20 December 2023 , 07:31
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Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will both fight in a temporary boxing venue on Saturday night as the newly-built Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia will play host to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two heavyweight stars return to the ring this weekend with Joshua facing Swede Otto Wallin. He and Wilder will fight at the same venue that saw Tyson Fury secure a controversial points win over Francis Ngannou in October.
However the ring will be put in a different part of the arena that has been temporarily constructed. Saudi Arabia will also play host to Al-Nassr against Inter Miami on February 1 and turf is being laid to stage that contest with the boxing being moved elsewhere.
Organisers do not want to risk the turf being damaged ahead of the Riyadh Season Cup early next year, which is being billed as Messi and Ronaldo's 'Last Dance' after they battled for almost a decade in La Liga with Barcelona and Real Madrid whilst also vying for individual honours.
The football stadium will hold 26,000 fans and will then become Al-Hilal’s home ground. Boxing will take centre stage once again in the arena on February 17 when Fury heads back to the Kingdom for his much anticipated undisputed heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk.
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Joshua has enjoyed success previously in Saudi Arabia, beating Andy Ruiz in late 2019 as he avenged the loss he'd suffered months earlier. Wilder meanwhile is heading to the Middle East for the first time to take on Joseph Parker.
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The American, who tried and failed to beat Fury on three occasions, believes Joshua is afraid to fight him as talk continues over a shown between the pair. "I don't want to say he's 100% afraid, but I think he's 75%," said Wilder.
He went on to tell the BBC : "I've learned over the years especially dealing in boxing that nothing is for sure, until it's for sure. And I know that's a little bit confusing, but what's understood doesn't have to be explained. We'll see what happens. The future is bright and we are farther [in talks] than we've ever been in history. I can say that with certainty."