Tag: eddie hearn

Eddie Hearn: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would have to fight for less money

Eddie Hearn is willing to give Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. another chance on an undercard, but he will have to fight for a lot less money.

Eddie Hearn is willing to give Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. another chance on an undercard, but the Matchroom promoter says he will have to fight for a lot less money.

Undercard appearances and smaller purses are just part of a long, difficult challenge facing Chavez Jr., if he in fact tries to come back from a controversial TKO loss last Friday to Danny Jacobs.

The fight ended with a Phoenix crowd tossing debris in anger over Chavez’s decision not to continue after the fifth round.

“It’s gotten to a stage where the only thing he can do is come back on an undercard somewhere,’’ Hearn said on “The Last Round” podcast. “I would probably put him on, but he can’t get the money he’s been getting, and he has to come back at a lower level and try and get a good win.’’

After undergoing surgery for a broken nose and getting 10 stitches for a cut above an eye, Chavez Jr, said he intends to fight again. He even asked Jacobs for a rematch

Promoter Eddie Hearn would give Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. another chance but he’d have to fight on an undercard for less money. Melina Pizano / Matchroom Boxing USA

But Hearn said he needs a string of bouts to repair a reputation as fractured as that nose. It’ll be awhile before he’ll be back in a main event for big money. According to contracts filed with the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission, Chavez Jr. was guaranteed $2 million for the Jacobs fight. An additional $1 million form Mexican media and advertisers was believed to be in his final paycheck.

However, he paid Jacobs $1 million when he knew he couldn’t make 168 pounds. That was the price to renegotiate the deal, making it a 173-pound fight instead of a super middleweight bout. Chavez, who was 172.7 at the weigh-in and looked to be at least 190 at opening bell, wound up with maybe $2 million.

Hearn said he would pay him $100,000 for a comeback bout on a Matchroom-promoted undercard. He also said Chavez Jr. should fight at light heavyweight (175-pound limit).

Hearn said he still likes Chavez Jr.’s potential. He also likes his drawing power, which is linked to his iconic father, Julio Cesar Chavez. The fight was uncertain four days before opening bell. That’s when a Nevada judge granted Chavez Jr. an injunction lifting his suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He was under suspension for allegedly refusing a drug test in early October. The day before the judge’s ruling, about 5,000 tickets had been sold. At opening bell, an estimated crowd of 12,000 was at Talking Stick Arena in downtown Phoenix.

“The numbers are great,’’ Hearn said.

But the question remains: Will Chavez Jr. accept smaller purses on any undercard?

“Do you want to fight for $100,000 in a 10-rounder at 7 (p.m.)?’’ Hearn said. “He may think he’s above that. ‘I’m Chavez Jr.’

“If he truly loves the sport, he might do it. If not, he won’t bother.’’

Anthony Joshua exploring possibility of fight in Congo

Anthony Joshua became interested in fighting in Africa after visiting Nigeria, the homeland of his ancestors.

The Rumble in the Jungle, Muhammad Ali’s stoppage of George Foreman in 1974, in what was then Zaire has taken on almost mythic proportions. It was the subject of an Academy Award-winning documentary, “When We Were Kings.” It’s remembered by authors, filmmakers and promoters wanting to make a buck.

It begs for a sequel, and one might be in the works.

There is interest in redoing a version of the legendary event, this time involving Anthony Joshua, according to Joshua manager Freddie Cunningham.

Cunningham told Sky Sports that Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn “is exploring an option” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the former Zaire.

“There has been an approach,’’ Cunningham said.

Joshua, a U.K. heavyweight champion of Nigerian descent, became interested in fighting in Africa after visiting Nigeria about a year ago. He traveled for his last two fights – an upset loss to Andy Ruiz on June 1 at New York’s Madison Square Garden and a rematch victory on Dec. 7 in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua’s immediate plan, however, is for a title defense in the U.K., perhaps against mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham’s soccer stadium.

“For the next fight, Africa is not the right time,’’ Cunningham said. “But, at some point, he 100 percent wants it.

“It went so well in Saudi that they will want to be kept in the loop. And there are always options in the U.K. Tottenham’s stadium is great and local to where AJ grew up.”

Is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. doomed to fate Chavez Sr. suffered in Phoenix?

