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

[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.))

[TitoFan]

The fact that Wlad was knocked out by Puritty (and Sanders.... and Brewster) just strengthens my argument. Thanks.

Immediately after losing to Brewster, his next fight was in the States. From there on out it seems every other fight was in the States. He goes back to being champion and continues fighting in the States.

Comparing number of fights is meaningless. Wlad took a lot longer to fight for a championship, is all. Once he became champion, he fought as much outside Germany as he did in Germany.

He didn't cower in Germany after the first time he got knocked out.

In comparison, Joshua became champion rather quickly, the whole time in the comfort of home. The first time he ventures outside..... BAM!

Now he refuses to leave the UK and wants Ruiz to come to him.

Fact.

[smashup]

Anyway...... back on topic 👍🏻
Saudi Arabia is 2 hours ahead of the UK and 7 hours ahead of New York City.

Midnight in Saudi gives us 5pm USA & 10pm in the UK

That works for me 😎

[Spicoli]

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.

But honestly man, why leave for the sake of leaving if a guy is taking care of business and at the very top. As I said who was he to leave for as a multi champion. AJ wanted to introduce himself to a new market, new fans and expand upon future champs and threats he was already riffing with. Now he doesn't care to return once it went busto. Ah well.

I can't imagine GGG taking too much stick off a disputed rough draw had he gone onto a record title run. Not to mention then moving up in weight, reinventing his style and skill and competing beating some of the best there too. Fans put that into perspective over time. No one pretends Mercado was anymore than his shining night and was also the beneficiary of a missed call or two by the ref . Young Hopkins had a tough obscure fight in a Country that has only 2 title fights in it's history and dominated the championship rounds. Annnd brutalized Mercado if immediate rematch. Then he became legend.

On a side note Saudi Arabia is horrible. All about the bills and bank with that location and there will be many fans who miss it. Much rather across the pond or in the States but this is like pawning out a pristine attraction to someone who has no idea they have before them.

[palmerq]

Quito is at a very high altitude, it's more of an oddity. I don't think it's the fairest comparison of how fighters do.. Quito is around 700 meters higher up than the big bear gym. :S

[smashup]

They're purpose building a 12 - 16 thousand outdoor arena for this one andclassing it as an "event" with live acts like David Guerra djing over the weekend.
70% of Saudi Arabia's 45 million population is aged under 24 so you can see exactly who they're aiming this "event" at.
With all this money being thrown at this Sky Sports should have made it free to air which could have brought in viewing figures of 4-5 million easily (probably more).
Hearn saying the crowd will be "Vibrant" and people are "Naive towards Saudi Arabia" is utter bullshit!
The recent Amir Khan fight had fuck all atmosphere throughout the entire event.
Will be an interesting spectacle with amazing production levels but fights in the places like Saudi Arabia will never draw UK fans to fly over.

[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.

But honestly man, why leave for the sake of leaving if a guy is taking care of business and at the very top. As I said who was he to leave for as a multi champion. AJ wanted to introduce himself to a new market, new fans and expand upon future champs and threats he was already riffing with. Now he doesn't care to return once it went busto. Ah well.

I can't imagine GGG taking too much stick off a disputed rough draw had he gone onto a record title run. Not to mention then moving up in weight, reinventing his style and skill and competing beating some of the best there too. Fans put that into perspective over time. No one pretends Mercado was anymore than his shining night and was also the beneficiary of a missed call or two by the ref . Young Hopkins had a tough obscure fight in a Country that has only 2 title fights in it's history and dominated the championship rounds. Annnd brutalized Mercado if immediate rematch. Then he became legend.

On a side note Saudi Arabia is horrible. All about the bills and bank with that location and there will be many fans who miss it. Much rather across the pond or in the States but this is like pawning out a pristine attraction to someone who has no idea they have before them.

You seem to think i'm saying something i'm not, so just to be clear...

I replied to the notion that - home advantage isn't relevant and true champions fight anywhere. I used Hopkins, among other examples, to highlight greats who wouldn't leave home without good reason (the Mercado fight says it all). I agree that without reason there's no point for champs to give up home advantage, being the home fighter is obviously preferable, a privilege champions have exploited since the dawn of time.

1. I am not disparaging Hopkins in any way whatsoever.

2. I am not saying Golovkin or any travelling champion is better than Hopkins.

3. I am not saying stay at home fighters can't be legends.