I’M NOT SAFE IN SAUDI
Ruiz vows: I’ll fight AJ in USA not the Middle East
Andy Ruiz JR has raised fears over his safety in a bid to force Anthony Joshua to take their rematch out of Saudi Arabia and back to the united States.
Ruiz, who seized Joshua’s world heavyweight titles in new york in June with one of the greatest ring upsets of modern times, denies that he has agreed to go to the ancient city of diriyah for their return fight.
On Monday, promoter Eddie Hearn announced the date of december 7 and the venue — a UNESCO heritage site outside Riyadh.
Ruiz, in an instagram video streamed live from an aircraft cabin in mid-flight over America yesterday, said: ‘it’s going to be on my terms over here. We are bringing it back to the US.’
Hearn insists he has a watertight contract empowering Joshua to dictate the terms, date and place, of which Ruiz has been duly informed, and that he and his team are under no illusions about the legal and financial implications if they do not comply.
Human rights groups are denouncing the decision to make such a huge event a propaganda tool for a Middle East nation with a much-criticised human rights record.
That will lend weight to the objections from Ruiz via this most crucial line in his statement: ‘i don’t have no protection over there.’ Then he adds: ‘The united States wants... never mind i can’t say nothing (about that).’
The US, like Britain, discourages non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia while it is in a state of war with yemen. The guidelines include warnings of ‘terrorist groups attacking shopping malls, markets, transport hubs, religious sites, Western government interests, tourist locations and places frequented by US and other Westerners’. Riyadh is mentioned among the possible targets.
The Saudi organisers are investing tens of millions of dollars in the fight, in addition to erecting a temporary 15,000capacity stadium in the desert, which is so lavishly appointed that it may become permanent.
Ruiz was thought at first to be demanding a commensurate increase in his reported £7.5million purse for the rematch, which was written into the contract for the first fight in the event of him beating Joshua.
That may still be the game but now his political stance threatens the Saudi project to some extent.
Ruiz is not looking to dodge the fight altogether, saying: ‘yes, AJ’s got his rematch. Of course.’ But in a reference to Team Joshua’s original determination to secure home advantage, probably in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, which he opposed, Mexico’s first world heavyweight champion added: ‘He’s scared. now he’s over there trying to get it in Saudi Arabia. But there will be some real news coming soon.’ Hearn warns that Ruiz stands to be stripped of the world titles if he does not honour ‘the contract for the rematch which both fighters signed at the same time before the first fight and is binding. His choice is a legal battle which could take him out of boxing for years or to defend the titles for a lot of money against a guy he’s already beaten.’ Hearn also told Sky Sports: ‘i don’t perceive a problem. He will take the fight.’ Saudi Arabia has already imported major events such as golf, motor-racing, WWE, starstudded concerts and boxing matches involving Amir Khan and Callum Smith’s world supermiddleweight title victory over George Groves. They insist this is helping accelerate reforms for the 40 million population, the majority of whom are younger than 25. Hearn said: ‘Boxing cannot afford to ignore a part of the world in which we can change our game forever.’