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. suffered his final two losses in Phoenix. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has a chance to change the family fortune there.

PHOENIX – A father and son, Julio Cesar Chavez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., stood in front of an arena Thursday in the center of a city named for a mythical bird rising from the ashes. They’ve been here before, in different eras, yet both for the same reason.

Father fought to relaunch his career, save it from those ashes, two decades ago against Kostya Tszyu.

Now, it’s his son’s turn Friday night against Danny Jacobs at Talking Stick Arena on DAZN in a fight that was uncertain until Tuesday when a Nevada judge issued an injunction, lifting a suspension that allowed Chavez to retain his license in Arizona.

The fight is on, or at least it was late Thursday. But controversy continued to swirl at an early morning weigh-in. Chavez Jr. stepped on the scale to test his weight for a bout contracted to be at super middleweight. He realized there was no way he would make 168 pounds. He was nearly five pounds too heavy. He was due to step on the scale officially within about an hour. Those five pounds might as well have been 500. There was no magic way to shed them. Forget the sauna or some hasty road work on Phoenix streets still clogged by rush-hour traffic.

It was time to make a deal or toss the advertised fight into that ash can. Talks quickly began with Chavez leaving and re-entering the ballroom for the weigh-in repeatedly. Finally, he smiled. They had a deal, a re-negotiated contract. The fight would be at 173 pounds. Chavez made that weight, no problem. In his official trip to the scale he was at 172.7 pounds. Jacobs, a former middleweight champion moving up in weight, was at 167.9.

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. (right) ran into an old friend at his son’s weigh-in Thursday in Phoenix, local hero Michael Carbajal. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing USA

But the deal didn’t happen without a price. According to multiple sources at the weigh-in, Chavez Jr. agreed to pay Jacobs $1 million. According to contracts filed with the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission, the purses for Chavez Jr. and Jacobs are $2 million each. But the redone agreement means Jacobs (35-3, 29 KOs) walks away from the 173-pound bout with $3 million and Chavez (51-3-1, 33 KOs) with $1 million.

It’s expensive, but it’s an investment in a future that still looks uncertain for Chavez. In effect, he is fighting to put some air under his wings and some distance from those ashes. It’s risky, at least it appears to be, according to the bookmakers who have made Jacobs an 18-1 favorite. But Chavez Jr. is always dangerous. He lost a one-sided decision to Sergio Martinez, yet he staged an astonishing 12th-round, nearly knocking out Martinez in wild three minutes that effectively ended Martinez’s career.

He has father’s heavy hands, which means he has a chance. His father was there Thursday at a ceremonial weigh-in outside of the arena where his career ended against an Omaha car salesman, Grover Wiley. Chavez failed to get off the stool after the fourth round in bout that had been advertised as one stop on a goodbye tour of cities. As it turned out, it was a final goodbye.

The senior Chavez had been there once before, just a few miles away at the old Veterans Memorial Coliseum on July 29, 2000. He had come to Arizona because he had been told he would not be licensed in Nevada. At the time, everybody from leading media personalities to late Senator John McCain openly questioned whether Chavez could still fight. Rather than risk a license denial in Nevada, he applied for one in Arizona. It was granted.

Chavez Jr. was in good spirits only after salvaging his fight with Daniel Jacobs by renegotiating their deal after Chavez was unable to make weight. Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

The card drew a capacity crowd. Tzyu overwhelmed Chavez, stopping him in the sixth round. Chavez left the arena, refusing to submit to a drug test. There were reports in The Arizona Republic that 100 DEA agents were in the crowd, looking for suspects alleged to be in the drug trade. It was a wild night. Controversial, from start to finish.

If it sounds familiar, it is. The Nevada Commission suspended Chavez Jr. for allegedly refusing a drug test in late October. That’s when Matchroom Promotions moved the card to Arizona and Chavez Jr. filed a suit, winning an injunction.

Meanwhile, controversy still sells. Promoter Eddie Hearn says ticket sales have been brisk in the couple of days since the injunction. He expects a crowd of 10,000.  But more wouldn’t  be a surprise to anybody who knows the Phoenix market. It’s a walk-up town. A couple of thousand showed up at Veterans Memorial Coliseum a few hours before Chavez-Tszyu nearly 20 years ago.

