FEATURED Official Black Web Boxing Corner

[Water Ur Seeds]

Anyone looking forward to Yarde vs Kovalev in a couple of weeks?

Yarde has never fought anyone as good as Kovalev before so it's hard to know exactly how good he is. This fight will tell us everything we still don't know about him. Does he have what it takes to step up in class and beat a top level boxer? Does he have the skills? The stamina? The chin? Kovalev will force Yarde to answer those questions. Yarde comes to drop bombs. He is fast and heavy handed so this is a match up I'm really excited to see.

Like you say Yarde has liertially fought no one and people have told me he doesnt or rarely spars anyone decent either and when he does its a tech spar behind closed doors... Hearing stuff like that worries me because even though Kovalev is pretty much finished he prolly still knows enough to deal with Yarde but saying that I think Yarde can stop Kovalev to the body, I hope he does anyways...


This is a good watch for the Yarde/Kovalev fight...

 

[Valentinez A. Kaiser]

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Didn't I just read that he said he lost the first time because he had one eye on Wilder and not the task at hand?!

LMAO!

 

[Duwop]

He lost last time cuz he was dropping his hands thinking he had a fish in front of him

 

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[Koltrain]

Ruiz got them hands...quick too. Joshua better come ready. I'm skeptical of this fight happening in Saudi..

 

[Maywood]

 

[DMorgan]

Spence said a while ago after a interviews and press conferences he tired of that shit and just wants to fight.

 

[Maywood]

 

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Andy Ruiz's Trainer Voices Frustration Over Joshua Venue Reveal

Monday’s press conference in London, England should reveal quite a bit about the forthcoming rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua. Among them, we will find out just how on board is Ruiz with currently announced plans. The defending unified heavyweight titlist has yet to publicly...

www.boxingscene.com

Andy Ruiz's Trainer Voices Frustration Over Joshua Venue Reveal
By Jake Donovan

Monday’s press conference in London, England should reveal quite a bit about the forthcoming rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua.

Among them, we will find out just how on board is Ruiz with currently announced plans.

The defending unified heavyweight titlist has yet to publicly comment on the recent news of his hotly anticipated rematch with England’s Joshua due to take place December 7 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Joshua, promoter Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom Boxing outfit all took to social media to reveal the news last Friday.

Ruiz’s interaction has been limited to simply “liking” a posted tweet from sports streaming service DAZN, which carried the memorable first fight and will likely do the same for the rematch—assuming there’s a rematch to stream.

“You haven’t heard anything from Andy Ruiz and there’s a reason why, right,” Manny Robles, Ruiz’s head trainer stated in a recent video interview with FightHype.com. “You have one party saying… we’re fighting Dec. 7. You got the promoter going out on a limb saying we’re fighting Dec. 7 in Saudi Arabia.

“But you haven’t heard anything from the other party and that’s Andy Ruiz so everybody has to hold off and wait.”

What that means regarding Ruiz’s participation in Monday’s press conference has yet to be clarified by either side. It’s not uncommon for one participant to not attend such a session especially when taking place abroad, although the party often would join via live video feed.

Ruiz Jr. (33-1, 22KOs) shocked the world in June, accepting the opportunity of a lifetime on less than six weeks’ notice to face Joshua, then an unbeaten unified titlist who was making his U.S. debut with the event taking place at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

The party was spoiled when Ruiz Jr. recovered from a 3rd round knockdown to score four of his own in stopping Joshua (22-1, 21KOs) in seven rounds to become the first-ever Mexican boxer to win a heavyweight title.

Nearly every day of the past two months since then have been spent in search of a proper location for the rematch which Joshua called for through a clause in their fight contract. The agreement also specified how much Ruiz Jr. would make for such a fight, along with the concession that Joshua and Hearn would determine where the event would take place.

DAZN brass pushed for the event to take place in the U.S., viewing it as a huge opportunity to bolster subscriptions. Such a route was ruled out by Hearn in late July, nearly a month after insisting that the final location would be announced “next week.” With the U.S. out of the mix, Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales became the frontrunner, with Joshua having twice before headlining at the football stadium, drawing more than 150,000 fans combined for his two showings there.

