The trainer of unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr has questioned why his fighter would travel to Saudi Arabia to face Anthony Joshua in a rematch without safeguards in place.
Manny Robles said the proposal for fight to take place in Diriyah on December 7 still had some kinks that needed to be ironed out.
“There are questions that have yet to be answered,” said Robels to Barbershop Conversations.
“There’s no [boxing] commission in Saudi Arabia. Who will be in charge if the fight takes place in Saudi Arabia? Who will be in charge of the drug testing? There’s no VADA over there. There’s no commission over there.
“These are simple questions that need simple answers and we haven’t got them. Who’s got guarantee our safety? Why [fight in Saudi Arabia]? Money? There’s plenty of money in the U.S, and plenty of money in Great Britain.”
Robles, who said Ruiz Jr would be back in the gym on Monday, laughed off claims by Joshua that is was a “lucky punch” that cost him his IBF, WBA and WBO championships when he was stopped in seven rounds by the 29-year-old Mexican-American in New York in June.
“He said he was hurt with a ‘lucky punch’ four different times?” said Robles.
“I don’t understand. You can lift all the weights you want, but how do you recover from this [Robles points to his chin]. That’s a question yet to be answered. How do you recover from a chin? How do you recover from four knockdowns?
“On the other hand, Andy got up from his bad shot and still took some devastating shots that he was able to take just fine. Joshua wasn’t.
“That’s what we have to see the second time around. How do you recover from four knockdowns? It could have been worse. I’m not overconfident at all. I believe he’ll be in better shape.
“I don’t believe he’ll be overconfident. We got to make sure he lands first.
“No, we beat him fair and square. We didn’t get lucky.”
