Boxing’s traditional arenas – in Las Vegas, London, etc. – are now darker more often because of the emergence of major fight cards in Saudi Arabia.
And while few live experiences can rival watching a boxing match in person, the payoff of seeing events like the upcoming undisputed heavyweight and light-heavyweight title fights over a two-week stretch is worth it, the panelists on Tuesday’s episode of ProBox TV’s “Deep Waters” said.
“I’d rather watch a great card of matchups on TV than a live, dull one,” analyst and former welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi said. “I don’t need to be there live.”
As part of a strategy to brand Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a global destination, the oil-rich nation, headed by Turki Alalshikh, have recruited sporting celebrities, former rival promoters and elite fighters to further its promotion.
On May 18, unbeaten three-belt heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk seeks to become a two-time undisputed champion versus unbeaten WBC champion Tyson Fury in Riyadh.
Then, on June 1 in Riyadh, unbeaten Russian light-heavyweight champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol fight for undisputed supremacy in that division.
The Beterbiev-Bivol card includes a unique “tournament” undercard in which former bitter rival U.K. promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren have each selected five fighters for a “5 versus 5” competition that includes a point system of one point for a victory by decision, two points for a knockout triumph and double points for a captain’s victory.
The “5 versus 5” undercard offers former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder vs. China’s Zhilei Zhang, top-10 heavyweights Filip Hrgovic vs. Daniel Dubois, WBA super-featherweight champion Raymond Ford vs. Nick Ball, middleweights Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Austin “Ammo” Williams and British light-heavyweights Craig Richards vs. Willy Hutchinson.
“We’ve talked about how competitive the fighters are … the promoters are competitive, too,” former 140-pound champion Chris Algieri said on “Deep Waters.” “These guys don’t want their guys to lose.”
Hearn, who famously labored years ago to create a fight for his then champion Anthony Joshua against then-champion Deontay Wilder, has selected Wilder as his captain for this contest, hoping for a four-point gain against China’s Zhang, while Warren has designated Sheeraz his captain against the unbeaten Williams.
“They’re setting up these [teams] to win – the rules are cool, there’s a strategy to this,” Algieri said.
Alalshikh has spoken of bringing a Riyadh showcase card to London in September, and then returning to his nation in December for another major event.
A potential December card could pit unbeaten former super-middleweight champion David Benavidez versus the Beterbiev-Bivol winner – a bout that otherwise would be bound for Las Vegas.
“There’s a barrier to entry in going to fights now,” Algieri said. “I’m not going on a plane to Saudi Arabia to watch a fight … but there is another option. Everything is right here.” Algieri said that while holding up his phone.
“Now, there’s so many ways to see fights and see your favorite fighters,” he said. “And the ability to watch them with more eyes watching [boxing] is good for the sport.
“Ultimately, we’re not going to have that experience of going to the fights, but we don’t live in that world anymore, especially after [the pandemic of] 2020. Things have changed. I can be on a train, on a plane or right here, and I get to watch a fight.”