Ruiz Jr. publicly voiced his displeasure over heading to the United Kingdom, however, after word leaked out over the manner in which drug testing results were handled for heavyweight Dillian Whyte in his July 20th win over Oscar Rivas. The top-rated contender from Brixton, England produced a drug testing showing adverse findings for a banned substance one month prior to the fight, only to be notified just three days before the event.

A bigger issue was that Rivas and his team were kept in the dark over the ordeal, including a hearing held the morning of the fight to determine whether Whyte would be cleared to fight that evening. Rivas’ handlers didn’t learn of the development until reading about it four days later on this very website.

The development spooked Ruiz Jr. enough to insist upon a neutral location if Joshua wasn’t going to travel to the U.S. or Mexico for the rematch. It was enough to prompt Hearn to keep open other options, ultimately landing on the Middle East location, with on-site event handlers reportedly providing a massive site fee to make the move a financial no-brainer.

Such sentiments have not at all been shared by the public, particularly in the UK where fans feel cheated out of losing a major heavyweight event they felt they’ve deserved after years of passionately supporting Joshua’s career.

Others have indicated the safety risks involved along with human rights concerns, particularly treatment towards women and homosexuals as well as the nation’s involvement in the assassination of Saudi dissident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October, which has gone unpunished.

Barring a lawyer determining he otherwise has a say in the matter, however, Ruiz Jr. might not be in a position to do any more than vehemently—and legitimately—complain about where his next assignment will in fact take place.

“You know what, at the end of the day we’re willing to fight any place, anywhere,” acknowledges Robles, though also disclaiming that he was not at all involved in any part of the negotiations for the rematch. “That’s what a champion does. You know what I mean?

“If it means going to Wales, going to England… in this case going to Saudi Arabia… or even going back to New York, we gotta do what we gotta do.”

 

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Loeffler: Golovkin, Under Right Deal, Would Consider Saudi Arabia

The rematch between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua is slated to take place in Saudi Arabia. The site of the fight has sparked global conversation in boxing circles as well as international fans and media alike that a fight of that magnitude should not take place in a country with a history of...

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Loeffler: Golovkin, Under Right Deal, Would Consider Saudi Arabia
By Manouk Akopyan

The rematch between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua is slated to take place in Saudi Arabia.

The site of the fight has sparked global conversation in boxing circles as well as international fans and media alike that a fight of that magnitude should not take place in a country with a history of human rights violations.

Skill Challenge Entertainment, the group bringing the fight to Saudi Arabia, has paid a site fee ranging anywhere between a reported $40-to-$50 million to Matchroom Boxing so that the country would host the fight. It continues a recent trend of big time prizefighting being sanctioned in the country.

In the last year alone, a World Boxing Super Series fight between Callum Smith and George Groves as well as a match between Amir Khan and Billy Dib both took place in the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Tom Loeffler, head of 360 promotions, has put on global events throughout his boxing career for the likes of Wladimir Klitschko across Europe and the United States and for Gennady Golovkin in New York, Los Angeles and Monte Carlo.

Loeffler told BoxingScene.com that he’s been presented with palatable offers in the past for fights to take place in the Middle East, and if the right one came along in the future for Golovkin, he would consider taking it.

“Gennady is an international star. He is the definition of a world champion,” said Loeffler. “I’m sure he would consider [fighting] over there [in Saudi Arabia]. With the right opponent, offer and promotion, I can easily imagine him going over there in that region. I’ve had a lot of big offers from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries for big fights. But it’s never come to fruition on our side. It seems that Eddie [Hearn] is pursuing that on his side.

“Whenever you get those kinds of numbers [on site fees], they’re enticiting. When you start talking about guarantees and up front money, and things of that nature, a lot of times they didn’t come to fruition. That’s definitely another challenge.”

When asked if promoting fights in countries with concerning human rights records present any problems, Loeffler said that promoters have to take everything into consideration, and not only the financials.

