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Ruiz – Joshua 2: Cash on the Dunes

Ruiz – Joshua 2: Cash on the Dunes
Now that Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to focus on boxing’s next big heavyweight fight.
On August 9, promoter Eddie Hearn announced that the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz would take place on December 7 in Saudi Arabia.
Three days later, Hearn hosted a two-man press conference in London with Omar Khalil, managing partner of Skill Challenge Entertainment (the Saudi Kingdom’s “official event partner” that is putting up the money to bring the fight to Saudi Arabia). After Hearn’s opening statement, he engaged in a dialogue with Khalil who told those in attendance, “We’re a democracy of forty million people” and said that the event was part of a plan to “enhance the quality of life and overall wellbeing” of the Saudi people.
“We love what you’re doing here for sports,” Hearn responded. “This is how you grow the sport of boxing. The world will stand still to witness history in Saudi Arabia.”
Matt Christie (editor of Boxing News, the world’s longest running boxing publication) wrote of the announcement, “It’s hard to remember confirmation of such a highly anticipated showdown being so poorly received.”
Joshua’s career has been built on the adoration of British boxing fans, most of whom (like members of the boxing media) have little desire to travel to Saudi Arabia. Some employees of Sky Sport (which televises Joshua’s fights in the United Kingdom) and DAZN (which will stream the bout live in the United States) are also wary of going to Saudi Arabia.
More significantly, the choice of Saudi Arabia as the site for Ruiz-Joshua 2 has led to an outpouring of criticism from human rights groups and others who are concerned that the move plays into the Saudi Kingdom’s efforts to “sportswash” its dismal record on human rights.
Let’s start with some facts.
Saudi Arabia is not a democracy.
The National Democratic Institute (a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization founded in 1983)Â states, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has one of the most tightly controlled political systems in the world . . . Ordinary Saudis lack protections for the exercise of basic civil rights, including speech and association, and have limited opportunity to participate in the political process at the national level.”
The Economist’s 2018 Democracy Index ranks the Saudi government as the ninth-most authoritarian regime in the world among 169 countries listed.
Reporters Without Borders has described the Saudi government as “relentless in its censorship of the Saudi media and the Internet.” In 2019, it ranked Saudi Arabia 172nd out of 180 countries in its Press Freedom Index.
Saudi Arabia has played a troubling role in the ongoing war in Yemen.
Women in Saudi Arabia are relegated by law to second-class status.
Same-sex activity in Saudi Arabia is punishable by fines, imprisonment, and torture.
And the involvement of the Saudi government in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, is a matter of public record. It’s particularly troubling that, at the September 5, 2019, press conference in New York for Ruiz-Joshua 2, Eddie Hearn acknowledged the presence of Prince Khalid bin Salman, who had traveled to the United States for a meeting with officials of the Trump Administration. Prince Khalid has been named in reliable intelligence reports as having been complicit in Khashoggi’s murder.
Moreover, there are legitimate safety concerns related to holding Ruiz-Joshua 2 in Saudi Arabia.
The United States Department of State has four advisory levels for travelers:
Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions
Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution
Level 3 – Reconsider Travel
Level 4 – Do Not Travel
As of November 24, 2019, the State Department website had a “level 2” advisory for Saudia Arabia with the notation, “Exercise increased caution in Saudi Arabia due to terrorism and the threat of missile and drone attacks on civilian targets . . . Terrorists have targeted both Saudi and Western government interests, mosques and other religious sites (both Sunni and Shia), and places frequented by U.S. citizens and other Westerners.”
The September 14 terrorist drone attacks on nineteen key Saudi Arabian oil facilities further undermined confidence in the safety of the Ruiz-Joshua 2 promotion.
But money talks. And the Saudi Kingdom has given the promotion a lot of money (estimates range from $40 million to $100 million) to bring the fight to Saudi Arabia. Eddie Hearn referenced this reality at the September 5 press conference in New York when he declared, “No other country can compete with the money that’s available for boxing in the Middle East. If I don’t do it, some other promoter would.”
Hearn has also referenced two fight cards previously contested in Saudi Arabia – the September 28, 2018, World Boxing Super Series final between Callum Smith and George Groves (before the murder of Jamal Khashoggi) and the July 12, 2019, event headlined by Amir Khan vs. Billy Dib.
Other thoughts offered by Hearn have included:
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â “We really wanted to go somewhere who believed in the sport of boxing, that had a vision. We have to realize that there is another world out there outside of Cardiff and Madison Square Garden, and we have an obligation to grow the sport of boxing to new areas, to new regions. This event could change boxing forever because, if Saudi Arabia are going to invest in these kind of fights with the population that they have, with the potential to grow the sport of boxing, you could be seeing a big change in the dynamics of the sport. That’s something that really truly excites me.”
* Â Â Â Â Â Â Â “The world will stop to watch this fight. Iâm telling you, this is another Thrilla in Manila. This is another Rumble in the Jungle. Trust me when I say, this is one of the biggest heavyweight events of all time.â
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â “This [Saudi Arabia] is probably the safest place I’ve ever been to.”
Tickets for Joshua-Ruiz 2 went on sale on September 13. The top ticket price was listed at approximately $13,500.
There are political and economic reasons why the United States and United Kingdom do business in Saudi Arabia. But that doesn’t mean we should pretend that it’s a democracy or has the entertainment value of Disneyland.
In March of this year, Endeavor (which owns UFC) returned a $400 million investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and severed ties with the Kingdom to protest the role that the Saudi government played in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The absence of democracy in Saudi Arabia, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia’s role in the ongoing war in Yemen, and other issues involving the Kingdom should be weighed by the media in determining how to report on, and whether or not to attend, Ruiz-Joshua 2.
British journalist Kevin Mitchell spoke for many when he wrote in The Guardian, “This is about money, not morals â because the business does not do all that well with morals. Human rights abuse, the slaughter of innocent people in Yemen and the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi seem to have been no impediment to doing a deal with a regime so transparently desperate for international approval that ‘sportswashing’, as it has become known, is a central plank of their public relations platform.”
Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book — A Dangerous Journey: Another Year Inside Boxing — was published by the University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism.
Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel Â
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Argentinaâs Fernando Martinez Wins His Rematch with Kazuto Ioka

