Ruiz-Joshua II: Construction of 15,000-seat arena well underway

The site of the Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz rematch is coming along well, according to Eddie Hearn, who posted updates on his social media.

It appears the biggest rematch of the year will have a home.

When it was announced in September that Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz II would take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, there was just one problem: An actual arena had to be built from scratch.

No biggie, it turns out. Promoter Eddie Hearn shared photos of the near-complete, 15,000-seat outdoor arena on his Instagram, adding, “haters said it wouldn’t be ready.”

Hearn’s decision to stage the fight in Saudi Arabia was not greeted universally with open arms. Many critics pointed out the country’s dreadful human rights record. But the site fee offered Saudi backers, reported to be at least $40 million, was too much to turn down.

Joshua recently traveled to Saudi Arabia and was given a tour of the construction site.

The rematch will stream live on DAZN.