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Ruiz to fight Holyfield in China
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NEWLY-CROWNED World Boxing Association champion John Ruiz will definitely make the first defence of his title against Evander Holyfield in China, the Chinese promoter of the bout said on Tuesday.
Yu Zhiqiang, Vice-President of China Great Wall Sports Communication Ltd, rejected comments by Don King, promoter for both Ruiz and Holyfield, that plans for a June 30 bout in Beijing had been put on the back burner.
Yu said the bout was “100 per cent” certain to go ahead on June 30 in Beijing.
King said after Ruiz's upset victory over Holyfield in Las Vegas at the weekend that Ruiz would probably make his first defence in the United States to attract more Hispanic support.
Ruiz's victory over Holyfield gave him the tainted WBA title, a prize cast aside by Britain's Lennox Lewis last year when he elected to fight unbeaten Michael Grant instead of lowly-regarded Ruiz.
Yu said the deal to bring the high-profile fight to China was signed on February 14 in New York. The deal said Holyfield would make a WBA title defence in Beijing.
Xinhua quoted China Great Wall president Niu Lixin from the United States as saying he had agreed with King the Holyfield fight would go ahead despite his unexpected weekend defeat.
“(Though Holyfield lost the fight,) our contract will go on as usual... Holyfield will fight in China, and he will have a third straight fight with Ruiz in China,” Xinhua quoted Niu as saying.
He insisted Ruiz would be Holyfield's opponent.
Niu also said King would travel to China as scheduled in March to plan for the fight.
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