So where will the Ruiz-Joshua rematch finally take place?

[SlimTrae]

Wow... what a battle. Gone are the days when true champions would travel anywhere to either win or defend their titles. Now it's just a giant pissing contest as to where this long awaited rematch will finally be held.

So sad, so true. Few dare to become a road warrior.

[X]

I look at it like this.

If you are the heavyweight champion of the WORLD, that means you are the champion of everywhere.

When Joshua was the titleholder .... he was already heavyweight champion of the US and also Mexico (and even Azerbaijan).

Manoevering for home advantage by either guy is just unseemly.

When Ali fought Juergen Blin in Germany, he was heavyweight champion of Germany. When Tyson fought Tony Tubbs in Tokyo he was heavyweight champion of Japan.

[Fenster]

I look at it like this.

If you are the heavyweight champion of the WORLD, that means you are the champion of everywhere.

When Joshua was the titleholder .... he was already heavyweight champion of the US and also Mexico (and even Azerbaijan).

Manoevering for home advantage by either guy is just unseemly.

When Ali fought Juergen Blin in Germany, he was heavyweight champion of Germany. When Tyson fought Tony Tubbs in Tokyo he was heavyweight champion of Japan.

What was different in those days to this? Tyson-Tubbs was in Tokyo because they (Don King) was paid absolute fortunes to have the fight there (it was to promote the opening of the Tokyo Dome).

I don't know about Ali's day, but why did he defend his title in the European champions country if it wasn't for the payday?

Both Tubbs and Blin were labeled "bums" by the boxing press.

[X]

Yes, but the point I'm making is that they defended their world titles in countries other than their own one .... because they were WORLD champs and thought of themselves as such

[smashup]

There's ALOT of talk this might happen in Saudi Arabia ££££$$$$

[smashup]

Hope not as the atmosphere Will be like a morgue!

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxin...thony-18861608

[Fenster]

Wow... what a battle. Gone are the days when true champions would travel anywhere to either win or defend their titles. Now it's just a giant pissing contest as to where this long awaited rematch will finally be held.

So sad, so true. Few dare to become a road warrior.

Very true. Boxing history would be a whole lot different if greats like Floyd and Roy and Oscar and Leonard and Hopkins etc were forced on the road. Home advantage is clearly a huge factor.

Fighters like Winky and Froch and Martinez and Golovkin don't get the credit they deserve for fighting all over the world.

[Ron Swanson]

Wow... what a battle. Gone are the days when true champions would travel anywhere to either win or defend their titles. Now it's just a giant pissing contest as to where this long awaited rematch will finally be held.

So sad, so true. Few dare to become a road warrior.

Very true. Boxing history would be a whole lot different if greats like Floyd and Roy and Oscar and Leonard and Hopkins etc were forced on the road. Home advantage is clearly a huge factor.

Fighters like Winky and Froch and Martinez and Golovkin don't get the credit they deserve for fighting all over the world.

Someday you will get that careers aren’t about race or country, they’re about opponents. Of course that means changing your entire MO but it’s so painfully obvious that eventually you’ll get it.

[Fenster]

Wow... what a battle. Gone are the days when true champions would travel anywhere to either win or defend their titles. Now it's just a giant pissing contest as to where this long awaited rematch will finally be held.

So sad, so true. Few dare to become a road warrior.

Very true. Boxing history would be a whole lot different if greats like Floyd and Roy and Oscar and Leonard and Hopkins etc were forced on the road. Home advantage is clearly a huge factor.

Fighters like Winky and Froch and Martinez and Golovkin don't get the credit they deserve for fighting all over the world.

Someday you will get that careers aren’t about race or country, they’re about opponents. Of course that means changing your entire MO but it’s so painfully obvious that eventually you’ll get it.

Do I have permission to reply? (honestly, dude, I don't want to upset you)

[Primo Carnera]

We can say where we want it to be, where we think it will be, but ultimately whether we like it or not, the rematch will be where Eddie says it’ll be.
They made the contract with the clauses and Ruiz signed it.
Yep, we can cry that’s it’s not fair and all that, but it is what it is.

[Spicoli]

As long as a champion is meeting nearly all top challenges and unifying I can't knock a guy for not traveling for the sake of traveling. Roy should have traveled or at least attempted Benn or Michalczewski. But he was spoiled a bit on a HBO contract that gave green lights to 101 random mandatories. Hopkins had it locked down at 160 with top 10 basically all American. Who was he supposed to chase McCracken? Times are different now, the sport and media exposure has exploded Globally. Shoot he went to Ecuador for a strap and had one of the toughest wars of his early career thanks largely to massive elevation and cutting corners . Grabbed his 'real' 175 up in ol Canada. Twice if you count the bs "draw" call. Have to remember also that the U.S isn't tiny, there are massive historical rivalries East to West coast where some Cities and venues are arguably hostile and foreign enough . Ruiz holds the belts, Joshua wants them back. I still think the longer it's haggard the stripping starts. Do think Andy and Joshua may be cutting off their noses to spite their faces if they stay so grounded on Mexico or U.K rather than anywhere U.S.A. I get it money talks but fans travel too.

[TitoFan]

To each his own I guess. Say what you will about Wlad (I was never a fan), but the guy did travel quite a bit. Fought a lot in Germany yes.... but also did plenty of time in the States, and would fight anywhere it seems. Contrast this with Joshua, who has fought exclusively in the UK save for that one time he ventured out to MSG and got his ass handed to him. At least from here it looks like the kid who beckons to the bully from behind his parents' skirts. To those who say home advantage is not a factor I say good for you. I think it definitely plays a role. If you're a real champ you go anywhere and get it.

[smashup]

Saudi Arabia

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2...abia-december/

[Fenster]

Spicoli - the all-time-great, B-Hop, was knocked down twice and scraped a draw with a man who never got close to the top, before or after (nobody would ever believe Mercado not only beat Hopkins but stopped him). Imagine the stick Golovkin or Canelo would get for Mercado?

The very fact Hopkins dominated the rematch, back home in the USA, which he wouldn't leave again for 20 years, and the "excuses" for Ecuador were all about the "climate," alien conditions and surroundings is a perfect example of exactly why home advantage is so important to fighters.

Imagine if Floyd fought Castillo in Mexico? He'd almost definitely have one loss on his record, probably two. And would never have generated the stardom or money his "0" allowed them to exploit.

[Fenster]

Wlad was knocked out in his 25th fight to journeyman Ross Purity, he had 10 more fights before challenging for the WBO title, the few times he fought in America were "off-TV," undercard bouts.

Joshua has had 23 fights and just headlined the biggest heavyweight fight in America for over a decade.

((before you start screaming i'm a "fanboy" and "cocksucker" and have my "head up his arse" i'm merely highlighting the comparison doesn't fit, not that Joshua deserves any special treatment or I even think he's anything special, I don't and never have. Fact.))