Saudi Arabia Set To Host Joshua Vs Ruiz Heavyweight Title Rematch
10th August 2019
The high-profile December 7 duel, dubbed 'Clash on the Dunes', will see Joshua trying to win back the IBF, WBA and WBO titles he sensationally lost to Ruiz in New York in June
- Saudi Arabia will host the world heavyweight title rematch between Anthony Joshua and champion Andy Ruiz Jr of the US in December, a decision certain to spark controversy due to the Gulf kingdom's human rights record
- The rematch had been widely touted but Cardiff's Principality Stadium was tipped as favourite to stage the event
- The Saudis have faced intense diplomatic fallout over the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi which took place in the conservative kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in 2018
LONDON, United Kingdom- Saudi Arabia will host the world heavyweight title rematch between
Britain's Anthony Joshua and champion Andy Ruiz Jr of the United States in
December, a decision certain to spark controversy due to the Gulf kingdom's
human rights record.
The high-profile December
7 duel, dubbed 'Clash on the Dunes', will see Joshua trying to win back the
IBF, WBA and WBO titles he sensationally lost to Ruiz in New York in June.
The bout will take
place in Diriyah, which incorporates the UNESCO World Heritage site of
Al-Turaif, on the outskirts of Riyadh -- a dramatic contrast to the iconic
Madison Square Garden which hosted the first fight between the two men which
ended in a seventh-round stoppage.
Promoters Matchroom
Boxing said the fight details will be officially revealed at a news conference
in London on Monday.
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The rematch had been
widely touted but Cardiff's Principality Stadium was tipped as favourite to
stage the event.
The Saudis have
faced intense diplomatic fallout over the murder of dissident journalist Jamal
Khashoggi which took place in the conservative kingdom's consulate in Istanbul
in 2018.
Saudi rulers have
utilised sport as a tool to try and soften their international image and to
provide a showcase, they claim, for reforms inside the oil-rich state.
In February, they
hosted a first European Tour golf event which was won by former world number
one Dustin Johnson while the world's most gruelling motor sports race, the
Dakar Rally, will be raced in the country in 2020.
In July this year,
British boxer Amir Khan won the WBC international welterweight title with a
fourth round stoppage of Australian Billy Dib in Jeddah.
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Incident
Khan said he did not
regret agreeing to the trip despite Amnesty International describing the Saudi
human rights record as "abysmal", adding that the nation is in the
"grip of a sweeping crackdown against critics of the government".
It implored Khan to
travel there with his "eyes firmly open".
Khan was reportedly
paid £7 million to headline the event.
The former unified
world welterweight champion is a Muslim and has embarked on pilgrimages to
Saudi Arabia on a number of occasions, offering him his own perspective on the
country.
"When I was
there last, it had all changed. I started seeing women not wearing head
scarves. Women were out driving," Khan said.
"They had a
huge concert where everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves. I'd never seen
that side of Saudi Arabia before.