“There are cultural and societal aspects as well of going into a particular region or country,” Loeffler said. “You definitely have to take that into account. I’ve heard some criticism of the [Ruiz-Joshua] promotion going there because of the human rights track record that Saudi Arabia has had, but that’s something that needs to be laid out for every promotion. I’m not sure of all of the factors that went into Eddie making the decision to go there, but for me, as a promoter, you definitely have to take everything into consideration.”

On Friday, shortly after the Ruiz-Joshua rematch was announced, Amnesty International released a statement and called the fight “sportswashing” by Saudi Arabia for its “abysmal” track record of human rights issues that include oppression of women and LGBT communities, the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the ongoing war in Yemen. In recent years, WWE and Formula One events have been sanctioned in the country.

A high ranking DAZN executive told the sports business site John Wall Street on Monday that the digital streaming service had no say on the site of the Ruiz-Joshua fight, and that “you can make the argument that the controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia will bring more attention [to the Ruiz-Joshua fight] than had it been held in London.”

The same DAZN executive said “the most important thing to [DAZN’s] U.S. business is [Canelo Alvarez’s] next fight. Canelo is the LeBron of boxing in this country. [Joshua] is the Durant. Durant is amazing, but he’s not LeBron. There is only one superstar and it is Canelo Alvarez.”

Khan, a British-Pakistani Muslim star boxer, made a reported £7m fighting Dib, £3m more than he did against Terrence Crawford in April. He told Boxing Scene on Sunday that Saudi Arabia is a great country to fight in.

“It was an amazing experience for me. I had so much fun there,” said Khan. “Some people are happy that the Ruiz-Joshua fight is taking place there, and others are not. I wish them the best in whatever they want to do. At the end of the day, I’m focused on what I’m doing in Saudi Arabia … I want to fight again, and I can’t wait to go back to Saudi Arabia and do it there. It was a full house, and they demand boxers who are recognizable with big personalities. Organizers want to be involved in sports.”

Before his fight with Dib, Khan was quick to say that Saudi Arabians are throwing a lot of money on the table and that it would “be stupid to not take this opportunity.”

The boxer also commented on the overall betterment of human rights in the country while noting he wants to better build boxing in the country through Amir Khan Promotions and the Super Boxing League.

Meanwhile, Loeffler said a high-stakes fight like Ruiz-Joshua being held in a temporary outdoor stadium in Saudi Arabia could present logistical challenges, like best identifying who the local commissions would be and drug testing all the way down to lighting, broadcast equipment being used and even local hotels.

“When you go into a country for the first time, there are different kind of challenges you have to work on,” said Loeffler. “This is a huge fight fans and media are anticipating. Hopefully we get to see it come off without any hitches over there.”

 

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Hearn: Joshua Not Cashing Out, Wanted No Excuses in Victory

As previously reported, promoter Eddie Hearn says the decision to stage Anthony Joshua's world heavyweight title rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia can "change boxing forever".

Amnesty International has criticised the choice of venue for the fight on December 7 -- when Joshua will aim to win back the IBF, WBA, IBO and WBO titles he lost to Ruiz Jr in New York in June -- citing the country's poor human rights record, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the ongoing war in Yemen.

But Hearn defended the decision following rumours of Cardiff as a potential venue, citing other high-profile sports to have been played in Saudi Arabia while saying it could be a boost to boxing in general to broaden its audience.

Hearn insists it is unfair to criticise boxing for heading to Saudi Arabia, where Britain's Amir Khan also recently fought, because there are so many other sports organisations using the country now.

A neutral venue was at the request of Ruiz Jr, who did not want to fight in Britain. The bout will take place in Diriyah, a town on the outskirts of the capital Riyadh at around 2000 GMT.

Hearn also rejected any talk that Joshua was cashing himself out.

"He [Ruiz Jr] didn't want to fight in the UK, felt it was unfair, and I don't think AJ wants any excuses. He wants to make him feel that he's won it fair and square and do it on a neutral territory. I don't think Anthony Joshua needs to cash out. I think he's doing alright. In terms of the risk, there is greater risk for him in this fight, doing it in a neutral venue, than over in the UK. I think that's just common sense. I admire him for that," Hearn told Sky Sports.