It could happen all over again. The geography, some of the circumstances and last name are the same. But only the son can change the result and make that bird fly.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. overweight, to face Daniel Jacobs at 173-pound catch weight

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. missed weight by almost five pounds, forcing him to renegotiate his contract with opponent Daniel Jacobs.

PHOENIX – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. weighed 172.7 pounds, 4.7 pounds heavier than the super middleweight limit, at the official weigh-in Thursday morning, forcing him to re-negotiate the contract for his fight with Danny Jacobs at Talking Stick Arena.

Promoter Eddie Hearn and Francisco Meneses, executive director of the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission, said Jacobs (35-3, 29 KOs) and Chavez Jr. (51-3-1, 33 KOs) agreed on a catch weight of 173 pounds for the bout Friday on DAZN.

Jacobs made weight, coming in at 167.7 pounds. The exact terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

“It’s not a surprise,’’ Hearn said. “He had a nightmare camp with the legal situation hanging over him and all.’’

Chavez Jr wasn’t cleared to fight until Tuesday. That’s when a Nevada judge granted him an injunction, lifting his suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for allegedly refusing to submit to a drug test in late October. The Arizona Commission had already licensed Chavez. If the judge had ruled against him, however, the license would have been withdrawn.

Mikey Garcia joins forces with Matchroom Boxing and DAZN

Mikey Garcia has agreed to a deal with Matchroom Boxing and DAZN, and is expected to return to the ring on Feb. 29.

Mikey Garcia celebrated a birthday Sunday with an announcement that he has a deal with Matchroom Boxing and DAZN that will include his return to the ring on Feb. 29.

Garcia, now 32, did not disclose the terms of the deal or who he will fight, although multiple media reports indicate that former junior welterweight and welterweight titleholder Jessie Vargas is a leading candidate.

“I am happy to announce my return to the ring for February 29,” Garcia said in a statement. “I am eager to make my return and grow my legacy. I look forward to working with Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN, and I want to thank all my fans for the continued support. Fight details will be announced soon, and I can’t wait to be back in the ring.”

Garcia (39-1, 30 KOs) hasn’t fought since he jumped up to welterweight and lost a one-sided decision to Errol Spence Jr. on March 16 at AT&T Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys’ home field in Arlington, Tex.

Garcia has held belts in four divisions – featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight. He was leading pound-for-pound contender before the Spence loss.

The younger brother of veteran trainer Robert Garcia had been a free agent since he and former promoter Top Rank agreed to split in April 2016.

Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn and Garcia are expected to talk about the deal at a news conference Wednesday in Los Angeles.

“I’ve been talking to Mikey for over a year now, and I’m so happy to welcome him to the team,” Hearn said. “Mikey is a standout star, and I’m looking forward to working with him on big fights moving forward. He will return to the ring on Feb. 29, and we will be announcing the opponent and venue shortly.”

Eddie Hearn on Anthony Joshua’s likely immediate future: ‘Pulev, then Usyk’

Eddie Hearn said that if Anthony Joshua is determined to hang onto his three belts, he’ll likely fight Kubrat Pulev next.

Anthony Joshua might have had to pay a baggage fee, along with all those sanctioning fees, for the trunk of title belts he took home from his redemptive decision over Andy Ruiz Jr. on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua had all but one of them safely back in his wardrobe, which is where they might stay for at least awhile.

Joshua is in no mood to relinquish any of them.

For weeks, there was talk that at least one of the belts would be vacated, whatever that means. Rooms go vacant. Belts don’t. It would be nice if the sanctioning bodies just vacated the word, put vacate on permanent vacation. But that’s about as likely as an end to those sanctioning fees. Anyway, let’s just say that it sounds as if Joshua isn’t prepared to move out of any corner to his regained position at the top of the heavyweight division.

Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn anticipated that Saturday’s winner would give up at least one of the belts. The promotional idea, perhaps, was that Oleksandr Usyk would have a quick and easy path to the first available belt. But Joshua wasn’t ready to give up anything to Usyk or anybody else.

On Sunday, the WBO ordered Joshua to face Usyk in a mandatory title defense. Then the IBF quickly followed with its own mandatory, ordering Joshua to face Kubrat Pulev. Hearn was expected to sort out those orders and presumably a few more during the next few weeks. He foresees Joshua back in the ring in spring.

