentration is Daniel, but in the next 12 to 18 months I can get there,” added Gorman who admits it is hard not to think of becoming world champion.

“Being a British heavyweight champion these days you are virtually on that world door, aren’t you?

“Britain has the best heavyweights in the world so it is the perfect era to be the British heavyweight champion.”

Tickets for ‘Heavy Duty’ featuring Daniel Dubois v Nathan Gorman for the vacant British Heavyweight Title, plus Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce v Bryant Jennings are on sale now. The show also features British Middleweight Champion Liam Williams, super flyweight sensation Sunny Edwards and super featherweight contender Archie Sharp. Also returning after an impressive debut is Kent bantamweight Dennis McCann. Hamza Sheeraz, Mark Chamberlain, Jake Pettitt, Louie Lynn, Mickey Burke Jr and Florian Marku add to an exciting line up and tickets are available via AXS.com, Eventim and Ticketmaster and are priced as below:
 
£300 – (Hospitality)
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier/Floor
£75 – Floor/Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing Managing Director:

“I think sometimes as a team or promoter you have to pinch with yourself whenever you’re at Madison Square Garden, we have been lucky enough to stage two world championship events at the Theatre, but Matchroom Boxing will make our debut at Madison Square Garden as a promotional company and to do it for the unified Heavyweight championship in an absolute honour, and to do it while representing the Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua is an honour as well.
 
“This week has been incredible, and part of the development of Anthony Joshua the fighter and the brand is to take him worldwide and keep growing the incredible profile around the world. 
 
“We were here a few months ago, what feels like yesterday, when another heavyweight decided to shove Anthony Joshua on the stage in front of you. He talked the talked, but couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t bring himself to try genuinely and honestly fight the unified heavyweight champion of the world.  Once the three positive drug test came in we searched for a new opponent, there wasn’t any instructions, it was whoever we wanted. Someone sent me a direct message, I’m fighting on Saturday, give me this fight, I’ll fight harder than any other person mentioned and I will give you a better fight and beat Anthony Joshua. We saw him beat Alexander Dimitrenko, discussions continued, and we knew the deal was important, and had a burning desire to become the first Mexican Heavyweight champion. We respect Andy for stepping up and taking this fight and we know we’re in for a hell of a fight on Saturday night.”

Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America:

“Thanks to the media in attendance today. Many of you have traveled thousands of miles to be here and I think that speaks to the significance of Saturday’s event. Thanks too to Joel Fischer and his team here at the Garden for their hospitality. Great partners as always. This is the first event in a 3-week DAZN residency at MSG – we’ll be giving Billy Joel a run for his money at this rate.   
 
“AJ was there for DAZN at the beginning of our American journey and now we’re proud to be here for his – as the exclusive broadcaster of his fight against a highly motivated Andy Ruiz. Not just in the U.S. but in all 9 DAZN markets across four continents.   
 
“Since AJ debuted on DAZN in September, a lot has changed within boxing. We now have six of the pound-for-pound top 10 boxers in the world on DAZN – many of whom are also the biggest draws in the sport like Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin and, of course, Anthony Joshua.  
 
“We’ve also featured some of the sport’s top women – Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano and Claressa Shields – as well as its hottest young prospects like Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia.
 
“At a time when many are focused on how the boxing landscape is fractured, we’re working with a growing number of promoters to cut through the noise and deliver the best fights for fans. Matchroom, Golden Boy, GGG Promotions, the World Boxing Super Series are all on DAZN. It’s the best boxing schedule of any platform and without doubt the best value.  
 
“But we’re not done. We’re hard at work, planning the rest of 2019 to make sure we continue to overdeliver for our subscribers.” 

