Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz, Jr. and Anthony Joshua OBE concluded their three-continent press tour today in London, following stops in the fight’s host city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, and New York on Thursday. The rematch between Ruiz and Joshua will stream exclusively on DAZN in the United States on Saturday, Dec. 7. photos by Matchroom)
Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) shocked the sports world in June when he toppled then-undefeated heavyweight world champion Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) at Madison Square Garden, spoiling the former titlist’s U.S. debut. Following the biggest heavyweight upset in decades, Joshua triggered an immediate rematch and the two now prepare to meet at a neutral site for this historic fight, which has been dubbed the “Clash on the Dunes.”
Joshua, 29, was scheduled to face Jarrell Miller on June 1 in his U.S. debut, but when Miller failed multiple drug tests ahead of the bout, Ruiz, 29, was brought in as a replacement one month before the fight. Despite handicappers pegging Ruiz as a double-digit underdog, he scored boxing’s most consequential upset in years, which catapulted him as an overnight celebrity. As the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, he will look to defend his titles against Joshua and prove that his victory was not a fluke, while Joshua looks to regain his status as the heavyweight division’s kingpin.
