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Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 KO) will be out to prove his heavyweight worth tomorrow afternoon (Sat., Dec. 7, 2019) live on DAZN from inside Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, when he meets current champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-1, 22 KO) in a highly-anticipated rematch. The main event will be contested for Ruiz’s WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles.
This is a massive fight for both heavyweights, but Joshua is arguably risking more. After getting stopped by Ruiz via seventh-round TKO back in June, the English superstar needs a win this weekend to regain all momentum he lost just six months ago. With a victory over Ruiz, Joshua would not only reclaim his titles but open up future fights with fellow heavyweight standouts Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
Due to the magnitude of this rematch Joshua stands to bank a ridiculous amount of money. According to Chris McKenna of Daily Star Sports (via Forbes), Joshua stands to bank an estimated total of $60 million for his main event bid in Saudi Arabia. That’s pretty impressive considering Joshua is not the champion and coming off a disappointing knockout loss.
Ruiz, on the other hand, is expected to earn somewhere in the ballpark of $9 million. That number is considerably lower than Joshua’s payday because Ruiz’s salary was set in stone from the first fight’s contract, which included a rematch clause. Ruiz is only earning $2 million more than his first bout with Joshua, but he is getting the neutral host site that he was hoping for, as Joshua wanted the rematch to happen in England.
All that’s left to do is fight. Because no matter how much money is being thrown at each heavyweight they still need to take care of business this weekend in one of the biggest rematches in recent boxing memory.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the main event below. The DAZN broadcast begins at noon ET, with Ruiz and Joshua set to make their ring walks around 3:45 p.m. ET.