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing:

“Thanks Eddie. There has been ups and downs over the 30 years Sky have been committed to boxing but I think it all changed in 2012 when this man struck Olympic gold in London. Eddie become our exclusive partner at Matchroom, we have a fantastic relationship with them. When AJ signed with us and with Matchroom in 2013 it began a new venture. We had the likes of Ricky Hatton, Lennox Lewis, Joe Calzaghe, David Haye, Carl Froch, so many others over the years. Anthony brings something different to the table, he brings huge charisma, really likability and a terrific talent inside the ring as well. A man that can sellout 90,000 at Wembley. It’s a pleasure being with him on this ride alongside his excellent team. Bring on Saturday night, there’s nothing like a fight in the Garden!”

Anthony Joshua OBE – Watford, England – 22-0, 21 KOs – defending his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World titles against Andy Ruiz Jr:

“The sport is tough no doubt about it, but dedication, focus, and purpose gives me reason to return to the gym each time. I won this title in my 16th fight, I think when I was about three years into being a professional, and I wanted to take these challenges. Without overlooking Andy or his team at all, Andy knows what it’s like to be a fighter. When you have this opportunity in front of you and know what can come after, we naturally look past, so when I was fighting for that title, I was always looking for the next challenge, hoping to get to the next one.
 
“Fighting Andy for me is just as dangerous as fighting Wilder or Fury because they both possess their own skills, so I have to take Andy deadly serious. I don’t overlook him at all, I respect him and respect his team, and I really respect he put his name on the dotted line to take this challenge. No challenge is easy, no matter what the bookers are telling you or the odd makers. Andy is going to come in here and give me a real good fight and cause problems, and it’s down to me as a champion to think smart, box clever, out box, out strength, and out muscle Andy Ruiz to get that win.  
 
“No fight like after the fight when your hands are raised, your opponent has been defeated and thinking about being on a beach, or being with your family, and focus on the next challenge ahead. Right now I’m only champion till June 1 when I have to defend my titles. I’m currently the heavyweight champion of the world, but June 1 I put them in the air and they’re up for grabs. Let the best man win.”

Robert McCracken MBE, trainer of Anthony Joshua OBE:

“I’ll keep it short and sweet. Ruiz Jr was the best available contender when Jarrell Miller failed his drugs tests. Ruiz for me was the toughest challenge at that stage, we needed somebody that was going to motivate Anthony. There was a couple of names floated around that I don’t think would have motivated him and the camp would have become hard. AJ recognises him as a quality fighter. Technically he is sounds. He has a good coach. He was very close in the Parker fight. He is a world level fighter and a serious contender and that’s what Anthony Joshua is about. He wants to fight the best out there. Right now Andy Ruiz is the best out there for this date, that’s the challenge. 

“Josh is ready. We went to Miami, it was fantastic. We worked really hard, four weeks we kept him locked up. We feel AJ is a deserving champion and will produce a fantastic performance in a great fight and will continue on and unify the division.”

Andy Ruiz Jr – California, USA – 32-1, 21 KOs – challenging Anthony Joshua OBE for the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World titles:

“I’ve been waiting for this all my life, I’ve been training so hard since my last fight against Alexander Dimitrenko. This came at a perfect time to fight Anthony Joshua. Those belts look really shiny, look really good! I’m ready, I’m ready for June 1, I’m ready to become the first Mexican Heavyweight champion of the world. Ready to bring those belts back to Mexico, although they have never been to Mexico, but they will be on June 1. I have nothing bad to say about Anthony Joshua, he’s a champion, I’m a fan of him, I respect him, but inside the ring there won’t be any respect, no friends, and no fans. I’ll I can say is tune-in on June 1, it’s going to be a hell of fight, I’m going to give it all I got, and we’re going to win this for Mexico!”

Manny Robles, trainer of Andy Ruiz Jr:

“Thank you Eddie. Thank you to the entire press that is here today. I don’t have too much to say. Ruiz is ready, he is ready for the challenge. We had a great camp. People think this was a short camp but in reality it wasn’t. We’ve been in the gym for pretty much 15 weeks and we had a tune-up fight in-between. Thank you to Anthony Joshua for giving us a chance. We’re going to give you a run for your money that’s for sure. We’re here to take that title, Viva Mexico!”