“I think April or May,’’ he told Sky Sports. “That’s a realistic date.’’

By then, Joshua and Hearn should have a better idea about the only heavyweight fight that matters: Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury. Wilder holds the only other significant belt. Fury calls himself the lineal heavyweight champion. A Fury-Wilder rematch looms in February at a still undisclosed location.

For Joshua’s projected return in spring, Hearn expects Pulev.

“A.J. will want to maintain the belts, and if that’s the case, I think it will be Pulev, and then Usyk,’’ Hearn said.

Pulev, a Top Rank-promoted Bulgarian, was scheduled to fight Joshua on Oct. 28 in Cardiff, Wales. But he withdrew because of a shoulder injury.

Anthony Joshua could fight at Tottenham instead of occupied Wembley

Anthony Joshua’s next fight could take place in a new venue. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium officials have been keen on hosting the heavyweight.

If Anthony Joshua’s next fight takes place in his hometown of London, don’t expect it to take place at Wembley Stadium.

Promoter Eddie Hearn told The Independent that a scheduling conflict might prevent Joshua from fighting at the 90,000-seat venue, which has become the de facto home for the British heavyweight who regained his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr. this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Instead, Joshua and Co. might turn to another soccer stadium nearby.

“Wembley does not look great, date wise,” Hearn said. “Tottenham Hotspur is a nice new stadium for a U.K. fight and we have to look at it.”

The stadium, named for the popular soccer club, has a seating capacity of 62,000. It opened its doors in April.

“The phone has gone crazy with people saying ‘bring him here, bring him here,’” Hearn said.

Joshua is expected to face one of his mandatory challengers in Oleksandr Usyk or Kubrat Pulev.

Hearn said Joshua wants to fight back home after having traveled for both of his fights of 2019, a loss to Ruiz in New York and the victory in the Middle East.

“People have seen what we have just done in Saudi Arabia,” Hearn said, “and there are a lot of options internationally, but A.J. wants to box back in the U.K.”

Good, bad worse: Anthony Joshua brilliant, Andy Ruiz Jr. a disaster

Anthony Joshua entered the ring with an excellent game plan and executed it perfectly to dominate Andy Ruiz Jr. on Saturday.

GOOD

Well done.

Anthony Joshua answered a lot of questions with a brilliant game plan and superb execution Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, thus resurrecting a career that briefly went off the rails and leaving Andy Ruiz Jr. to answer his own questions.

The last time we saw Joshua he was a beaten man, having been stopped and (borrowing a word used by promoter Eddie Hearn) humiliated by Ruiz in June. On Saturday, he owned Ruiz from beginning to end.

Joshua and trainer Rob McCracken should be commended for their game plan – jab, move, stay out of trouble, take back what’s yours. The fact Joshua was 10 pounds lighter this time played into the strategy; he moved like a middleweight. He obviously put in the work. And Joshua showed no signs of a damaged psyche from the first fight. He was focused, confident, determined.

A particularly heavy Ruiz really never had a chance. He lost a near-shutout decision.

Some critics will suggest that Joshua was too careful, although he did throw a number of hard right hands and a few hooks in attempt to hurt Ruiz. They might point to Lennox Lewis, a fellow Briton who did to his two conquerors what they did to him – knocked their asses out.

That’s not a fair assessment. Joshua learned in a way more damaging than Lewis experienced – Lewis was stopped, not beat up – that Ruiz is a dangerous heavyweight. He made adjustments to minimize that danger and win rounds, which is how the fight played out.

It might not have been as exciting as Lewis knocking out Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman but it was just as thorough. Brilliant.

 

BAD

Anthony Joshua right) kept a safe distance from Andy Ruiz Jr. much of the fight. Too safe? Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

Again, it’s difficult to find fault in Joshua’s performance. The man dominated an opponent who had dominated him only six months earlier.

One thing was missing, though: It wasn’t much fun to watch. Joshua supporters will minimize the entertainment factor but others will ask with some legitimacy, “Where was the action?” Entertaining fights are the result of risks, genuine attempts to score a knockout, ebbs and flows, all of which were missing on Saturday.

If that’s not important to you, that’s fine. If it is, that’s understandable.

