Riyadh: The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Advisor Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh, has announced the lineup for the “4 Crown Showdown” fight, featuring an electrifying clash for the undisputed world championship in the light heavyweight category (175 pounds) between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Alalshikh also unveiled the participants for the upcoming ‘5 vs 5 a Riyadh Season Original’ event, a highlight of this year’s Riyadh Season. This event will bring together boxing rivals Queensberry and Matchroom at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on June 1.
Alalshikh emphasized, ‘The ‘4 Crown Showdown’ and ‘5 vs 5 a Riyadh Season Original’ fights are among the standout events of this year’s Riyadh Season, showcasing champions selected by our partners at Queensberry and Matchroom.’ He stressed Riyadh Season’s commitment to hosting top-tier fights, major events, and forging partnerships to deliver unparalleled entertainment to fans.
Dmitry Bivol, the current light he
avyweight world champion at 33 years old, boasts an impressive record of 22 wins, including eleven knockout victories, and has successfully defended his title in 10 matches over the past six years. Meanwhile, Artur Beterbiev, aged 39, holds the WBC, IBF, and WBO world champion titles, having secured all 20 of his victories by knockout.
In the “5 vs 5 a Riyadh Season Original” matchups, announced during a press conference at Outernet in London, Queensberry selected heavyweight boxer Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs), known for his formidable skills in the ring. Dubois recently faced champion Jarrell Miller in Riyadh last December and is set to take on Filip Hrjovic (17-0, 14 KOs), the number one contender in the International Boxing Federation, representing Match Room.
Queensberry’s second heavyweight contender is Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang, also known as ‘Bang Bang’ (26-2-1, 21 KOs), who will face former WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) from Matchroom.
In the featherweight category
, champion Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) represents Queensberry and is expected to engage in a thrilling bout against American world champion Ray Ford of Matchroom (15-0-1, 8 KOs) for the WBA World Featherweight Championship.
The middleweight division features WBC silver and Commonwealth champion Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) from Queensbury, facing off against Matchroom’s nominee Austin Williams (16-0, 11 KOs), who claimed the IBF North American title in 2023.
The final matchup of this eagerly anticipated event pits Queensberry light heavyweight champion and former amateur world champion Willy Hutchinson (17-1, 13 KOs) against Matchroom candidate Craig Richards (18-1-3, 11 KOs), the former British champion and WBA World Champion title challenger.
Source: Saudi Press Agency