A rematch for the undisputed light-heavyweight title between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will headline a February 22 show at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh that is already being described as one of the greatest boxing cards ever put together.
In October, Beterbiev defeated Bivol by majority decision to become the first undisputed champion in the 175lbs division since 2002. The result divided opinion, however, and Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and the man driving Saudi investment in boxing, said he intended to make the rematch.
That will now happen barely four months after their brutal and enthralling first fight, which Beterbiev edged with one judge seeing a 114-114 draw but being overruled by cards of 116-112 and 115-113 in the 39-year-old's favour.
The rematch sits at the top of a seven-fight card that features four world title bouts and three more for interim world titles.
Chief support is provided by Daniel Dubois defending his IBF heavyweight title against New Zealand's former WBO champion Joseph Parker.
Dubois returns to action for the first time since flattening British rival Anthony Joshua at Riyadh Season: Wembley Edition in September.
Undefeated American Shakur Stevenson features on a Saudi card for the first time and will defend his WBC lightweight strap against Floyd Schofield.
Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz gets his first crack at a world title as he challenges Carlos Adames for his WBC middleweight belt.
And, in a bout that could steal the show, the all-action Vergil Ortiz Jr faces Uzbek stylist Israil Madrimov for an interim title at light-middleweight.
Further down the bill, British rivals Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith face off with the winner moving into a strong position to challenge the winner of the main event.
And, whoever prevails between Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang in the opening bout on the bill, will most certainly be eyeing the winner of Dubois versus Parker.
“One of the greatest cards ever on February 22 in Riyadh,” said Alalshikh on X, before confirming plans to work with broadcasters to keep pay-per-view costs at affordable levels.
“What a fight card, what a night this will be. These Riyadh Season cards just get better and better,” said Frank Warren, who promotes Dubois and Sheeraz.
"This card on February 22 is something special. When you look at it, every fight on there is a magnificent fight. I mean, I've never seen a card like it. It is so spectacular."
Perfect rivals Beterbiev and Bivol straight back to it
When a fight delivers like their eagerly awaited first meeting, the only reasonable option is to run it straight back. Now boxing fans are facing up to the reality that they get to watch Beterbiev (21-0, 20ko) and Bivol fight twice in the space of four months.
What their first fight showed is that these men are perfect rivals, that their styles gel and their talent and toughness virtually guarantee fireworks when they come together.
Some of the greatest rivalries in boxing have produced trilogies and, with Saudi backing, perhaps we will get to see this for a third time as well. That should be a certainty if Bivol (23-1, 12ko) can turn the tables and even things up at 1-1.
The 33-year-old boxed beautifully in October, using his fluid footwork and accurate flurries to great effect before Beterbiev's relentless aggression took over down the stretch.
Dangerous assignment for peaking Dubois
Dubois, 27, has looked like a man transformed in the past 18 months and the growing confidence in the team behind him is demonstrated by the choice of Parker (35-3, 23ko) as an opponent.
Dubois (22-2, 21ko) took the interim belt in June by beating Filip Hrgovic and was upgraded to champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title due to his rematch clause with Tyson Fury. Dubois then defended his title in September with a knockout win over Joshua at Wembley.
Former world champion Parker, 32, claimed the WBO title in 2016 by defeating Andy Ruiz. He lost it to Joshua in 2018.
But recent victories have propelled him back into the title picture, particularly after securing a dominant win over Deontay Wilder in December last year. He has held the WBO interim title since March after defeating Zhang.
That experience and run of form make him a tricky opponent for Dubois, who could have taken an easier option in what is a voluntary defence in the wake of his career-best KO of Joshua.
"I love the Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker fight," added Warren. "Daniel's come into his own now, he's shown what he's all about. He's suddenly hit maturity, not just physically but mentally. And he's in with a live opponent, someone who comes to fight and is on a bit of a roll, he's resurrected his career. So I think that's going to be great."
Opportunity knocks for Sheeraz while American stars look to earn their stripes
Middleweight Sheeraz, 25, has quickly become a favourite of Alalshikh with his last two wins coming on Saudi-backed shows.
The 21-0 Essex fighter claimed an impressive triumph over Austin Williams before knocking out Tyler Denny in two rounds at Wembley. He now steps up in class against Adames with the WBC gold on the line.
Dominican Adames, 30, is 24-1 and on a six-fight winning streak, including victories over Terrell Gausha, Julian Williams and Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
“His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is bringing boxing how it is now – from how it used to be back in the eighties, when the best used to fight the best,” Sheeraz told the WBC. “The best used to fight three times a year, four times a year, they used to sell out stadiums. To be an ambassador for all of that … words can’t really describe, to fly the flag for it, to be a bearer.”
With Golden Boy Promotions now firmly in the Riyadh Season fold, the ultra-aggressive Ortiz (22-0, 21ko) has a big opportunity to impress when he faces the 29-year-old Madrimov (10-1-1, 7ko).
Ortiz, 25, was close to sealing a deal to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis on February 22, only for the American to pull out at the last minute.
A quick reshuffle saw Madrimov get the shot in what will be his first outing since pushing pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford all the way at the Riyadh Season event in Los Angeles back in June.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Stevenson, very much in the Saudi orbit having left Top Rank for Matchroom, faces up-and-comer Schofield (18-0, 12ko).
Olympic silver medallist Stevenson (22-0, 10ko) – beaten in the 2016 final by Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez in Rio – has drawn criticism for coasting in fights but will surely want to put on a show on his debut in the kingdom. Prospect Schofield, 22, replaces William Zepeda, who steps aside after having trouble with Tevin Farmer on the Riyadh Season “Latino Night” card last month.