Joshua turned in a fine performance, not an exciting one. He demonstrated that he could come back from extreme adversity, which says a lot about him. He just didn’t make as strong a statement as Lewis, who said with his performances in his rematches with McCall and Rahman that, “I’m going to do to you what you did to me” and then did it.

That’s special stuff. Joshua was impressive, too, only in a less compelling way.

I doubt Joshua has turned into a safety-first boxer long term even though he said in the ring immediately after the fight that he wanted to “show that the sweet science of this lovely sport is about hitting and not getting hit.”

I believe he and McCracken thought – rightly – that he could regain his titles and the clout that goes with them with a deliberate strategy against Ruiz. That’s done. If he had any demons lingering from the first fight, they’re gone.

Going forward, Joshua, one of the biggest punchers in history, probably will be a hybrid. He’ll be more cautious than he was in the past – he never wants to endure the trauma of a brutal loss again – but he’ll fight aggressively enough to score many more knockouts. In other words, more thrills lie ahead.

 

WORSE

Joshua could only console a disappointed Ruiz after dominating him. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

Well, it looks as if Ruiz might be another Buster Douglas.

Douglas is known both as the fighter who upset then-unbeaten Mike Tyson and the one who mailed it in for his first defense, against Evander Holyfield. Douglas came in 14½ pounds heavier for Holyfield than he weighed for Tyson. He was prepared neither physically nor mentally. Thus, he lost his title in three rounds.

Ruiz weighed roughly 15 pounds more than he did in the first fight with Joshua, which suggests he didn’t put in the necessary work beforehand. He was focused on the hoopla that followed his stunning upset of Joshua, not taking the steps necessary to build on his victory. He reportedly starting training camp much later than trainer Manny Robles wanted him to.

I believe the version of Joshua we saw on Saturday probably would’ve beaten even a fit Ruiz. However, the Mexican-American made his task much more difficult by letting his weight get away from him.

As a result, he cheated himself out of an opportunity to take a step toward becoming an enduring champion. And he cheated the fans, who had reason to expect a similar version of the fighter who shocked Joshua at Madison Square Garden.

Of course, Ruiz isn’t finished. He’s only 30. He said after the fight that if he gets a chance to fight Joshua again, “I’ll be in the best shape of my life.” It might be too late for that; there are no guarantees that there will ever be a third meeting.

Ruiz will get more big fights, though. We’ll see whether he learned a lesson from what can only be described as a disaster on Saturday night.

Anthony Joshua uses his smarts to turn tables on Andy Ruiz Jr.

Anthony Joshua, one of the biggest punchers ever, used his brain and athleticism to turn the tables on Andy Ruiz Jr. on Saturday.

Sometimes it’s better to be smart than sensational.

Anthony Joshua, one of the biggest-punching heavyweights ever, turned into safety-first, stick-and-move boxer against the fighter who knocked him out six months ago. The result wasn’t exciting to watch but it couldn’t have been more effective.

A trimmed down, nimble Joshua essentially jabbed his way to a near-shutout decision over a 283.7-pound Andy Ruiz Jr. on Saturday night in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, to regain the three heavyweight titles he lost to Ruiz in June. The scores were 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109. Boxing Junkie scored it 119-109.

“Look, this is about boxing,” Joshua said in the ring afterward. “I’m used to knocking guys out. You know what I’m saying? I realized I hurt the man (in the first fight) and got caught coming in. I gave the man credit. There were no excuses, right?

“… I wanted to put on a great boxing masterclass and show that the sweet science of this lovely sport is hitting and not getting hit.”

Anthony Joshua (right) built his impressive victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. with a superb left jab Saturday in Saudi Arabia. AP Photo / Hassan Ammar

Joshua (23-1, 21 knockouts) was beaten up and embarrassed in his first fight with Ruiz, who put the Adonis-like Englishman down four times and stopped him the seventh round at Madison Square Garden in New York.

That raised many questions about him. Did he have a weak chin? It held up Saturday. Did he suffer psychological damage the first time around? If so, it wasn’t evident. What could he do to turn the tables? We found out on Saturday.

And Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) did his part to help Joshua, coming in extra-flabby, which he said afterward hindered his efforts to chase down a quick-footed foe.

