Anthony Joshua to Get Paid Much More Than Champion Andy Ruiz Jr in Rematch
Andy Ruiz Jr took a major risk the first time he fought Anthony Joshua. As a replacement for Jarrell Miller on a month’s notice, Ruiz stepped in simply to grasp the opportunity to fight AJ. Luckily for Ruiz, he was able to land the fight due to Luis Ortiz turning down the bout due to insufficient funds. Now that Ruiz is the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight world champion, he expects to be paid as such. However, when he and AJ rematch, win or lose, Joshua will be getting paid as if he is the champion.
Joshua and Ruiz Reported Payouts
The Daily Mail has reported that AJ will earn a staggering a £66m pay-day for his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. In translation to Americans, that’s $85,780,200.00. Not bad for a former champion who was on the losing end of what many consider to be one of the largest upsets in boxing history.
It was reported that when Joshua was the champion, he earned a total of $35 million dollars. Ruiz, at the time, accepted a reported $7 million dollars to fight Joshua.
After defeating AJ, Ruiz deservingly said that he desires to be “paid like a champion.” Unfortunately for Andy, his raise of a reported $10 million for the rematch doesn’t really compare to the earnings of his opponent.
Biggest Purses in History
Regardless, the two purses combined will be the fourth biggest fight purse in boxing history. The three larger purses than the bout came at the hands of Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Fighting Conor McGregor, Manny Pacquiao, and Canelo Alvarez all edged Joshua and Ruiz by a minimum of $ 2 million.
Joshua vs Ruiz 2
While it’s nice to see Ruiz get a “raise,” it obviously pays more to be a draw than the champion. And, he especially didn’t get the $50 million that he previously asked for. Maybe he would earn even more in a bout against Deontay Wilder.
The rematch between Ruiz Jr and Joshua is scheduled for December 7. The bout will take place in Saudi Arabia at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Al-Turaif. So far, each bout on the card is scheduled to take place in the heavyweight division.
The fight will be available for all to watch via DAZN.
