The clock is ticking as boxing fans around the world prepare for Joshua vs Ruiz 2 on Saturday night – but will the rematch live up to the hype?
We're expecting a thriller, as the British boxer, 30, looks to reclaim his WBA, IBF and WBO world titles having suffered a shock defeat to the Mexican in New York last June.
Joshua was unbeaten until the unfancied Ruiz Jr. stepped in as last minute replacement for Jarrell Miller, who failed three drug tests. Jaws hit the floor (literally) when Ruiz proved too much for Joshua in the Round 7.
Could Saturday night serve up another big upset? Joshua says he's "going to stay cool and focused" in an attempt to pick off his unpredictable opponent in clinical style.
Ruiz, meanwhile, says he's "ready to rock 'n' roll", and that having starting training at the age of six to win championship belts, he'll "die trying to keep them".
Want to watch the nail-biting slugfest live? Here's how to live stream Joshua v Ruiz 2 on Saturday night wherever you are...
Watch Joshua v Ruiz 2 live in the UK
The dust-up in the desert takes place on Saturday 7th December at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia. The action starts at 9pm GMT – midnight in Saudi Arabia. The ring-walks should take place around 8.45pm GMT.
British boxing fans can watch the fight live on Sky Sports Box Office, Sky's pay-per-view channel. The fight costs £24.95, which includes the main event and undercard, featuring Dillian Whyte vs Mariusz Wach, among others.
In a generous move, Sky Sports Boxing Facebook and YouTube channels will be showing an hour of build-up - including Mahammadrasul Majidov vs Tom Little - for free from 4pm GMT.
Not a Sky subscriber? You can still watch Anthony's Joshua make-or-break fight with Andy Ruiz Jr. on your PC/desktop/Mac, NOW TV Box, iPhone, iPad, Android phone or Android tablet.
Download the Sky Sports Box Office app (iOS/Android) and log in to watch there. You can access the stream on your Now TV Smart Stick or your Now TV box. (Note: the Sky Sports Box Office app isn't available on the white Now TV Box).
You can also watch online through the Sky Sports Box Office website. If you don't have a Box Office account, you'll be able to sign up and buy the fight. Visit Sky Sports Box Office to sign up and pay. You'll get full access to all the drama live plus repeat showings.
Watch Joshua v Ruiz 2 live stream from abroad using a VPN
Even if you've paid to watch Joshua v Ruiz 2, trying to access streams from outside your territory – if you're on holiday or working abroad, for example – is a problem. These services know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block you – even if you're a national of one of these countries.
So, you’ll need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to help you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
VPNs are as useful for banking as they are at trying to watch video content or access websites that people in your location are not supposed to do. So, whether you want to watch live football, enjoy another country’s Netflix library or just keep your browsing data private, then they’re well worth considering.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service and would recommend the following:
You can get three months free when you sign up to a year-long plan, bringing VPN access to smart devices including the Amazon Fire TV Stick, laptops, TVs and both Android and iOS mobiles and tablets.
- NordVPN
Which comes in at as little as £2.29 per month and features 24/7 assistance
Once you’ve made your choice, all you need to do is sign in to your VPN service through whichever device you’d like to use to watch the fight.
When prompted to select a server, you need to pick one which is based in the country whose content you’d like to access. Then navigate to the relevant video streaming app or website and you’re in.
Watch Joshua v Ruiz 2 in the US
The undercard is set to begin at 11am ET, with the main event – Britain's Anthony Joshua vs Mexico's Andy Ruiz Jr. – slated for 4pm, ET.
The fight is not available via traditional pay-per-view channels in the US or Canada. Instead, fans in those territories can watch the fight online via DAZN, a global sports live streaming service.
Not a DAZN subscriber? Sign up for a monthly pass for $19.99 (pause or cancel at any time) or an annual pass for $99.99, which includes live events, highlights and original documentaries.
Watch Joshua v Ruiz 2 in Canada
As in the US, global sports streaming service DAZN has the exclusive rights to Joshua vs Ruiz 2 in Canada.
But unlike US fans, Canadian DAZN viewers are offered a free one month trial. If you've not previously used DAZN, you can watch the fight for free!
Subscription to Canadian DAZN costs $20 per month or $150 per year. If you are outside Canada at the time of the fight, you can always get a VPN and log into your account from anywhere in the world.
Watch Joshua v Ruiz 2 in Australia
The Joshua vs Ruiz rematch is being streamed exclusively by Main Event, with the coverage due to start at 4am AEST on Sunday, 8th December. The Joshua vs Ruiz fight should start at 9am AEST.
The fight costs $49.95 via Foxtel - click here to buy online. Replays at 3pm, 9pm and every 6 hours from 6am.
Watch Joshua v Ruiz 2 in the rest of the world
DAZN also holds the rights to Joshua vs Ruiz 2 in the Austria, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.
What's more, DAZN offers non-US subscribers a free 30-day trial. So if you've not previously used DAZN, you can watch the fight for free provided you're in one of those countries!
And if you're out of the country, simply use a VPN. Of course, the commentary will be in the local language – English in Canada, German in Germany, and so on.
Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz Jr. 2: the undercard for Saturday 7th December 2019
Andy Ruiz Jr vs Anthony Joshua – 9pm (WBA Super, IBF, WBO, IBO world heavyweight titles.
Alexander Povetkin vs Michael Hunter (heavyweight)
Dillian Whyte vs Mariusz Wach (WBC interim heavyweight title)
Filip Hrgovic vs Eric Molina (WBC international heavyweight title)
Mahammadrasul Majidov vs Tom Little – 4pm (Shown free on Sky Sports Boxing Facebook and YouTube channels)
