12-04-2019, 11:04 PM
Hearn: Both Joshua & Ruiz Are Happy With Referee, Judges
By Elliot Foster Published On Wed Dec 4, 2019, 02:37 AM EST
Anthony Joshua is confident that he will have what it takes to get revenge on Andy Ruiz Jr. out when the pair meet again this weekend.
The 30-year-old will fight the Mexican in Saudi Arabia, bidding to get back the WBA Super, IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight crowns.
Joshua was dealt a crushing blow to his status as the number one worldwide boxing star back in June when, at Madison Square Garden in New York, he was dropped four times before being stopped by ‘The Destroyer’.
Fast-forward more than six months and the former Olympic champion –– who won the world title in just his 16th fight and has repeatedly sold-out stadiums in the UK –– gets his chance to exact revenge, on Saturday, at the Diriyah Arena.
Ruiz Jr., for what it’s worth, has had longer to prepare for this fight –– having stepped in as a late replacement for drug test-failing Jarrell Miller first time around –– and is set to pocket around £10million as he looks to keep hold of his belts.
The referee for the fight is Luis Pabon, who Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes is the perfect neutral referee.
Pabon flew to Russia in August and refereed Sergey Kovalev's win over Anthony Yarde. And he was in Saudi Arabia last year, as the referee for the WBSS finale, with Callum Smith knocking out George Groves.
"Luis Pabon is a very, very experienced world championship referee," Hearn told Sky Sports.
"We had within the agreement to have neutral officials. A neutral referee then a British judge, an American judge and a neutral judge. The governing bodies sent through recommendations for the officials, each side comes up with a few that they are happy with, then we find common ground. We are both happy with Luis Pabon and the judges.
"It's impossible to host an event like this without an argument, whether it's about the changing rooms, the ring-walks, the corners, the gloves, the hand-wraps, the hotel or someone not liking the buffet."
By Elliot Foster Published On Wed Dec 4, 2019, 02:37 AM EST
Anthony Joshua is confident that he will have what it takes to get revenge on Andy Ruiz Jr. out when the pair meet again this weekend.
The 30-year-old will fight the Mexican in Saudi Arabia, bidding to get back the WBA Super, IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight crowns.
Joshua was dealt a crushing blow to his status as the number one worldwide boxing star back in June when, at Madison Square Garden in New York, he was dropped four times before being stopped by ‘The Destroyer’.
Fast-forward more than six months and the former Olympic champion –– who won the world title in just his 16th fight and has repeatedly sold-out stadiums in the UK –– gets his chance to exact revenge, on Saturday, at the Diriyah Arena.
Ruiz Jr., for what it’s worth, has had longer to prepare for this fight –– having stepped in as a late replacement for drug test-failing Jarrell Miller first time around –– and is set to pocket around £10million as he looks to keep hold of his belts.
The referee for the fight is Luis Pabon, who Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes is the perfect neutral referee.
Pabon flew to Russia in August and refereed Sergey Kovalev's win over Anthony Yarde. And he was in Saudi Arabia last year, as the referee for the WBSS finale, with Callum Smith knocking out George Groves.
"Luis Pabon is a very, very experienced world championship referee," Hearn told Sky Sports.
"We had within the agreement to have neutral officials. A neutral referee then a British judge, an American judge and a neutral judge. The governing bodies sent through recommendations for the officials, each side comes up with a few that they are happy with, then we find common ground. We are both happy with Luis Pabon and the judges.
"It's impossible to host an event like this without an argument, whether it's about the changing rooms, the ring-walks, the corners, the gloves, the hand-wraps, the hotel or someone not liking the buffet."