The anticipation for this bout is immense, and it's expected to be a worldwide spectacle. The promotional tour kicks off this Wednesday in Riyadh, followed by a New York press conference on Thursday, and concludes on Friday in London, where Joshua is from.
It’s going to be absolutely huge. The whole world will stop to watch this fight. The first stop on the tour is the Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday before a press conference in New York on Thursday and a final event in Joshua’s home town of London on Friday.
Joshua has committed to a rematch with Ruiz scheduled for December 7th in Diriyah. By choosing to fight in Saudi Arabia, he is set to secure a record-breaking payday.
For the first time since his loss, Joshua will meet Ruiz face-to-face next week as part of an extensive promotional tour spanning three different continents.
In a shocking turn of events on June 1st at Madison Square Garden, the underdog Andy Ruiz Jr. delivered a stunning performance, stopping Joshua within seven rounds and taking away his WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight belts.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Joshua opened up about feeling mentally exhausted and lacking passion for boxing, stemming from his inability to arrange bouts with the other top contenders, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
His promoter, Eddie Hearn—who orchestrated the Saudi event—believes Joshua needs to stop dwelling on his disappointment if he wants to reclaim his titles and revitalize his career.
Hearn suggested that Joshua needs to shake off his current mindset, noting that he became disillusioned when the fight with Deontay Wilder didn't happen. He admitted Joshua wasn't initially keen on fighting Ruiz, but emphasized that Ruiz was a hungry competitor who earned his victory.
Hearn views the upcoming promotion as a pivotal moment, as Joshua will finally have to look the only man to ever defeat him in the professional ring straight in the eye.
Hearn expects a completely different vibe leading up to this fight compared to June, when Joshua was criticized for letting Ruiz pose with the belts at the press conference. He believes that spark of brilliance is exactly what's needed to overcome this opponent.