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing Managing Director:

“Welcome welcome and what an honour it is to be sitting here in Madison Square Garden in the theatre, where I’ve only managed to get to the theatre, in terms of promoting. I’ve promoted at this great venue right here, twice, Danny Jacobs winning the IBF Middleweight World championship, also Demetrius Andrade defending his World title in January, but now we upgrade to the big daddy, the Mecca of boxing at Madison Square Garden – the big arena. 

“You will see one of the great atmospheres in this country for boxing on Saturday night. Around 8,000 Brits are coming here to sing Sweet Caroline, to drink your bars dry and to show you how to create an amazing atmosphere. There’s just a few hundred tickets left now, we will have a complete sellout on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. If you haven’t got your tickets, you need to get them very quickly. We needed to produce an undercard that we could all remember. I’m so excited, I can’t even imagine how excited these people are to get the chance to box there in, for some of them, career-defining fights. As always, it will be streamed live on DAZN in America and for the UK fans Sky Sports Box Office. What a night you have got in store.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing:

“It’s another special sporting weekend ahead. What a special arena this is, the most famous in the world. AJ is here lighting up New York with posters everywhere, I thought the workout at Brookfield Place was fantastic yesterday down in the financial district. There’s a real buzz around the city and it’s an honour to be here again and it’s magnificent to have so much talent on display on Saturday night. 

“Tommy Coyle is bouncing around like a little boy, he’s so happy to be here. It’s a fantastic story, the boy from Hull who’s come all the way here to New York and tackling Chris Algieri, a great talker and a great fighter himself. What a way to get things started, I’m really looking forward to seeing two of our great hopes Joshua Buatsi and Josh Kelly in action, I believe both of them are going the whole way. It’s wonderful having Katie Taylor attempting to become the undisputed champion and saving the toughest until last in the WBC Champion Delfine Persoon, that is going to be some fight and some test for Katie.

“Callum Smith the leading Super-Middleweight after that terrific display in the World Super Series against George Groves. It is time to get Callum back on our screens, it has been a long time but we’re really looking forward to getting him going again and he’s got a tough challenge in Hassan N’Dam, who I’ve known a long time. What an opportunity they’ve all got on the big stage before the big boys go to work. Enjoy it everybody. It’s going to be a super event on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday.”

Callum Smith – Liverpool, England – 25-0, 18 KOs – defending his WBA World ‘Super’, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Super-Middleweight titles against Hassan N’Dam:

“I feel good, I feel excited. This is a new chapter of my career. Everything previously was the journey to become a World Champion and now I’ve achieve that let’s see what more I can achieve. 

“There’s no better place to start my journey as a World Champion than Madison Square Garden. It’s such an iconic fight venue with a lot of history. To add my name to a lot of the Brits that have boxed here over the years is going to be special for myself. 

“I’m excited and I’m looking forward to putting in a big performance. I’ve been out a little longer than I would have liked to be but I want to make up for lost time. I want to get back and remind people how good I am.

“There is talk of massive names to fight in the future but to secure them fights I’ve got to win this weekend. Big fights excite me and motivate me. I want to maximise my potential and achieve as much as I can. All of that starts on Saturday.

“Hassan is a good fighter, very experienced, a former World Champion himself and only the better fighters have beat him. I believe I am the best Super-Middleweight in the world and if that’s true I should beat Hassan, and beat him well, looking good doing it.”

Hassan N’Dam – Monte Carlo, Monaco – 37-3, 21 KOs – challenging Callum Smith for the WBA World ‘Super’, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Super-Middleweight titles:

“Hello everyone. First of all I would like to thank Eddie Hearn. Thanks to my team for all of the work they do for me. Thanks to my wife and thanks to everyone for being here this morning for this press conference. 

