Andy Ruiz Jr. talks about a possible rematch with Anthony Joshua.
Andy Ruiz Jr.’s life has drastically changed after his monumental upset against Anthony Joshua. He’s currently on a media tour, getting mainstream exposure, and even possibly landing lucrative sponsors (like Snickers) from the big win. The newly crowned heavyweight champ has his sights set even higher for the rematch though.
If they push the bout to happen in hostile territory in the U.K., Ruiz wants to be fully compensated for it.
“Yeah, I think they did say November, December but right now my team, they’re negotiating everything right now,” Ruiz told Fight Hub (transcript via Bad Left Hook). “I just gotta stay busy, stay healthy, and be ready for the rematch.
“I would love it to be here in the United States or in Mexico, you know. But, hey, it all depends on the team and what we negotiate. You know, if they want me to go over there they have to give me $50 million dollars. It they wanna come over there, you know — it’s just negotiations.”
Ruiz went on to say that he expects Joshua to fight a lot different in the rematch, but the result will remain the same.
“We all have improvements to make and we always learn as boxers, we always have stuff to learn. And I think if we do the rematch he’s gonna be a little bit more cautious. I think he’s gonna try to box me around [the ring] but Anthony’s not good moving back, moving around,” he said.
“But if we both exchange punches I’m easily gonna — I have the faster hands and I can take a punch.”
While the $50 million request is highly unlikely, negotiations for this rematch will be interesting as Ruiz is set to earn significantly more than his earlier purse. The Mexican-American reportedly took home around $7 million as a late replacement, while Joshua, the champion at the time, was said to have made under $25 million for the bout.
The British heavyweight star also reportedly gets 85% of event profits from his bouts.