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| Credit: Amanda Westcott/DAZN |
Press Release: By DAZN – NEW
YORK, Sept. 6, 2019 – Heavyweight champion
Andy Ruiz, Jr. and Anthony Joshua OBE concluded their three-continent press
tour today in London, following stops in the fight’s host city of Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia on Wednesday, and New York on Thursday. The rematch between Ruiz and Joshua
will stream exclusively on DAZN in the United States on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) shocked the sports world in June when he
toppled then-undefeated heavyweight world champion Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) at
Madison Square Garden, spoiling the former titlist’s U.S. debut. Following the
biggest heavyweight upset in decades, Joshua triggered an immediate rematch and
the two now prepare to meet at a neutral site for this historic fight, which
has been dubbed the “Clash on the Dunes.”
Joshua, 29, was scheduled to face Jarrell Miller on June 1 in
his U.S. debut, but when Miller failed multiple drug tests ahead of the bout,
Ruiz, 29, was brought in as a replacement one month before the fight. Despite
handicappers pegging Ruiz as a double-digit underdog, he scored boxing’s most
consequential upset in years, which catapulted him as an overnight celebrity.
As the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, he will look to defend
his titles against Joshua and prove that his victory was not a fluke, while
Joshua looks to regain his status as the heavyweight division’s kingpin.
QUOTES
FROM THURSDAY’S NEW YORK CITY PRESS CONFERENCE
Andy Ruiz Jr.
“I know AJ, I know he
wants his belts back, I know he does, I know how it feels to lose. I lost
against Joseph Parker, when I thought I won the fight. And he could bounce
back. But my job is for him not to win. For him not to get these belts back.
“I’ve been through so
many roller coasters in my life, so many doubters in my life telling me I
wasn’t gonna do nothing just because of my appearance, the way I look. But at
least I think I’m proof – where people can say man, if he did it, I can do it.
And they could. Long as you train hard, you dedicate yourself, and you believe
what you want to do.
“What I believe on
December 7 is that the same results are gonna happen. I’m gonna train my ass
off, God’s on my side, and we’re gonna win.”
Anthony Joshua
“There’s times I’ve
faced defeat, as an amateur in my third fight. And imagine I would have stopped
then? There’d be no now. I lost in the European Quarter Finals. Imagine I would
have stopped then? There’d be no now. I lost in the World Championship Finals.
Imagine I would have stopped then? There’d be no now. I feel like stopping
isn’t in my DNA.
“As long as I have
breath in me, I’ll keep on fighting for the passion of boxing, more so to carry
the sport, as an ambassador of the sport, and for an ambassador of championship
level fighting, I feel like that’s where I belong.
“I was born with a
fighting spirit. I know how to fight. And the blessing is that people reflect
it as you lost the titles, you lost your titles. And I always say that to lose
something is to never get it back. But I believe, and I’m certain, that I am
going to have a second chance on December 7.
“We didn’t have no
warm-up fight, I’m not gun shy. I’m looking forward to getting back in there
December 7 and reclaiming my belts.”
Joseph Markowski, EVP
DAZN, North America
“After a lot of
chatter and bluster over the summer, two things are very clear to me right now:
Ruiz-Joshua II is the most-anticipated fight of the year and we’re building
towards the best year-end schedule that the sport has seen in some
time. It will be a full season of premium-quality matchups. Fight season on
DAZN.
“We launched in the
U.S. last September and in the course of one year, we have reshaped the boxing
landscape by focusing on our mission statement – to bring the best schedule of
fights to fans at an affordable price point.
“The DAZN year-end calendar
has it all: Bright young stars like Devin Haney, Jaime Munguia and Ryan Garcia;
Champion vs. champion unification matchups like Prograis vs. Taylor and Inoue
vs. Donaire; and the world’s biggest fighters in championship bouts. Gennady
Golovkin is back in title contention. And of course, Anthony Joshua and Andy
Ruiz.”
Eddie Hearn, Managing
Director of Matchroom Sport
“Well, what have we
got here? The biggest fight of the year. The rematch: Andy Ruiz against Anthony
Joshua, for the unified world heavyweight title. Who would have thought it, who
would have seen it? Saudi Arabia, December 7th, live and exclusive on DAZN
across America, live and exclusive on SkySport Box Office in the UK, and of
course with all our broadcasters all over the world.
“On December 7, you
will witness an event that you will never forget. Major heavyweight fights in
the past where the venues have took people by surprise, the ‘Rumble in the
Jungle,’ the ‘Thrilla of Manila,’ trust me when I say that this event is of the
same guild.
“On June 1, we brought
a sold out Madison Square Garden to their feet with these two warriors. One of
the best fights of the year, one of the great upsets of heavyweight boxing.
Perhaps this man [points to Ruiz] didn’t believe it was an upset. But now the
whole world is watching for the rematch. And it will be truly epic.”
Since its launch in the U.S. one year ago, DAZN has quickly
reshaped the boxing landscape by putting together the best schedule in the
sport and making premium fights more affordable for fans. The 2019 “Fight
Season” on DAZN is quickly coming together, featuring some of the biggest
names and matchups in the sweet science, including:
·
Sept.
13 – Devin Haney
vs. Zaur Abdullaev & Amanda Serrano vs. Heather Hardy
·
Sept.
14 – Jaime Munguia
vs. Patrick Allotey & Ryan Garcia vs. Avery Sparrow
·
Oct.
5 – Gennadiy “GGG”
Golovkin vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko
·
Oct.
12 – Oleksandr Usyk
vs. Tyrone Spong
·
Oct.
26 – Regis Prograis
vs. Josh Taylor (WBSS Junior Welterweight Final)
·
Nov.
7 – Naoya Inoue
vs. Nonito Donaire (WBSS Bantamweight Final)
·
Nov.
9 – KSI vs. Logan
Paul II
·
Dec.
7 – Ruiz vs.
Joshua II
Download DAZN on your TV or connected device to catch all DAZN
live events, including the Ruiz vs. Joshua rematch on Dec. 7. Fans can keep up
with the busy “Fight Season” schedule on DAZN’s social media channels,
including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and can sign up
now at www.DAZN.com.
About DAZN:
DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the
world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded across four continents
with the app currently available for download in the United States,
Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the
U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view
within the combat sports industry. The platform features big
fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions,
Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas, all for
one affordable price, on any device - including smart TVs, smartphones,
tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of
the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp. In September, the
much-anticipated daily program The Pat McAfee Show debuts on the platform.
Material Courtesy of: DAZN/Photo Courtesy of: Amanda
Westcott/DAZN Used with permission.
For more information about DAZN including schedules,
availability around the world, list of compatible streaming devices/smart TVs,
and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau
Denison All Rights Reserved.
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