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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Lawrence Ostlere

Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz 2: What time does fight start in USA? Ring walks, TV channel and more

Anthony Joshua tonight takes on Andy Ruiz Jr desperate to win back his world heavyweight titles after his shock first professional defeat earlier this year.

The Briton was stunned in June by Ruiz, an 11-1 underdog who achieved one of the biggest upsets in boxing history by dropping Joshua for a fourth and final time in the seventh round.

They fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this evening on a fight card that also features the likes of heavyweight rivals Dillian Whyte, Alexander Povetkin and Filip Hrgovic. Follow all of the latest coverage below:

It's finally here, so how about some expert predictions for the fight? 
 
How do you see it? Tweet us at @IndySport
 

Weights

 

Andy Ruiz

  • 20st 3lbs (283lbs) on Friday
  • 19st 2lbs (268lbs) back in June
 

Anthony Joshua 

  • 16st 13lbs (237lbs) on Friday
  • 17st 9lbs 12oz (247.8lbs) back in June
 
 

5 big questions that will decide outcome of fight

 
  • Can Joshua box on the outside and evade Ruiz's big shots for 12 rounds?
  • Will Ruiz's extra weight help or hinder him? 
  • How will AJ react when Ruiz narrows the gap, by getting on his bike or clinching?
  • Does Ruiz fear Joshua's power?
  • Is Joshua's confidence back and able to withstand adversity mid-fight?
 

Predictions 

 

Bob Arum 

"I like Ruiz to win again. He is really an under-rated guy. His low centre of gravity works well against a big heavyweight and his hand speed is phenomenal. His style plays to Joshua's weaknesses."
 

Predictions

 

Callum Smith - WBC world super-middleweight champion 

 

"I am leaning at the moment to Ruiz by knockout. I just think Joshua has lost weight. I feel he may have lost muscle and that can be detrimental."
 

Joshua reflects on how he has learned from defeat

 

"I learned how to take a loss like a man, and to always be grateful for having a second opportunity to go again," said Joshua. "It affected me, but not in a negative way. It will take more than that to knock a man like me back.

"I'm just another kid who's got a chance to fight for the heavyweight title. That's who you're talking to now. For me it's not about the rematch, it's not about Andy. It's the opportunity of a title shot."

Fight times

 

Andy Ruiz vs Anthony Joshua (9pm GMT) 

Alexander Povetkin vs Michael Hunter (8pm)

Dillian Whyte vs Mariusz Wach (7pm)

Filip Hrgovic vs Eric Molina (6pm)

Mahammadrasul Majidov vs Tom Little (5pm)

Ivan Price vs Swedi Mohamed (4.30pm)

 
 

Predictions 

 

Hasim Rahman, former world heavyweight champion

 

 "I am leaning at the moment to Ruiz by knockout. I just think Joshua has lost weight. I feel he may have lost muscle and that can be detrimental."
 

Ruiz doubts Joshua's power resistance after weight loss

 

"I don't know if he is going to try to box me around and beat me on points, but I am a good pressure fighter, an attacker, and I am going to be looking for that knockout," said Ruiz.

"He has lost weight and we don't know if he will have that same power. I think he will come in confident, but as Mike Tyson always said, everybody has a plan until they get hit."

Predictions 

 

Josh Taylor, WBA and IBF world super-lightweight champion

 

"I see Ruiz edging the fight just because of Joshua's past record in struggling against shorter, more compact opponents."
 
It's raining in Diriyah...
 
 
 
 
Chisora and Usyk in attendance!
 

Mexicans in attendance to support Ruiz 

 
Hrgovic looks to seize the moment and announce himself as a heavyweight contender tonight.
 
The talented Croat takes on former world heavyweight title challenger Eric Molina.
 
Will ring size play a pivotal role in the outcome?
 
The 22 ft ring appears to play into the hands of Joshua and a strategy to box and move.
 
Local favourite Zuhayr Al-Qahtani remains unbeaten and takes a points decision over Oumar Dusary.
 

Comprehensive retrospective look at Joshua vs Ruiz 1

 
Hear the thoughts of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, David Haye, Eddie Hearn, Evander Holyfield, referee Michael Griffin and more from the first bell to their post-fight conclusions.
 
The first heavyweight fight of the night is up in less than 10 minutes...
 

Whyte begins warm-up 

 
Dillian Whyte is warming up for his fight against Mariusz Wach.
 
The Body Snatcher has been cleared by UKAD after an adverse finding in a drugs test following his win over Oscar Rivas. 
 
Majidov and Little underway... 
 
Little on the back foot and being pushed around the ring.
 
Little attacked to the body, the Brit reacts with a windmill right.
 
 

Ruiz vs Joshua fight preview:

What time are the ring walks? 

The ring walks are set for 9.45am in Sydney, Australia (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) on Sunday morning with the fight set to begin at around 10am.

Is there a live stream? 

Yes, you can watch a live stream through the Sky Sports Box Office app and website on mobile devices by ordering here.

The NOW TV Smart Stick or your NOW TV box will also allow fans to order the fight.

While US fans can stream the fight through DAZN on various platforms, including Chromecast, iOS, Android, Playstation 4 and Xbox One. A one month subscription will cost $19.99, while a year is available for $99.99.

How else can I follow the fight?

If you’re unable to get in front of a TV, you can follow the fight with live updates in the Indy Sport live blog.

The Main Event and Undercard

  • Andy Ruiz vs Anthony Joshua (WBA, IBF, WBO heavyweight world title)
  • Alexander Povetkin vs Michael Hunter (heavyweight)
  • Dillian Whyte vs Mariusz Wach (WBC interim heavyweight title)
  • Filip Hrgovic vs Eric Molina (WBC international heavyweight title)
  • Mahammadrasul Majidov vs Tom Little

Odds

Joshua 2/5 (KO: 4/5, Points: 4/1)

Draw: 25/1

Ruiz 2/1 (KO: 5/2, Points: 14/1)

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