"For Anthony Joshua, once you take away the controversy, the discussions, the curiosity, get down to the fight, which is the biggest fight in boxing, which is Anthony Joshua trying to regain his world heavyweight titles against Andy Ruiz, and it's in Saudi Arabia. It's going to be an event that will take your breath away, and it's going to be an event that will go down in history with the iconic heavyweight moments in the past."

 

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Hearn Reacts To Label of 'Sportswash' on Joshua-Ruiz Event

Eddie Hearn, promoter for Anthony Joshua, has reacted to the heavy criticism for staging the Andy Ruiz rematch in Saudi Arabia on December 7. Ruiz produced one of boxing's biggest upsets by beating the 29-year-old Joshua with a seventh-round stoppage at New York's Madison Square Garden on June 1.

www.boxingscene.com

Hearn Reacts To Label of 'Sportswash' on Joshua-Ruiz Event

Eddie Hearn, promoter for Anthony Joshua, has reacted to the heavy criticism for staging the Andy Ruiz rematch in Saudi Arabia on December 7.

Ruiz produced one of boxing's biggest heavyweight upsets by beating the 29-year-old Joshua with a seventh round stoppage at New York's Madison Square Garden on June 1.

The Briton, previously undefeated and fighting for the first time in the United States, was defending his IBF, WBA, IBO and WBO titles but was knocked down four times in the fight.

Hearn confirmed three days after the bout that Joshua had triggered the contracted rematch clause for what he called a 'must-win' fight for the 2012 Olympic super-heavyweight champion.

There are many critics who are claiming that the Saudi government is using Ruiz-Joshua to "sportswash" - basically being given a chance to cleanse the country image.

"I don't understand that term," Hearn said to The Associated Press. "What I do know is all the events that they have been running have been hugely accepted by the public, enjoyed by the public and you will see when Joshua fights Ruiz in Saudi Arabia the public will love this event. They will grow the sport of boxing in that region.

"Every promoter under the sun has been trying to land a mega fight in the Middle East for many, many years. I'm the one that's done it, and with that comes a little bit of a stick because we're the trailblazers behind that. Financially, obviously, it was a good deal for AJ."

Hearn is being hit with a lot of questions regarding the country's issues with women's rights, freedom of expression and gay rights. And the country is still under fire for last year's killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

"You're asking me questions that are more political based," Hearn said. "I'm a sports promoter and how I answer that is, is that they have a vision for the sport of boxing and a vision for sport. You either believe in that, or you think that has potential, or you refer to other stories.

"We knew the criticism we may face when we announced it. I refer to the fact that I've been to Saudi to an event [the World Boxing Super Series final in Jeddah in 2018]. It was a first-class event. Men and women are all welcome to this event. We've got to make sure that as many fans attend the events possible."

The AP also asked Hearn about Joshua's Israeli fans, who would be unable to enter Saudi Arabia.

"That's one well beyond my head as a sports promoter," Hearn said. "What I can tell you is, again following in the footsteps of major organizations that have staged very, very huge events."

Eddie doing what he does best lying and spinning bullshit...

 

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Wilder-Ortiz Rematch Now Targeted For Nov. 23 In Las Vegas

A long-discussed rematch targeted for Nov. 9 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. is finally on the verge of becoming a reality. Just not for Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz. The timeline has once again shifted for their yet-to-be scheduled heavyweight title fight, as has the proposed...

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Wilder-Ortiz Rematch Now Targeted For Nov. 23 In Las Vegas
By Jake Donovan

A long-discussed rematch targeted for Nov. 9 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. is finally on the verge of becoming a reality.

Just not for Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz.

The timeline has once again shifted for their yet-to-be scheduled heavyweight title fight, as has the proposed location. Two sources involved in such talks have informed BoxingScene.com that the bout is now penciled in—with eraser firmly attached at the other end—for Nov. 23 in Las Vegas, Nev.

A venue was not specified by either source, although the T-Mobile Arena is definitely ruled out as the National Hockey League (NHL) Vegas Golden Knights have a home scheduled on that date.

