In what has been dubbed nothing short of “The Fight Card of the Century” on Saturday, Turki Alalshikh returns with a seven-bout main card that is very much the Super Bowl of professional boxing.
The card, which emanates from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (DAZN PPV), brings together the six biggest boxing promotions on the planet and is headlined by a must-see rematch for the undisputed light heavyweight title pairing Artur Beterbiev against Dmitry Bivol.
As we draw closer to this landmark event, let’s take a closer look at the biggest storylines surrounding Saturday’s all-day affair.
1. Say what you will about hyperbole, but this card truly stands alone
Although boxing’s measuring stick as it pertains to loaded pay-per-view events has long been the deep cards from the 1990s presented by notorious promoter Don King, it isn’t crazy to suggest that Saturday’s offering breaks the mold, altogether. Not only has Alalshikh matched up seven main card bouts that each could stand alone as their own main event, he has succeeded in truly unifying such a disjointed sport by bringing together the six biggest power players globally: Top Rank, Matchroom Sport, Queensberry Promotions, Premier Boxing Champions (represented by TGB Promotions), Golden Boy and BOXXER. Alalshikh is also offering the DAZN PPV at a significantly discounted price compared to his competitors of $29.99. But the greatest endorsement as to how deep and exciting this event truly is might have come from BoxRec.com, which has given four of the seven bouts its highest pre-fight rating of five stars (with the remaining three fights earning four stars apiece).
2. Expect Betebierv-Bivol II to be even better than the first
Beterbiev may have seen his 20-fight knockout streak to open his career snapped last October when he met Bivol in a battle of unbeaten champions to crown the first four-belt, undisputed champion in 175-pound history. But Beterbiev still got his hand raised at the conclusion of 12 rounds following a majority decision ruling that was heavily disputed. For as much as their excellent first fight could be called a technical thriller due to the high pace and strategic adjustments from both, there was a feeling at the conclusion of 12 rounds that both fighters could’ve done more to sway the judges in their favor. Look for an even higher pace and much more intensity from the rematch as each future Hall of Famer looks to sit down on their power punches more in an effort to score a decisive victory. And should Bivol rebound from his first defeat by winning the rematch, Alalshikh has already declared an immediate trilogy fight would be in order.
3. Oleksandr Usyk awaits winner of Daniel Dubois-Joseph Parker
Usyk, the undefeated and unified heavyweight champion, previously reached four-belt, undisputed status last May when the Ukrainian star upset Tyson Fury in the first of two, thrilling title bouts. But given how boxing politics can be, Usyk was immediately stripped after the first Fury win for prioritizing their big-money rematch over a mandatory defense of his IBF title. Luckily for boxing fans, Dubois made the IBF title instantly credible again when he knocked out undefeated Filip Hrgovic in June to capture the vacant belt before obliterating Anthony Joshua three months later in his first title defense. As Dubois prepares for a very difficult challenge in the form of Parker, a former titleholder who used the past two years to rejuvenate his career, it’s hard not to look ahead to what is at stake should he win. Dubois and Usyk fought for the unified heavyweight title in 2023, with Dubois feeling as if he scored a body-shot knockout only for it to be ruled a low blow. Usyk would go on to finish an exhausted Dubois in Round 9. The loss might have been a final turning point in Dubois reaching his full potential as he came back a determined destroyer. Parker is surely no easy out. But given Usyk’s want to unify all four titles one more time, it adds even more stakes to this already exciting co-main event tilt.
4. Is it too much, too soon for unbeaten Floyd “Kid” Schofield?
Despite an 18-0 record and a reputation as an aggressive and exciting fighter, Schofield is still just 22 and has yet to step up in class to an opponent even remotely as talented as the pound-for-pound ranked Shakur Stevenson. But the young American boxers of this generation have shown a propensity for wanting the smoke now rather than later, which makes this matchup an intriguing one even though the undefeated Stevenson, a three-division champion, is as high as a -1200 betting favorite as he defends his WBC lightweight title. Schofield’s team has said they agreed to the fight largely due to the career-high purse being offered. But the fight does over “Kid” an opportunity, even through the possibility of defeat, to gain respect among boxing’s elite and continue to build his fanbase. It could also go horrifically bad for the young fighter given the technical brilliance that Stevenson brings to the table. The two fighters also don’t seem to like each other much, which only adds more intrigue to the most unique matchup of this card.
5. Vergil Ortiz Jr.-Israil Madrimov has fight of the night written all over it
Ever since he returned last year in a new division following a two-year layoff due to medical issues, the unbeaten Ortiz has looked as if he’s ready to conquer the world each time he laces up the gloves. Ortiz scored knockouts of veterans Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme to open 2024 before twice rising from the canvas to outpoint Serhii Bohachuk in an all-action war that would’ve been the year’s best fight had it not been for Usyk-Fury I and Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano II. Like Beterbiev, Ortiz saw his knockout streak to start his career finally snapped against Bohachuk, in a fight many believed could’ve been scored either way. So, Ortiz will only continue to push toward the idea of becoming the best boxer in the world at 154 pounds when he welcomes former champion Israil Madrimov on Saturday for the interim WBC title. Madrimov suffered his first career defeat in losing his title last August to Terence Crawford in a closely contested fight. The combination of Ortiz’s relentless pressure and Madrimov’s quirky style fueled heavily by feints could produce magic once again. Not only is the junior middleweight division on fire, as it is, this matchup is an important one that shouldn’t be overlooked.
