How Saudi Arabia has Transformed into a Boxing Hub

Byboxingtimmy
Tyson Fury closing as betting favorite to beat Oleksandr Usyk in February fight

For a country that owns one of the largest economies in the world, it took Saudi Arabia a while to invest in sports fully. While sports have been a thing in the country since the 1970s, it only recently started to bloom thanks to significant investments. The first major sports event in Saudi was the WWE Greatest Royal Rumble event in 2018 before hosting a super middleweight bout between George Groves and Callum Smith. Smith won the fight with a seventh-round knockout. One year later, another boxing game was held between Billy Dib and Amir Khan. However, the first major boxing event in Saudi Arabia was the Unified Heavyweight Championship rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz in December 2019. The event saw Joshua win the bout unanimously and regain his three titles, having lost them six months earlier on U.S. soil.

What Happened Next?

After the first successful major boxing event that saw Joshua claim around $60 million, talks of more boxing events emerged. The first was a bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury, which has not yet materialized. 

The next major boxing event involved Joshua once again in another defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022. Usyk previously defeated Joshua unanimously in September 2021 in an event held at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, United Kingdom. The bout in Saudi Arabia was a rematch, in which the Ukrainian won by split decision and defended his WBO, WBA, and IBF titles. 

Following Joshua’s second game on Saudi soil, Jake Paul fought Tommy Fury in February 2023 in a cruiserweight fight. Fury won on a split decision. It was a rather disappointing match, but both fighters made millions of dollars. 

The last boxing event in Saudi Arabia involved Tyson Fury and MMA superstar Francis Ngannou in October 2023. While Ngannou shocked Fury with a knockdown in the third round, the experienced boxer won on a split decision. The result was controversial, but it didn’t stop Ngannou from trying another boxing game. He faced Anthony Joshua in March 2024, but he was knocked out in the second round.

When is the Next Boxing Match in Saudi Arabia?

The next event on Saudi soil is the much anticipated heavyweight championship fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on May 18, 2024. The event was first scheduled in February but was shifted after Fury got a cut in the eye and required 11 stitches. The fight might be the biggest boxing fight in recent times as it would crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999. 

After the May 18 fight, another title fight will be held in Riyadh. Artur Beterbiev will face Dmitry Bivol in a 12-round battle for the undisputed light heavyweight championship.

In an expansion bid, Riyadh season will host its first overseas boxing event in Los Angeles on August 3. The event will see a WBA Super-Welterweight world title fight between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov. Despite moving up in weight classes to challenge Madrimov for the Super-Welterweight title, Crawford is favored with odds of -600 by bet365 to win the bout. Ahead of the fight, Crawford is the more experienced boxer with a 40-0 record, while Madrimov has a 10-0-1 record. As a result, Madrimov is the underdog, backed at +400 as of May 1. For those wanting to bet on fights on Saudi soil, there’s no shortage of discounts and offers to take advantage of. For instance, bet365 has many bonuses for new users, which you can claim by betting on most of these events. Odds are available for all boxing matches held throughout the year, whether in Saudi or the other side of the globe.

Final Verdict

Hundreds of professional boxing matches are held yearly, but only a few are significant events. Since Saudi Arabia hosted its first boxing match in 2018, it has become a hub for big boxing matches. Thanks to this, prominent personalities such as Jose Mourinho, Manny Pacquiao, Conor Benn, David Haye, Mike Tyson, and many more have regularly graced these events. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is a regular at these events. He currently plays at Al-Nassr, and it is pretty easy for him to attend. With Saudi Arabia’s investment in sports, we can only expect boxing to grow more significantly in the country.

Similar Posts