Joshua essentially won the fight by jabbing and moving, which made it next extremely difficult for a frustrated Ruiz to get close enough to do damage. And when Ruiz did manage to get inside, Joshua generally clinched until referee Luis Pabon separated them.

Joshua landed some power shots, although none hurt Ruiz. The same goes for Ruiz, who connected on a few big punches — particularly later in the fight — but none that wobbled Joshua as they did in the first fight.

To be sure, this fight wasn’t about power punching. It was about a fit, hungry former champion with an excellent game plan who made an out-of-shape opponent look foolish with his skill and athleticism.

Joshua landed some power shots but he won the fight with his brain, not his brawn. AP Photo / Hassan Ammar

So focused was Joshua that on the rare occasions he did engage Ruiz, thereby placing himself in danger, he calmly but quickly used his feet to back out of trouble. He was in full control.

That was the pattern of the fight from beginning to end. It never really changed.

“It’s all about preparation,” Joshua said. “… Careers are all about experience. There’s no losing or winning, just creating great memories in this game that we all love. I took my ‘L’ and bounced back. Anyone can do it.

“Life is a roller coaster. What did you want me to do? Give up? I heard a man say I should retire. C’mon man, I love this sport.”

Joshua, standing in a crowd in the ring, then looked Ruiz’s way. “Andy,” he said, “are you ready to retire?” Ruiz responded, “Uh, no.” The loser then pulled Joshua’s arm and the mic to his face. “Who wants to see a third fight?,” the now-former champion bellowed.

Some might argue that Ruiz didn’t earn a rubber match. He came in 15-plus pounds heavier than he weighed in their first fight, which suggested to everyone that he didn’t train properly for the rematch.

He admitted as much afterward.

“I think I didn’t prepare how I should have,” he said. “I gained too much weight. But I don’t want to give no excuses. He won, he boxed me around. You know what? If we do a third fight, you best believe I’ll get in the f—ing best shape, be in the best shape of my life.

“(The extra weight) kind of affected me. I thought I’d feel stronger, I thought I’d feel better. The next fight I’ll be more prepared.”

A frustrated Andy Ruiz Jr., said his extra weight slowed him down in the fight. Nick Potts / PA via AP

What’s the next fight for Joshua, who as champion again can call his shots?

Yes, one option would be Ruiz. The winner of the projected fight between Deontay Wilder, who holds the fourth heavyweight belt, and Tyson Fury would be another, much more lucrative possibility.

Joshua and Co. weren’t tipping their hand at all after the fight Saturday. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, was asked about the future.

“The future plans are to celebrate,” he said. “Celebrate, and celebrate hard. They wrote him off. He had to come back from humiliation at Madison Square Garden. Tonight he’s the governor, the governor of the division, a two-time heavyweight champion of the world.

“… We’re coming home tomorrow night. Heathrow, we’re landing. It’s going to be a hell of a flight home.”

 

Anthony Joshua’s promoter poked fun at Andy Ruiz’s surprising weight gain

Andy Ruiz weighed in at 283.7 pounds.

Andy Ruiz Jr. pulled off the biggest upset of his career back in June when he beat then-undefeated Anthony Joshua to capture the heavyweight championship. And as you might expect, Ruiz has enjoyed life for the past six months.

When the two fighters showed up for Friday’s weigh-in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Joshua had trimmed down to a lean 237 pounds. Ruiz, though, had gained significant weight since the first fight.

He officially weighed in at 283.7 pounds — gaining nearly 15 pounds in six months — and even Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, was caught off guard by Ruiz’s weight gain. When Ruiz made a joke that he just ate lunch, Hearn poked fun at the heavyweight champion.

Hearn told reporters after the weigh-in:

“I was actually expecting him to come in a little bit lighter. But Ruiz actually said to me, ‘Ah, it’s ’cause I just had lunch.’ I was like, ‘What did you eat? Your trainer?'”

Hey, Ruiz is just loving life. There’s no shame in that … well, unless he has serious hopes of winning. Buster Douglas notably gained around 15 pounds (from 231 to 246) after upsetting Mike Tyson and lost by knockout to Evander Holyfield eight months later.

According to Chris Mannix, Ruiz will be the second-heaviest defending heavyweight champion in history.

Saturday’s main event should start around 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time.

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