IBF, WBA, WBO World Heavyweight Champion Andy Ruiz Jr. is standing firm with respect to his position of not fighting in the UK.
Back on June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Ruiz dropped Joshua four times before the contest was waved off in the seventh round.
Joshua, eager to get revenge in a timely manner, exercised an immediate rematch clause within a few days time.
In a recent interview, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn named Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as the “frontrunner” to host the rematch on December 14th.
But Ruiz would rather not take the fight in Joshua’s backyard.
“That’s not going to happen. We have been going back and forth, my team and their team. I’d love to have it back at Madison Square Garden to run it back. The Staples Center [Los Angeles], Las Vegas would have been great too,” Ruiz told Joe Rogan.
The location has been a sticking point, with both sides haggling back and forth.
Ruiz is already mapping out the training camp and expects the rematch to take place this year.
“I don’t think we will be changing too much. Just exactly what we did for the last one is what we will be doing, just more intense. I’m willing to fight anybody, as soon as I win the rematch. Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder – anybody,” Ruiz said.
Prior to leaving Top Rank and signing with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions a few months ago, Ruiz was going through some tough times financially.
“A lot of people didn’t know we were struggling a lot even before this fight,” Ruiz said. “I was with Top Rank and not getting a lot of fights. I had one more fight left with them and they didn’t want to let me go so I had to pay the contract off. Everything turned around so quick.
“From having nothing to wanting something in life is big motivation, especially me – I have five kids. It feels nice getting the stuff I always wanted, seeing famous people having nice stuff, now I can get it for myself, my family, kids and mother.”
–boxingscene.com
