By Daniele D’Alessio CANELO Alvarez and Gervonta Davis are two of the biggest pound-for-pound superstars, yet neither have worked with Turki Alalshikh. Just over two months remain until the one-year anniversary of Riyadh Season in boxing. Ever since Tyson Fury fought Francis Ngannou in the ‘Battle of the Baddest’ on October 28, 2023, Saudi’s grip on the sport has tightened like an Olympian clinging to a gold medal.
To many, the involvement of his excellency has revolutionised professional boxing. The best fighting the best, undercards infused with 50-50 matchups, and some of the most popular boxers competing regularly – life was injected into a struggling niche. One where hardcore fans got the occasional ‘big fight’ yet were often left frustrated with the business of boxing preventing or delaying numerous super bouts from happening.
Meanwhile, casual fans sometimes struggled to fully invest in shows with boxers they were not aware of, besides no compelling narratives or rivalries. Furthermore, despite the majority of Riyadh Season taking place in the Middle East, Turki put together a stacked card on US soil with Terence Crawford, Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller all featuring on August 3. Then, on September 21, Anthony Joshua faces Daniel Dubois for the IBF Heavyworld title at Wembley Stadium as part of Riyadh Season.
Indeed, some would argue the Saudi’s involvement is slowly turning boxing into the UFC. Although instead of Dana White as the sole leading figure, y.