Pictured
'LOOKS TERRIBLE'
Half-built stadium for Ruiz vs Joshua 2 resembles ‘car park’ with plastic chairs just four weeks before fight
BOXING fans have been left shocked at the half-built venue in Saudi Arabia where Anthony Joshua faces Andy Ruiz Jr in under four weeks time.
Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith shared a video of the arena on his Twitter account ahead of the December 7 bout where AJ is looking to win back his world titles.
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He captioned the clip: "All this done in just 6 weeks! December 7 is going to be one to remember!"
However fans were left unimpressed by the venue, as one user quipped: "It looks like Southend on seas Victoria circus car park."
Another said: "Awful location, normally there's a buzz in the weeks coming up to an AJ fight...no real hype or appeal this time sadly."
A third added: "Looks like a US college football outdoor bar area let alone a stadium deciding the Heavyweight Championship of the World."
One simply stated: "Looks terrible."
Work had barely got started on the site last month, but there are no signs that the venue is behind schedule.
The Gladiator-style arena - on the outskirts of Riyadh - will boast a capacity of 15,000.
What appeared to be a VIP or media area looked like it was coming along.
Meanwhile plastic seats have been installed around much of the stadium and even on the floor of the arena.
But there's much to be done and construction vehicles and workers could be seen as the build continues.
Former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye has revealed that Joshua may suffer from flashbacks in his rematch against Ruiz Jr after he was dropped four times by the Mexican-American.
He told : "Boxers talk about flashbacks and we will not know the impact of that defeat until Anthony Joshua gets hit on the chin by Ruiz.
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“He might well revert back to how he felt in that first fight.
"That first big shot might buckle the knees and all the hype and all the training goes out of the window.”
WBC king Deontay Wilder meanwhile
Joshua vs Ruiz Jr will fight in a three-sided Gladiator-style arena in Saudi as first images of unique stadium reveal
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