The forthcoming bout—which still has yet to be formally announced beyond Wilder (41-0-1, 40KOs) revealing it to be signed and sealed back in late May—was previously targeted for Sept. 28 and Nov. 9, with the Staples Center as the initial frontrunner to host the fight on either date.

Staples Center will now instead host a welterweight unification bout between Errol Spence and Shawn Porter on Sept. 28, headlining a Fox Sports Pay-Per-View event. The Nov. 9 date seemed like a reality for Wilder-Ortiz II once the National Basketball Association schedule was announced on Monday, leaving it as the only available Saturday for the rest of the year.

According to both sources, the decision was since made to have the fight instead take place in Las Vegas. It freed up an opportunity for YouTube celebrities Logan Paul and KSI to take their second act to L.A., as The Athletic has reported their rematch heading to the venue, with to be promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing USA outfit.

A Nov. 9 date remains possible for Wilder-Ortiz II, although sources from both camps have alerted BoxingScene.com to train and prepare for a Nov. 23 meeting.

Either date presents the same availability—or lack thereof—in Las Vegas. The MGM Grand Garden Arena—where Wilder won his title in a 12-round decision over Bermane Stiverne in Jan. 15—is available on both dates, as is Mandalay Bay. The T-Mobile Arena is booked on both dates, with NHL on the 23rd and the Professional Bull Riders World Series taking place from Nov. 6-10.

The memorable first fight between Wilder and Ortiz (31-1, 26KOs; 2NCs) took place last March at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Wllder endured a near-disastrous 7th round to rally back, dropping and stopping Ortiz in the 10th round of their instant classic.

Barclays serves as the official East Coast venue for all Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) events, including the last ring appearance for both boxers. Ortiz picked up his third straight win, scoring a 10-round decision over Christian Hammer this past March, exactly 52 weeks to the day of his lone career loss at the hands of Wilder.

Two months later came Wilder’s 4th stoppage win in as many appearances at Barclays, needing less than a round to score an iconic knockout over heated rival Dominic Breazeale. The venue was once teased as a strong possibility to host the rematch, but its events calendar quickly ruled out that possibility.

As plans continue to linger for this particular rematch, another for Wilder continues to wait in the wings. Assuming he escapes with his title (and unbeaten record) still intact, the long-reigning titlist is due to run it back with undefeated former lineal champion Tyson Fury.

Their bout has been targeted to take place in the first quarter of 2020, which would mark a year after plans for their originally scheduled rematch were squashed. The two were due to collide this past May, only for Fury to bail from negotiations at the 11th hour to instead sign a reported nine-figure deal with Top Rank and ESPN+.

Fury’s first fight under the pact came this past June, scoring a 2nd round knockout of then unbeaten—and still unheralded—Tom Schwarz in an event which generated a lot of coverage but proved disappointing at the box office. His next fight under said deal will also take place in Vegas and is just as uninspiring, as he faces unbeaten but unheralded Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin on Sept. 14 at T-Mobile Arena.

Hopefully by then, a final date, location and Pay-Per-View platform will have been established for Wilder’s long-discussed rematch with Ortiz. Should the Nov. 23 date stick, it will come two weeks prior to the announced Dec. 7 rematch between unified titlist Andy Ruiz Jr. and dethroned champ Anthony Joshua.

Similar spacing came with the last time Wilder and Joshua fought. Wilder’s win over Breazeale came exactly two weeks prior to England’s Joshua watching his U.S. debut and title reign end in shambles, as he was stopped in seven rounds by California’s Ruiz.

While their rematch has been formally announced, it has yet to be blessed by one of its participants. Ruiz Jr. has shown disinterest in traveling to Saudi Arabia for the event.

At least he has a date and location to complain about. It’s more than can be said for the lone remaining heavyweight title fight for 2019, whose constant change in plans have paved the way for a celebrity boxing rematch to revel in the aftermath.

