Jordan is the latest Middle Eastern country to enter the arena of professional boxing.

Last month came the announcement of the launch of Eastern Ring Boxing, a boxing promotion that will set its home base in Amman, Jordan.

The man in charge is Amer Abdallah, a self-described global boxing advisor who will serve in that role exclusively for Jordan and the ERB. Abdallah has worked with U.S.-based fighters such as Badou Jack and Nico Ali Walsh, and helped launch the UAE's first-ever pro boxing and kickboxing event in 2019. He has worked on boxing projects with Saudi Arabia, Libya, Bahrain and other countries in the Middle East. The premise is simple: Jordan has had success in amateur boxing, without a fighter making it as a marquee pro. With Abdallah’s input, the ERB seeks to grow and develop talent from the region.

“The initial stage is to give Jordan’s already exceptional amateur boxers a platform and opportunity to compete on a global stage in the professional ranks,” Abdallah said.

So who are some of the players? The most accredited fighters are the Ishaish brothers – Hussein and Zeyad. Although Jordan has yet to break through with an Olympic medalist, Hussein has competed at heavyweight and, most recently, middleweight. He won a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the light heavyweight division, while Zeyad won several bronze and silver medals.

At the Olympic Games, the brothers have had the same success, nearly medaling. In 2024, Zeyad lost a narrow split decision to Lewis Richardson. Hussein has competed in three Olympic Games, most notably losing to Tony Yoka in the quarterfinals. (Yoka would go on to win gold at the Olympic Games.)

When asked if the Ishaish brothers would be part of the ERB mix, Abdallah said, “Yes, they will be. We have not signed anyone yet, but they are key talent we are looking at. It really depends on their ambitions and goals.”

Lightweight Obada Al-Kasbeh, now 31, is another fighter to watch. Al-Kasbeh fought in the 2016 Olympics, losing in the first round to Arthur Biyarslanov. Al-Kasbeh has a deep amateur pedigree and has faced elite competition in the amateurs. He also lost to eventual gold medal winner Sofiane Oumiha in the 2024 Olympics.

Similarly, lightweight Mohammad Abu Jajeh has built a good amateur career, having faced Erislandy Alvarez, the Cuban gold medalist. And junior welterweight Bader Al-Dhera, 12-0 (9 KOs), who hails from Amman but trains in Dubai, is another fighter who could become involved. He has an established professional record but has been inactive for the past year.

Some basic questions stand out: How will this effort be funded, and what is its goal?

“It is private equity from the partners with support from the Federation and large Jordanian private sector sponsorships,” Abdallah said. “The goal is to build the promotion with local talent initially and gravitate to the international and global level, with a Jordanian World Champion as the ultimate goal.”

In its infancy, the vision is simple. Eastern Ring Boxing will run some shows and aim to establish some talent. Who knows? Maybe a name or two mentioned above will be featured. 

“Just before the summer for the inaugural event,” Abdallah said. “It will initially begin featuring up-and-coming Jordanian and Middle East superstars.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.