October 28, 2025, marked the two-year anniversary of Turki Alalshikh’s marriage to boxing, a relationship in which he’s been husband – and boss – to a bride who has thus far done all she can to please him.
Like all the best (see also, absolute worst) weddings, the ceremony had to be so big and so garish that it was impossible to ignore. In a nod to some fantasy, almost childlike matchmaking, a bout between two fearsome giants – Tyson Fury, then the best heavyweight in the world, and Francis Ngannou, a debutant with only MMA experience – was somehow sanctioned as a professional 10-round boxing match and deemed suitable entertainment. The event was excruciatingly drawn out, the A-list guests’ sole job was to smile and clap, and thus, the whole affair was devoid of anything truly meaningful.
Alalshikh soon started to get the hang of it, though. After myriad failings from fighters, managers, and promoters, the Saudi Arabian paymaster – thanks to gazillions of dollars at his disposal – delivered a lifetime-awaited showdown for all the heavyweight marbles when he put Fury in the ring with his closest rival, Oleksandr Usyk. He did likewise with Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol down at light heavyweight and, just last month, he was the brains, and wallet, behind one of the most-watched fights in boxing history, Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez. For those three contests alone, Alalshikh’s impact in the sport has been gargantuan. Not only that, he managed to get promoters working together and the sheer volume of contests that have been staged between them since 2023 is testament to Alashikh’s lucrative influence.
Whether or not boxing is healthier than it was two years ago, though, is up for debate. The short-term implications of the promoters’ desire to hand over their biggest stars to ensure they were free to catch a piece of the Saudi pie could certainly be felt elsewhere, with a striking decline in the number of noteworthy events in key territories like the US and the UK. And is the sport really enjoying a triumphant return to the public consciousness? Despite promises to make boxing accessible to all, most of the major events are still locked away behind paywalls, big broadcasters have walked away from boxing, and any real exposure for anything besides the big stadium events is as difficult to attain as it’s always been. Also, one hopes that the war against PEDs is a work in progress, rather than the meek surrender that it has recently appeared.
But any criticism of the new regime is not welcome – that much has become abundantly clear. And, frankly, asking Alalshikh to solve everything within 24 months is probably unfair, too. His role thus far has been to stage the biggest and best events and though there have been mistakes along the way, what he has achieved has been more than enough to ensure the bond will enter its third year – which seemed unthinkable at the time of such superficial beginnings. What follows, then, should remind everyone of how far he’s come.
October 28, 2023: Tyson Fury w pts 10 Francis Ngannou (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: Fury vs Ngannou was surprisingly competitive, which made it somewhat dramatic, particularly when Fury was dropped in the third round. However, it was a messy-and-needless scrap that does not stand up to repeat viewings. Matching a world heavyweight champion with a debutant and calling it a sanctioned fight was an early nod to the growing influence of Alalshikh. 1/5
Undercard: The highlight of middling fare was Fabio Wardley halting David Adeleye in seven rounds but even that struggled to raise a cheer from the A-list crowd. 2/5
Talking point: Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo having the time of his life at ringside.
Historical significance: This should perhaps only generate one star when considering the fights on offer but given this was Alalshikh’s vehicle into boxing – one that gathered astonishing pace thereafter – it surely merits top marks. 5/5
December 23, 2023: Joseph Parker w pts 12 Deontay Wilder (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: The plan had been for Fury to effortlessly beat Ngannou, then stroll into a showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, but, with Tyson suffering too many cuts and bruises, Plan B for December 23, 2023, was triggered. It involved showcasing Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua in separate bouts with a view to matching them together in 2024. Both fights contained enough jeopardy – Wilder would share dukes with Joseph Parker while Otto Wallin awaited Joshua – to make them appealing. Ultimately, as Alalshikh endured another early lesson in the dangers of prelims, Parker won at a canter against the ageing Wilder, while Joshua thrashed Wallin inside four. 3/5
Undercard: A mixed-and-expensive bag. Daniel Dubois-Jarrell Miller and Agit Kabayel-Arslanbek Makhmudov were well-matched and entertaining enough, but Filip Hrgovic-Mark De Mori and Jai Opetaia-Ellis Zorro were woeful massacres. Matching Dmitry Bivol with Lyndon Arthur was another curious choice if enlivening an audience is the overriding aim of an undercard. 3/5
Talking point: If you want Fighter A to fight Fighter B, then simply match them together.
