Ruiz wants to return to Joshua in New York and Hearn warns of lawsuit

LONDON (Reuters) – World heavyweight boxing champion Andy Ruiz said Thursday that he would prefer to play the return match against Britain's Anthony Joshua in December in New York rather than in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua's promoter, Eddie Herne, who announced this week that the retransmission would take place in Diriyah, near Riyadh, the Saudi capital, has threatened legal action if the Mexican-American boxer refused to comply with the stipulation.

"I have not signed anything yet," ESPN Ruiz, International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Association titles said, after winning against Joshua in New York in June. . We are always negotiating everything.

"They want the fight to be there (in Saudi Arabia) but we have to see where we are negotiating with my team. I would love to fight again in New York where I beat him.

"Give him the opportunity to try to defeat me and he wants the belts I have, he has to do it there (in New York)."

Herne refused to talk about any conflict outside the Middle East.

"The relocation contract was signed before the first match," Hern told Sky Sports. Both boxers signed at the same time and there is no other contract.

"We have to tell him (Ruiz) the time, date and place of the fight and that's what happened. His choice is to wage a legal battle that could prevent him from boxing for years or defending his titles and earn a lot of money from a rival who has already beaten him. There is no doubt that he will fight. "

Hearn said the fight in Saudi Arabia could change the boxing game.

"This event could change boxing forever," he said Monday. If Saudi Arabia is investing in such games and given its population and the growth potential of sport in this country, sport may change dramatically