“My trainer told me: ‘You tell me everyday you want to face the best in the world. Why do you need to think about this? You have an opportunity to fight on a big card at Madison Square Garden. Make your dream come true!’

“He has something that I want. I want to be ‘Super’ champion.

“This is my first time at this level at Super-Middleweight so I don’t know how I’m going to feel. But I feel good right now. I think I have experience for this kind of match and this event. Madison Square Garden is somewhere that everyone dreams of fighting at. My experience will be very important to this match.”

Katie Taylor – Bray, Ireland – 13-0, 6 KOs – fighting Delfine Persoon for the Women’s Undisputed Lightweight Championship of the World:

“The minute I turned professional I wanted to become the undisputed champion, this was always my goal. I nearly pinch myself that I have this opportunity at the Mecca of boxing Madison Square Garden, it can’t get any bigger than this. I’m ready to make history and I’m ready to perform on Saturday night. This is what I’ve always wanted. 

“Delfine Persoon is a fantastic champion and this is exactly what boxing needs, it’s champion against champion, the best vs. the best. This isn’t just what women’s boxing needs, this is what boxing needs. I’m definitely expecting the toughest test of my career but I do feel prepared for this challenge. I’ve had a really tough training camp over the last two months preparing for this fight. 

“We’re both here to make history for our nations, we’re both here to perform and it’s going to make for a very exciting fight. This is by far the biggest night of my career, this is the pinnacle of boxing to have all five belts,  the Ring Magazine belt is up for grabs as well, this is what every fighter dreams of. I understand how big this fight is and the magnitude of this event. This is why I box, these are the fights that I always wanted and I’m ready to make history.”

Delfine Persoon – Roeselare, Belgium – 43-1, 18 KOs – fighting Katie Taylor for the Women’s Undisputed Lightweight Championship of the World:

“Belgium is a small country, I think New York is bigger than Belgium! Boxing as a sport in Belgium is not recognised so I’m the first boxer that can make history for the Belgian boxing sport. For me it’s very exciting. 

“I think I will be the first Belgium boxer that can take all of the belts. I like it, its my passion. I want to do everything for it. I never thought I’d have the chance, we are ready and we go for it.

“Im expecting a tough fight, she has a lot more experience in amateur fighting, there was no national team for me in Belgium so it was no possible for me to go to World or European championships.

“Katie Taylor is an Olympic champion. I can compete with an Olympic champion and hopefully beat an Olympic champion.”

“I want to do everything in my boxing career and now I have the chance to do this.”

Josh Kelly – Sunderland, England – 9-0, 6 KOs – defending his WBA International Welterweight title against Ray Robinson:

“I feel blessed to be here and to get a chance to perform on a World stage like this is truly a blessing. Not many kids from Sunderland get this chance so I’m taking it with both hands. I’ve worked hard and I feel I’m ready for this step up. I know Ray couldn’t be here today because of family problems, family first and I wish him all the best with that. 

“I’m here now and I’m ready to put a performance on on Saturday. I really can’t wait to get in there and dance underneath those lights. It’s a bit surreal but I’m excited, I’m going to enjoy it, I’m going to take it all in and I want to perform – that’s the main thing. I can’t wait.

“The last fight he had was against Kavaliauskas and he was ranked highly. He was a tough opponent for Ray and a lot of people thought he won that fight. This is a big step up. Ray Robinson will give me a test. There won’t be any room for complacency in there on Saturday and I’m going to get the job done and come away with the W, sit back and watch the rest of the card and hopefully the rest of the British fighters do the same.”

Joshua Buatsi – Croydon, England – 10-0, 8 KOs – defending his WBA International Light-Heavyweight title against Marco Antonio Periban:

“This is a good opportunity. Like you said, Periban is a well-known Mexican fighter. He’s going to come and bring experience to the table. People are curious and everyone is intrigued to see what is going to happen so it’s up to me to go out there and put on a good show. I was hoping he would be here because I haven’t seen him but we’ll see each other face-to-face at the weigh-in and Saturday night it happens. 