Historical significance: If only because it finally put the by-now nauseating Joshua-Wilder saga to bed, this was significant enough. 2.5/5
March 8, 2024: Anthony Joshua w ko 2 Francis Ngannou (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: Though it’s easy to retrospectively criticise matching the world-class Joshua with the 0-1 Ngannou, it’s only fair to remember that plenty were excited about the “slugfest” heading in. Easier to recall, however, is the blood-curdling way that Joshua ripped Ngannou from consciousness as the reality of the situation, a grotesque mismatch, was played out in front of the world. 2/5
Undercard: Solid. Parker-Zhilei Zhang, Rey Vargas-Nick Ball and Israil Madrimov-Magomed Kurabanov were all appealing, and each would have been quality main events on separate cards. 4/5
Talking point: That horrific Joshua KO blow.
Historical significance: Though it was dramatic and exciting in parts, there was so much vying for our attention, and thus all bleeding into one, that large chunks of this bill have likely already been forgotten. 2/5
May 18, 2024: Oleksandr Usyk w pts 12 Tyson Fury (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: At long last, and for the first time since 1999, the leading two heavyweights in the world squared off in one fight. Usyk-Fury more than delivered; engrossing throughout, and truly exhilarating in places, the only complaint can be it just didn’t feel right that this didn’t have a Las Vegas (or equivalent)-style build-up or crowd. But after so long yearning for the heavyweight mess to be resolved, it’s perhaps churlish to grumble about such minor details. 5/5
Undercard: Jai Opetaia-Mairis Briedis II, Agit Kabayel-Frank Sanchez and Joe Cordina-Anthony Cacace were all decent match-ups. 3/5
Talking point(s): Positivity, and lots of it, after Usyk and Fury engaged in a fight of the ages.
Historical significance: Huge. 5/5
June 1, 2024: Zhilei Zhang w tko 5 Deontay Wilder (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: Though Zhang-Wilder was the nominal main event, the real theme here was the matching of five Matchroom fighters with five Queensberry fighters. It was an excellent idea as four out of five contests highlighted how special boxing can be when the matchmaking is on point. However, the one that was never competitive, nor exciting, was Zhang’s KO of an apparently washed-up Wilder. 2.5/5
Undercard: Hard to fault. Hamzah Sheeraz came through a tough test to outlast Ammo Williams; Daniel Dubois breathed new life into his reputation with a gritty drubbing of Filip Hrgovic; Nick Ball and Ray Ford engaged in a terrific 12-rounder; and the all-British clash between Willy Hutchinson and Craig Richards was a cracker. Even the Bivol-Malik Zinad sidepiece showcased the Russian at his most spiteful. 5/5
Talking Point: Frank Warren handing Eddie Hearn an absolute drubbing.
Historical significance: Given that this format hasn’t been repeated – despite promises to do so – it could yet go down in history as one of a kind. 3.5/5
August 3, 2024: Terence Crawford w pts 12 Israil Madrimov (Los Angeles, CA)
Main Event: The biggest criticism, to this point, of Riyadh Season shows was the location. Saudi Arabia might well one day become the tourist epicentre of the universe but, truth is, for sporting events to really feel extra special they need a sporting crowd. The move to Los Angeles, then, was largely welcomed but the matching of Crawford and Madrimov didn’t quite do the BMO Stadium justice. 2.5/5
Undercard: Plenty to enjoy but it did last an awfully long time. For some fans, non-stop boxing for hours on end is bliss, for others, not so much. Think about being on a long-haul flight for 10 hours and watching back-to-back movies. It doesn’t matter how good the first one was, you’re gonna struggle to remember anything about it by the time you touch down. 3.5/5
Talking Point: That the 154-pound Crawford was not a patch on the 147-pound Crawford.
Historical significance: Crawford winning a belt in a third division made it somewhat significant. This might also be the night, thanks to gung-ho matchmaking with Martin Bakole, that wrecked the career of Jared Anderson. 3/5
September 21, 2024: Daniel Dubois w ko 5 Anthony Joshua (London, England)
Main Event: The perfect setting, Wembley Stadium, for two hard-hitting British heavyweights, Dubois and Joshua, to let ‘em fly. The IBF belt allowed this to be shamelessly marketed as a world-title fight four months – four months! – after Usyk had cleared up 25 years of confusion. But all the ingredients here worked to create a memorable occasion and terrific old-school scrap. Dubois started fast, before Joshua recovered just in time to be taken clean out by a cinematic clout in the fifth. 5/5
Undercard: When judged alongside Riyadh Season’s habit of cramming the appetizers with huge names then this might have been deemed a disappointment heading in. But it was probably their most sensible undercard to date with an all-important nod to the British ticket-buyer. Joshua Buatsi-Willy Hutchinson and Anthony Cacace-Josh Warrington were world level, Hamzah Sheeraz-Tyler Denny was for the three big domestic championships, and Josh Kelly-Ishmael Davis was well-matched. 4/5
Talking Point: The feeling that Joshua’s emphatic defeat marked the end of an exceptionally fruitful era in British boxing.
