Ruiz vs Joshua 2: Betting Preview and Predictions

Ruiz vs Joshua 2. We are less than one month away from the rematch plenty of people have been talking about since these two first met in June this year.

Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr will go toe-to-toe once more on December 7 with the WBA, WBO and IBF titles on the line that Ruiz took off Joshua in June. A win for the English heavyweight would put him back in the frame for some big fights in 2020, while another defeat would cast a huge cloud over his future, this could be a career defining fight for the 30-year-old. 

When and Where Will This Fight Take Place? 

This is something new for UK boxing fans to look forward to as this fight will be held in Saudi Arabia. The fight will take place on December 7, with the UK-friendly estimated rink walk time of between 9 and 10pm GMT. 

The venue will add a different element to the fight for boxers to think about. We usually see big fights like this in front of stadiums full of people who are desperate for one of the fighters to win, but that won’t be the case here. Saudi Arabia are throwing a lot of money at hosting sporting events, they recently held PPV wrestling there including a match for boxer Tyson Fury, and this boxing match is the next event to take place. 

What Happened in the First Fight?

The first fight turned out to be the biggest night of Andy Ruiz Jr’s boxing career, beating the boxer that many argued was in the top two or three heavyweights on the planet. The fight was ended by seventh round knockout, with Ruiz taking home the three belts that were on the line. Much has been said about Joshua since, was he too relaxed, not taking Ruiz seriously enough, was he unwell, or was something else troubling him? Either way, Ruiz has the chance to prove it was no fluke in Saudi Arabia, while Joshua has a chance to put it all behind him with a dominating performance. 

What are the Bookmakers Predicting for Round Two?

Despite everything that happened inside Madison Square Garden on that night in June, the bookmakers have installed Anthony Joshua as a strong favourite to regain his titles from Andy Ruiz on December 7. 

Those who fancy Ruiz to cause another upset probably shouldn’t be too concerned with this though, as he was a big outsider to win the first bout between these two. Betting on Ruiz to win this will be betting against the public and what they think will happen, but that situation is exactly what we saw in June. 

Bookmakers such as those listed on newbettingsites.uk have had odds available for this bout for quite some time, and there has been little in the way of movement. The odds available on a Joshua win by any method are around 2/5, while Andy Ruiz Jr has odds of around 2/1 on him to chalk up a second victory over Anthony Joshua.