A potential stumbling block for Saudi Arabia could be the country’s time zone, which is three hours ahead of GMT. Joshua’s bouts are televised on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and the DAZN streaming service in the US.
If the bout started at midnight in the Middle East in December it would be taking place in early afternoon in Los Angeles and early evening in New York – times which could prove unpopular with fans paying to stream what will be the biggest fight in the sport this year.
Saudi Arabia has made plays to hold significant sporting events in recent years, and hosted British boxer Amir Khan’s recent win over Billy Dib and Callum Smith’s success over George Groves in the World Boxing Super Series final in September.
The country hosted the opening race of the Formula E season in December, is in talks to host a Formula 1 race before 2021, external and recently announced it will stage the richest race in horseracing history in February., external
However, when Khan accepted his bout with Dib, Amnesty International highlighted Saudi Arabia’s “abysmal human rights record”., external
The country’s controversial Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has said he wants to reform the country both in social and economic terms as part of his ‘Vision 2030’ plan.
Social reforms have included lifting the ban on women being able to drive, while high-profile pop stars have been enticed to perform in Saudi Arabia in order to enhance the country’s image.
Ruiz scored four knockdowns on his way to a seventh-round stoppage on what was Joshua’s much-publicised US debut on 1 June. The result ranked as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the heavyweight division, with Joshua a 1-25 favourite before the bout.
Since his win, Ruiz has questioned Joshua’s boxing skill set, while Joshua has spoken of a belief in his ability to “right my wrongs”.