Historical significance: A packed stadium for a boxing event is always significant, and Dubois chinning Joshua is destined to make its mark in history books. 4/5
October 12, 2024: Artur Beterbiev w pts 12 Dmitry Bivol (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: A boxing connoisseur’s wet dream. Beterbiev and Bivol traded the most cultured of leather for 12 engrossing rounds to crown one light-heavyweight king for the first time since Michael Spinks left the weight class in 1985. Maybe the fight wasn’t a tireless slugfest, but it was undeniably exceptional warfare. 5/5
Undercard: Fabio Wardley-Frazer Clarke II was eagerly awaited but despite the star appeal elsewhere, the pick-and-mix nature of certain pairings – Jai Opetai-Jack Massey and Chris Eubank Jr-Kamil Szeremeta in particular – smacked of too much money being spent on needless window dressing. 2.5/5
Talking point: The judging that awarded Beterbiev the slenderest of winning margins.
Historical significance: Alalshikh, in the space of five months, had given fans ‘undisputed’ fights at light heavy and heavyweight. Kudos only for that. 5/5
November 16, 2024: Gilberto Ramirez w pts 12 Chris Billam-Smith (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: That this ‘Latino Night’ headliner, Ramirez vs Billam-Smith for two cruiserweight belts, was regarded as one of Riyadh Season’s weakest highlights how far they’d come since matching Fury with Ngannou 13 months previously. No classic, but entertaining throughout, Ramirez removed Billam-Smith from the championship sweepstakes in an important clash at 200lbs. 3.5/5
Undercard: Perfect undercard fare with William Zepeda-Tevin Farmer, Arnold Barboza-Jose Ramirez, Oscar Duarte-Botirzhon Akhmedov and Oscar Collazo-Thammanoon Niyomtrong all well-matched heading in. 4/5
Talking Point: Were you watching, Jai Opetaia?
Historical significance: Two ‘world champions’ being whittled down to one is always significant, though this event passed with little fanfare. 2.5/5
December 21, 2024: Oleksandr Usyk w pts 12 Tyson Fury (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: Not quite as exciting as their first encounter, but Usyk and Fury again reminded everyone why they are the best heavyweights of their generation with a top-drawer tactical battle. 4.5/5
Undercard: Substantial drop-off in famous names suggested that someone in the Saudi Arabia accounts department might have a calculator, after all. It wasn’t all bad but, coupled with a lack of interest among local fans, this didn’t really feel like the kind of run-up required for a fight like Fury-Usyk II. 2/5
Talking point: Fury again feeling like he’d won a fight that nearly everyone else thought he’d lost.
Historical significance: Not the fault of anyone involved (apart from the IBF who chucked an intercontinental belt at one of the undercard bouts yet no longer recognized Usyk as heavyweight champ), but a shame the world heavyweight championship had already become splintered since their first scrap in May. One suspects that minor detail won’t be dwelled upon for too long, however; that Usyk again beat his closest rival is what legends are made of. 4/5
February 22, 2025: Dmitry Bivol w pts 12 Artur Beterbiev (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: Another elegant battle and another incredibly close duel, this time won by Bivol, that proved if each were to retain what they exhibited here, they could have 10 more fights and they’d all end in debatable decisions. Partly because of that, the clamor for a third fight – initially Alalshikh’s wish – was not particularly widespread. 4/5
Undercard: Terrific. Those who say it was over-indulgent because each of the noteworthy bouts (Smith-Buatsi, Ortiz-Madrimov, Kabayel-Zhang, Parker-Bakole, Adames-Sheeraz) would have served the sport well as main events in separate events have a point, but this was always engrossing and sporadically thrilling. Another plus was the conscious effort to cut out the between-fight pauses. 5/5
Talking point: When Alalshikh approached the corner of Sheeraz, a Riyadh Season ambassador, to tell him he was losing on the cards to Adames.
Historical significance: Not as significant as the first Bivol-Beterbiev meeting but a changing of the guard at 175lbs means this night represented an important bookmark. 4/5
April 26, 2025: Chris Eubank Jnr w pts 12 Conor Benn (London, England)
Main Event: Though the long and winding build-up, littered with rule-bending and controversy, drove those who covered it to the brink of madness, the fight between Eubank Jnr and Benn exceeded all expectations. A rip-roaring, edge-of-your-seat thriller that showcased the lengths that fighters will go to in the pursuit of victory. 5/5
Undercard: Some might say it was underwhelming but the matchmaking was fine, Aaron McKenna and Viddal Riley scored impressive breakout wins, and it zipped along at a pace that those who still like to have some ability to pay attention remaining by the time the main event begins will have appreciated. 3/5
Talking point: Eubank Snr almost stole the show with his last-ditch appearance but, really, the story on the night was the fight itself.
