Andy Ruiz Jr. is still yet to go public on a recent announcement by Eddie Hearn of a rematch with Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia.
Hearn staged a two-man press conference on Monday, confirming the fight will go ahead in the Middle East on December 7.
Since the return was ratified last Friday, Ruiz has refused to acknowledge any notion of the ‘Clash on the Dunes’ through social media.
Prior to the weekend, the world heavyweight champion was highly active on his newly-found platform.
Opening the account around the time of the first fight, and subsequently being blue-ticked by Twitter, Ruiz has amassed a staggering amount of followers during that time.
Ruiz is closing in on 120,000 fans. But has so far not been ready to enlighten them on his thoughts.
The 29 year-old stunned the boxing world when ripping Joshua’s belts away on June 1st at Madison Square Garden.
A second instalment has been on the cards for some time since Hearn and AJ invoked a clause in the contract.
One hundred percent certain the encounter is on, Ruiz has signed the contract – says Hearn. That said, the Mexican-American’s lack of promotion or even recognization of the bout speaks volumes.
Wanting Mexico or the United States to host, it seems Ruiz has been blindsided by Hearn’s conversations with Saudi investors.
At the very least, Ruiz was hoping New York or California could secure the rights to stage fight II.
MARMITE
Now, the left-field selection of Hearn may have caught Ruiz off guard somewhat. Al Haymon, who handles the affairs of Ruiz, is not thought to be entirely happy either.
Both fighters will in for a new experience when they line up to trade in Diriyah. Joshua, the pre-fight favorite, has a one hundred percent loss record on the road. This fact is due to the 2012 Olympic gold medalist previously opting not to tread outside the UK.
For his part, Ruiz has fought three times away from Mexico and the USA. He won twice in Macau before being defeated by Joseph Parker controversially in New Zealand.
The longer Ruiz stays silent, the less likely his own supporters will embrace the contest. This is something Hearn will want addressed.
As things stand, Ruiz v Joshua II is happening in Saudi Arabia, like it or not. And the sooner the champion is on board, the better it will be for promoting what is becoming a Marmite event.
Phil Jay is Editor of World Boxing News and an Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow on Twitter @PhilDJay