“I think anyway it comes man. I’ve prepared to do ten rounds, if it goes the distance cool, if I sense any vulnerabilities or any opportunities there I’ll be there to take them. If it goes the distance cool, if it doesn’t then happy days. 

“It was good being in Miami. It was the first time I’ve been in the US overall so it was a good experience seeing how Joshua does things leading up to a fight like this. As always I’m observing and seeing how things are done so one day when I’m in that position I can do the same thing.”

Chris Algieri – New York, USA – 23-3, 8 KOs – defending his WBO International Super-Lightweight title against Tommy Coyle:

“I just want to first of all thank Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing for putting on this amazing event and to my promoter Joe Deguardiafrom Star Boxing, as well as Sky Sports which it is going to be great to be exposed to a whole new fanbase out there. Also to DAZN which is the premier platform for all things boxing now, and a bunch of other things as well. I think it really is the way of the future in terms of where we are right now where networks are starting to fall and apps are starting to become the major thing.

“This fight is a huge opportunity. This is exactly why I came back to the sport. I want to be a World Champion, this fight puts me back in that position so I’ve got to go out there and not only win, but look impressive and angle myself for another World title run. This is why I am here. I’m feeling great, this training camp has been fantastic. I have an opponent in Tommy Coyle that gets me excited to go out there. I really think it’s going to be a fantastic fight. Make sure you tune in. 

“There’s been a lot of talk about a lot of the stuff that I have been doing outside of the ring but I want to go back to everybody talking about what I do inside the ring so on Saturday night I’m looking forward to putting on a great show and coming out with the victory and moving forward.

Joe Deguardia, promoter of Chris Algieri:

“Its a pleasure to be here, this is something really special this fight between Tommy and Chris. I don’t know if it’s going to be the battle of the mics or the battle of the ring, because both of them are great speakers. Chris Algieri’s history is something special, we are as a team pleased to be here Eddie, thank you. DAZN are taking over boxing, it’s the perfect place to watch and be sure to tune in early on DAZN because this is going to be on early. It’s going to be a great fight leading into the World Championship here at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of boxing. It’s always spectacular to be fighting at MSG, there’s no place in the World like it. I’m really looking forward to this fight between Tommy and Chris.

“Chris has been something special behind and outside the ring, between his interviews, between what he’s done as a nutritionist working with all of the fighters. Inside the ring he has been something special as well. I know Chris is hungry to get his title back, he’s never lost at 140lbs and Tommy is standing in the way. Eddie has it right, the winner of this fight probably fights for the championship of the World next.”

Tommy Coyle – Hull, England – 25-4, 12 KOs – challenging Chris Algieri for the WBO International Super-Lightweight title:

“I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be fighting at the Mecca of boxing which is Madison Square Garden. I’m so so excited but it’s a huge huge opportunity for me to go on and do something which I probably thought would never happen in my career. 

“With opportunity comes pressure, but without pressure you don’t get diamonds and I genuinely think Saturday night I’m going to go in there and shine like a diamond. I think it’s the right time for me, I’ve improved as a fighter, I’m really coming into my own now and I’m just mega excited. I keep laughing to myself, waiting for someone to tell me that it’s a prank. I’m usually pulling the pranks but it’s happening, I’m here and it’s going off.

“100% this is a very winnable fight. It’s a great fight. Chris Algieri is a fantastic fighter, he’s a better dresser, he dresses fantastic – I like his style. I really really think this is a fight for me where I can really look good. I’m not going to have to go and find him, I just think the styles will gel fantastically and I know I’ve got too much inside.”

Souleymane Cissokho – Bagnolet, France – 8-0, 6 KOs – fighting Vladimir Hernandez in a eight round Super-Welterweight contest:

“Thanks Matchroom, thanks Eddie, thanks everybody. I’m very happy to be here. It’s a very great fight card. I had a great training camp and I can’t wait to show you all who I am. Thanks.”