In an excellent fight climaxed by a furious 12th round, Argentinaâs Fernando Daniel Martinez came off the deck to win his rematch with Kazuto Ioka and retain his piece of the world 115-pound title. The match was staged at Iokaâs familiar stomping grounds, the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.
In their first meeting on July 7 of last year in Tokyo, Martinez was returned the winner on scores of 117-111, 116-112, and a bizarre 120-108. The rematch was slated for late December, but Martinez took ill a few hours before the weigh-in and the bout was postponed.
The 33-year-old Martinez, who came in sporting a 17-0 (9) record, was a 7-2 favorite to win the sequel, but there were plenty of reasons to favor Ioka, 36, aside from his home field advantage. The first Japanese male fighter to win world titles in four weight classes, Ioka was 3-0 in rematches and his long-time trainer Ismael Salas was on a nice roll. Salas was 2-0 last weekend in Times Square, having handled upset-maker Rolly Romero and Reito Tsutsumi who was making his pro debut.
But the fourth time was not a charm for Ioka (31-4-1) who seemingly pulled the fight out of the fire in round 10 when he pitched the Argentine to the canvas with a pair of left hooks, but then wasnât able to capitalize on the momentum swing.
Martinez set a fast pace and had Ioka fighting off his back foot for much of the fight. Beginning in round seven, Martinez looked fatigued, but the Argentine was conserving his energy for the championship rounds. In the end, he won the bout on all three cards: 114-113, 116-112, 117-110.
Up next for Fernando Martinez may be a date with fellow unbeaten Jesse âBamâ Rodriguez, the lineal champion at 115. San Antonioâs Rodriguez is a huge favorite to keep his title when he defends against South Africaâs obscure Phumelela Cafu on July 19 in Frisco, Texas.
As for Ioka, had he won todayâs rematch, that may have gotten him over the hump in so far as making it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. True, winning titles in four weight classes is no great shakes when the bookends are only 10 pounds apart, but Ioka is still a worthy candidate.
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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

In a torrid battle Mexicoâs Emanuel âVaqueroâ Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippineâs Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.
What do they feed these guys?
Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarreteâs left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.
From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.
It was savage.
Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.
Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.
Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarreteâs face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.
But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the refereeâs call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.
Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.
Interim IBF Lightweight Title
The sharp-shooting Raymond âDangerâ Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russiaâs Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.
Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.
Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaevâs guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.
Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratallaâs accuracy.
There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.
Muratalla was brief.
âHe was a tough fighter,â said Muratalla. âMy defense is something I work on a lot.â
Perla Wins
Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.
Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Wardâs attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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Late Bloomer Anthony Cacace TKOs Hometown Favorite Leigh Wood in Nottingham

Frank Warrenâs Queensberry Promotions was at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England, tonight with a card featuring hometown favorite Leigh Wood against Irelandâs Anthony âApacheâ Cacace.
Wood, a former two-time WBA featherweight champion, known for dramatic comebacks in bouts he was losing, may have reached the end of the road at age 36. He had his moments tonight, rocking Cacace on several occasions and winning the eighth round, but he paid the price, returning to his corner after round eight with swelling around both of his eyes.
In the ninth, Cacace, an 11/5 favorite, hurt Wood twice with left hands, the second of which knocked Wood into the ropes, dictating a standing 8-count by referee John Latham. When the bout resumed, Cacace went for the kill and battered Wood around the ring, forcing Woodâs trainer Ben Davison to throw in the towel. The official time was 2:15 of round nine.
Akin to Wood, Northern Irelandâs Cacace (24-1, 9 KOs) is also 36 years old and known as a late bloomer. This was his ninth straight win going back to 2017 (he missed all of 2018 and 2020). He formerly held the IBF 130-pound world title, a diadem he won with a stoppage of then-undefeated and heavily favored Joe Cordina, but that belt wasnât at stake tonight as Cacace abandoned it rather than fulfill his less-lucrative mandatory. Wood falls to 28-4.
Semi-Wind-Up
Nottingham light heavyweight Ezra Taylor, fighting in his hometown for the first time since pro debut, delighted his fan base with a comprehensive 10-round decision over previously undefeated Troy Jones. Taylor, who improved to 12-0 (9) won by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.
This was Taylorâs first fight with new trainer Malik Scott, best known for his work with Deontay Wilder. The victory may have earned him a match with Commonwealth title-holder Lewis Edmondson. Jones was 12-0 heading in.
Other Bouts of Note
In his first fight as a featherweight, Liam Davies rebounded from his first defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Northern Irelandâs previously undefeated Kurt Walker. Davies, who improved to 17-1 (8), staved off a late rally to prevail on scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. It was the first pro loss for the 30-year-old Walker (12-1), a Tokyo Olympian.
In a mild upset, Owen Cooper, a saucy Worcestershire man, won a 10-round decision over former Josh Taylor stablemate Chris Kongo. The refereeâs scorecard read 96-94.
Cooper improved to 11-1 (4). It was the third loss in 20 starts for Kongo.
A non-televised 8-rounder featured junior welterweight Sam Noakes in a stay-busy fight. A roofer by trade and the brother of British welterweight title-holder Sean Noakes, Sam improved to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of overmatched Czech import Patrik Balez (13-5-1).
Photo credit: Leigh Dawney / Queensberry
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