 

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Ruiz balks at fighting Joshua in Saudi Arabia

Promoter Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua's side controls the site for his rematch with Andy Ruiz.

www.espn.com

Ruiz balks at fighting Joshua in Saudi Arabia

Before unified heavyweight world titleholder Andy Ruiz Jr. and former titlist Anthony Joshua fight in the ring in their much-anticipated rematch, there apparently will be a fight over where the bout will take place.

Ruiz was vocal about not wanting to have the rematch on Joshua's turf in the United Kingdom when the likely site was going to be Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. But when Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn announced last Friday that the bout would take place on Dec. 14 in a soon-to-be-constructed outdoor stadium in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, where the government is backing a site fee worth tens of millions of dollars, Ruiz also was not pleased.

He wants the fight to take place in the United States or Mexico, even though contractually he has no say on the matter.

"I know everyone is talking about the fight and all that," Ruiz said on Tuesday in a live Instagram chat. "But we got the real news coming soon and the fight is gonna happen soon."

In answering fan questions, Ruiz later said, "AJ got the rematch, yes we do got the rematch. But it's gonna be on my terms. We're gonna bring it back here in the United States."

That notion would fly in the face of Hearn's announcement on Friday and subsequent news conference in London on Monday when he appeared with Omar Khalil, the managing partner of Skill Challenge Entertainment, the company that spearheaded the Saudi Arabian effort to land the fight, and discussed a variety of aspects of the fight taking place in Saudi Arabia.

Hearn reiterated that the site will be Diriyah.

"Absolutely it will," Hearn told ESPN on Wednesday. "We have been in constant contact with Ruiz's promoter (Tom Brown of TGB Promotions) and team about the rematch. Together we have written to all the governing bodies to confirm the date and location of the bout and the press conference will take place at the beginning of September."

Hearn said there will be a kickoff news conference in Saudi Arabia followed by stops in London and New York.

On June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York, Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs), 29, of Imperial, California, survived a third-round knockdown to drop Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs), 29, of England, twice later in the third round and scored two more knockdowns in the seventh round to score a seventh-round knockout. It was one of the biggest upsets in boxing history as Ruiz claimed three major heavyweight titles from Joshua and became the first fighter of Mexican descent to win a heavyweight world title.

Ruiz had taken the bout on only a few weeks' notice, personally messaging Hearn in an effort to land the bout after New York contender Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller was dropped after testing positive in four random drug tests.

As is typical in boxing, when a non-mandatory challenger receives a title shot, he almost always has to agree to a rematch clause and pre-determined terms for that rematch in the event that he wins. So, in his initial agreement, Ruiz's purse for a potential rematch in case he won was already specified -- around $9 million, according to sources -- as was the acknowledgement that Joshua's side would control the event, meaning the site, the date, the location, any broadcast deals, etc.

Hearn has said that Ruiz's original contract for the first fight indeed specified that Joshua's side would control the site of the rematch.

Ruiz could certainly refuse to fight, but not only would he be giving up his biggest payday -- by far -- he would also face litigation that, if previous similar case results are taken into account, would mean the likelihood that he would be enjoined from fighting for a lengthy period of time unless he fights Joshua next. If Ruiz still decided to sit out, he almost certainly would be stripped of his titles over time due to inactivity.

More likely, Ruiz's team is angling just to get better terms for the rematch, not an uncommon thing in boxing when there is so much money involved. Ruiz-Joshua II is probably worth nine figures overall.

"AJ, he's scared. Hell yeah, why do you think he's over there, trying to make the fight in Saudi Arabia," Ruiz said in his Instagram video. "Look, United States of America wants to... never mind, I can't say nothing. But the fight is gonna happen soon."

Brown could not be reached for comment.

 

[dasmooth1]

Anyone looking forward to Yarde vs Kovalev in a couple of weeks?

Yarde has never fought anyone as good as Kovalev before so it's hard to know exactly how good he is. This fight will tell us everything we still don't know about him. Does he have what it takes to step up in class and beat a top level boxer? Does he have the skills? The stamina? The chin? Kovalev will force Yarde to answer those questions. Yarde comes to drop bombs. He is fast and heavy handed so this is a match up I'm really excited to see.

We will see if he can take a punch. I have my doubts about him

 

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