Dubai: It appears that Andy Ruiz Jr did not need much persuasion to agree to his rematch against Anthony Joshua being held in Saudi Arabia on December 7 after all.
The Mexican, who shocked the world when he knocked out the previously undefeated Briton on June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York, had strongly rejected the $8 million offer to fight in the Middle East citing security concerns as the main reason.
However, in an unexpected U-turn late on Thursday night, Ruiz’s camp confirmed that the fight would go ahead as planned in the city of Diriyah close to the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
According to The Athletic, a subscription-based sports website, Ruiz Jr has been guaranteed an extra $2 million than the original purse, to agree to the location for the much-anticipated match-up.
It’s understood that on Thursday, Ruiz was offered a fresh deal with an added incentive that will see him earn $10 million, win or lose.
Joshua, one of the most bankable sporting stars on the plant, will receive twice that sum.
The 29-year-old Olympic champion is already worth a tidy £60 million and change. He has already backed more than £10 million from each of his last five fights, which have been sell-outs at Wembley and the Principality Stadium in Wales, as well as June’s Madison Square Garden showdown.
Despite losing to Ruiz Jr on that occasion Joshua collected his biggest purse to date, £20 million plus.