Historical significance: Okay, this was a contest between two sons of old enemies that didn’t really have any significance at middleweight. Regardless, given the thrilling nature of the fight and everything that came before it, this entire story is destined for immortality. 5/5
May 2, 2025: Rolando Romero w pts 12 Ryan Garcia (New York)
Main Event: Though a novel idea, the execution of shutting down Times Square to showcase Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez in separate bouts fell exceedingly flat. Even Alalshikh’s influence couldn’t close Times Square, leaving the ring in a taped off corner of the New York hotspot, and the matchmaking produced three instantly forgettable bouts. Garcia, coming back after a drugs ban, struggled with Romero before losing on the cards, and Haney did just enough to beat Jose Ramirez in a snoozer. Lopez outscoring Barboza over 12 was only marginally more entertaining. 1.5/5
Undercard: The six-round bout between Levale Whittingham and Reito Tsutsumi was the best on the card but the entire event fell a long way short from the grandiose promises made during the planning stages. 1.5/5
Talking point: The overriding chatter was disappointment, in the performances of Garcia, Haney and Lopez, and the entire spectacle.
Historical significance: Some praise for the perseverance of those at the coal face is required because, when all was said and done, they did manage to stage boxing in Times Square on a busy Friday night. 3/5
May 3, 2025: Canelo Alvarez w pts 12 William Scull (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Main Event: Dreadfully dull encounter which couldn’t be saved by the nonsensical notion of Canelo regaining his ‘undisputed’ super-middleweight championship. 1.5/5
Undercard: Serviceable stuff at the top end, with victories for Jaime Munguia, Badou Jack, and a draw between Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba. But nothing could really save this show from being the meekest Alalshikh offering to be staged in Saudi Arabia. 2.5/5
Talking point: Meh.
Historical significance: If you like your titles to be undisputed then perhaps marking this so low will seem harsh. But to declare this contest – one that Canelo rejected in the past only to get paid handsomely to change his mind – ‘significant’ would be even more unjust. 1.5/5
July 12, 2025: Shakur Stevenson w pts 12 William Zepeda (New York)
Main Event: Given the disappointment of what occurred during that weekend in May, it might have been seen as something of a gamble to place Shakur Stevenson atop their next offering. But the matchmaking this time was excellent as the aggressive and unbeaten Zepeda brought out the best in Stevenson before losing an engrossing and high quality 12-rounder on points. 4/5
Undercard: Hamzah Sheeraz crushing Edgar Berlanga was a sizzling return to form for the Englishman and the junior-welterweight tussle between Subriel Matias and Alberto Puello, though not a thriller, was another good match-up. 3/5
Talking point: News that Imam Khataev was in the midst of a drugs ban while losing a contentious decision to David Morrell really should have been the talking point here. But it was barely addressed by anyone involved in, or covering, the event.
Historical significance: Hard to judge because we don’t yet know how far Shakur will go. Should he go on to beat all-comers, the night when Zepeda pushed him all the way at the Louis Armstrong Stadium (another bizarre setting) might be remembered. 2/5
September 13, 2025: Terence Crawford w pts 12 Canelo Alvarez (Las Vegas)
Main Event: A sublime contest between two of the greatest fighters of the current era was given the Netflix razzmatazz and, for the first time in a long time, it felt like the fight we were watching was also being watched by people outside of boxing’s ever decreasing hardcore. Crawford, stepping up to 168lbs, was magnificent and Canelo, though the deserved loser via the judges, more than played his part in a terrific chess match. 5/5
Undercard: The involvement of TKO saw the supporting bouts stripped to 10 rounds and a curious choice to showcase Callum Walsh near the top of the bill, but purely for the slugfest that occurred between Lester Martinez and Christian Mbilli, this can be deemed above average. 3/5
Talking point: Crawford, Crawford, Crawford.
Historical significance: Though not quite the monumental event that Max Kellerman would have you believe, it was certainly big. It proved that the sport, when marketed well and put under the noses of enough people, remains incredibly attractive while also providing Crawford, now the one and only man in a third weight class, with the platform to genuine greatness. 5/5
Overall report card:
Main Events: There have been some stinkers, no question. But it’s hard to think of anyone in modern, comparable, history who has delivered such quality in such timely fashion. Nonetheless, a mark is forsaken due to too many of the events lacking the atmosphere that all big sporting events deserve. 4/5
Undercards: Plenty were long and drawn-out vanity projects. One must also consider the wider consequences of packing each event with as many stars as possible; which is, simply, there are not enough stars to service the sport all-year round if you’re going to stick them all on the same bill. 3/5
Talking Point: How much longer can this amount of money be spent when the returns are paltry by comparison?
Historical significance: If the marriage ends tomorrow, the impact of the relationship will live on for an awfully long time. 5/5
