Deontay Wilder has predicted Anthony Joshua will suffer a second straight defeat at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr.
Ruiz Jr stunned the British heavyweight to steal his heavyweight title belts with a shocking knockout win at Madison Square Garden in June.
The Mexican was unfancied after a late call-up to replace Jarrell Miller in the bout - but WBC king Wilder insists he was not surprised by the outcome.
And he says he again likes the look of Ruiz in the rematch as he ramped up the pressure on Joshua by reminding him their December 7 rematch in Saudi Arabia is even bigger than their first fight.
Asked by reporters who he was backing in the rematch, Wilder told reporters (via BoxingScene ): "Andy Ruiz.
“I liked him in the first fight with Joshua and I like him in the second fight as well.
“In my opinion, it’s an even more bigger fight between the two, you know. Especially how he won the first time."
A win for Ruiz could also work in Wilder's favour, providing a much simpler negotiation for a unification bout given they work under the same promoter.
Wilder, who failed to negotiate a fight with Joshua, said: “With Joshua we tried many, many, many times to get that fight to unfold, to make that dream fight happen for the fans.
“To unify the division and have one champion. As you can see, that was a long process, a process where, you know, we had different mile markers being stretched.
"Once we completed (one mark), we had to do something else, do this, do that, you know what I mean. It was a lot.
“It’s a gladiator’s sport, it’s a man’s sport. I’m a man and I don’t have time for games. Being that Ruiz is under the same stable as I… it’s a much easier fight to make, and in my opinion a much more exciting fight.”
