Ruiz wants title rematch with Joshua in New York
World heavyweight champion
LONDON Andy Ruiz Jr. has said he would like his title rematch with Anthony Joshua to be in New York instead of Saudi Arabia, as announced.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, who said this week both parties had signed up to fight in December in Diriyah, raised the threat of legal action if the Mexican-american refused the terms.
“I have not signed anything yet, we are negotiating everything,” Ruiz, who holds the IBF, WBO and WBA belts after stunning Joshua at Madison Square Garden in June, told ESPN Mexico.
“They want the fight to be there (in Saudi Arabia), but we have to see where we negotiate with my team.
“I would like it in New York again, where I beat him. I’m giving him a chance to try to beat me and if he wants the belts, he has to do it there.”
Hearn dismissed talk of the fight not happening in the Middle East.
“The contract for the rematch was signed prior to the first fight,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “They are both signed at the same time. There is no other contract.
“We have to let (Ruiz) know the time, date and venue, which we have done. That’s it.
“His choice is to have a legal battle that could put him out of boxing for years or to defend his belts for a lot of money against a guy he has already beaten.”
The choice of venue has been questioned in some quarters with Saudi Arabia coming under heightened international criticism over its human rights record.
Hearn has said a title fight in Saudi Arabia could be a game-changer for boxing.
“If Saudi Arabia is going to invest in these kind of fights, with the population that they have and the potential to grow the sport, you could be seeing a big change in the dynamics of the sport,” he said.