Promoter Eddie Hearn plans to lure Andy Ruiz Jr to UK for Anthony Joshua rematch

PROMOTER Eddie Hearn plans to lure Andy Ruiz Jr to the UK for a rematch with Anthony Joshua.

The new IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion caused one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history on Saturday night at New Yorkโ€™s Madison Square Garden, where he stunned Joshua to stop him in the seventh round.

A rematch clause is likely to be exercised for a date in November or December โ€“ when Joshua had already planned to again fight in the event of victory โ€“ but where his unsuccessful United States debut had been intended to continue building his profile, it is where he remains undefeated that the rematch is likely to be staged.


Joshuaโ€™s previous fight had been at Wembley Stadium but its lack of a roof and the UK winter is likely to rule out a return there. The roof at Cardiffโ€™s Principality Stadium therefore makes a third fight there probable, as is a return to an indoor arena such as Londonโ€™s O2.

โ€œWe didnโ€™t know what was coming next, in November, December, now we do,โ€ said Hearn. โ€œBut thereโ€™s a lot of pressure on that fight; the rematch is huge.

โ€œFor me, it should be the UK, but weโ€™ll sit down as a team and look at everything.


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This is Andyโ€™s night, congratulations Champ

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โ€œI know it didnโ€™t go our way but we said we wanted to create a night that people would remember for a long time; unfortunately theyโ€™ll remember it for a shock defeat and an incredible night of boxing.

โ€œBut thatโ€™s OK; revenge will be sweet and I believe heโ€™ll get it.โ€

Joshua ruled out the prospect of accepting a rebuilding fight before pursuing an immediate rematch, and the 29-year-old said: โ€œLook out for the end of the year, and whatโ€™s next.


โ€œIโ€™ll tidy up, brush off the cobwebs and go again. But itโ€™s a minor setback.

โ€œTrust me, where I was at in life, Iโ€™ve dealt with more s*** than this, with some real big losses, and bounced back.

โ€œIโ€™m not dwelling on it. You just correct it, you adjust, you sit down, you focus and you go again.โ€

Ruiz Jr, also 29 and Mexicoโ€™s first world heavyweight champion, revealed that he had long seen flaws in Joshua that he believed he could expose.

He accepted Saturdayโ€™s fight with little more than a monthโ€™s notice, and said: โ€œIโ€™m going to get back in the gym and work even harder; Iโ€™m actually more motivated now Iโ€™m the champion.

โ€œBefore this fight, I always said I wanted to fight Joshua because I knew I could beat him, I knew he opened up too much. My speed and movement was always going to be too much for him.โ€

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