World Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. seems to be unhappy with the venue choice for the Anthony Joshua rematch. 

The announcement was made last night by Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN,  before confirming a press conference for Monday. It was revealed Ruiz vs Joshua 2 would take place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on December 7th.

Joshua spoke of his desire to become two-time ruler and gain redemption. Ruiz, on the other hand, revealed his hand with a deafening silence. Up until Thursday, Ruiz had been vocal on Twitter.

However Mexico’s first top division title holder chose not to comment, once the venue and the date were confirmed.  It’s thought Ruiz wanted a United States venue after his calls for Mexico to host went unheard.

He (Ruiz) would have selected anywhere in the US over the Middle East. Ruiz now faces a daunting trip to a country which is denounced for its human rights record. Sky Sports and DAZN both have women working on their respective broadcast teams, which may be a sticking point with Saudi officials. Sporting events are notoriously usually an all-male affair in Saudi, so it will be interesting to see how both deal with what seems a solid rule.