Promoter Frank Warren says the Saudi Arabian involvement in boxing is no flash in the pan.
The head of London-based Queensberry Promotions is helping assist the oil-producing kingdom’s foray into boxing, and in a recent interview he insisted that the trend of procuring major fights will continue deep into the future.
This Saturday the country will host a stacked card featuring Anthony Joshua in the main event against Otto Wallin. Also on the card is Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker, Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller, as well as appearances by light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol and leading cruiserweight Jai Opetaia.
The country will host the undisputed heavyweight championship next year, on Feb. 17, also in Riyadh, between WBC titlist Tyson Fury and unified WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk.
“With the emergence of the Saudi market and their interest in events, it has become a destination [for boxing] and I believe next year and onwards you’re going to see on a regular basis big fights here,” Warren told BBC 5 Live Boxing. “There’s no doubt about that.
“This (card on Saturday) is the biggest event I’ve been involved with as far as the amount of top fights in one card. It’s just going to get better and better and we kick off next year with the first unification fight (heavyweight) in the 21st century, four belts on the line with Tyson and Usyk. So that’s the commitment to boxing and it’s going to get bigger and bigger.”
The Saudi Arabian presence in boxing of late is thanks to a key official, Turki Alalshikh, the head of the General Authority for Entertainment, which oversees some of the country’s cultural developments. Saudi Arabia has backed numerous sporting enterprises in recent years, most notably professional golf and Formula 1, through an investment fund.
The country’s interest in boxing comes at a time of significant churn for the sport, as longtime broadcaster Showtime will bow out after the end of the year. Premier Boxing Champions, the longtime exclusive content partner for the network, will enter a new rights deal with new entrant Amazon Prime Video.
Warren, who also helped promote the Saudi Arabian crossover fight between Fury and Francis Ngannou in October, believes his new backers have the ambition and wherewithal to change the landscape of the sport.
“Anything is a possibility here,” Warren said. “There’s a will to make it happen. There’s been talks, who knows. That may evolve into something. Not just the heavyweights but all of them fighting each other. It’s a massive opportunity for people. There’s just such interest in here being created and putting on groundbreaking events.”
There have also been reports that the country is looking to stage a fight between Joshua and Wilder, should both come out with wins after Saturday.
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.