Matchroom and Queensberry, the two largest promotional companies in the UK, have signed contracts for 5 vs 5 event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fighter taking part in the event will be revealed in March.His Excellenacy Turki Alalshikh.
Saudi Influence: Boon or Burden?
Matchroom and Queensberry have competed against one another for ages, with great fighters in both of their stables over the years. Now, they’ll go up against each other with five fighters from both companies to see who’s best.
Ideally, it would be great for boxing fans if Queensberry & Matchroom could work together from now on without the need for the Saudis to make it worthwhile for them to do so.
It’s hard to imagine that they will without the Saudis, as the heads of these two companies are competitive, and they won’t want to see their top fighters picked off by a powerful local promoter.
Global Appeal: A Question Mark
For fans outside of the UK, the 5 vs. 5 event likely won’t resonate with them, as it’s British fighters, and many of them aren’t well known to regular fans, who are more focused on popular fighters.
UK fans will likely love the fights on this card, but it probably won’t mean much for Americans unless some of their top names are included.
This event is expected to have mostly local lads that don’t receive a lot of attention normally on the worldwide stage.
To get outside fans interested, Matchroom and Queensberry would need to include these types of names: Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Devin Haney, Dmitry Bivol, and Zhilie Zhang.
If Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren scrap the idea of stocking the event with just British fighters and focusing on high-caliber talent, this could attract interest globally.
“For decades, it has been the Hearns versus the Warrens. Matchroom versus Queensberry,” said Eddie Hearn. “It is, without doubt, the most storied rivalry in the Sport. Now, thanks to the unrivaled vision of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, fight fans witnessed a handshake that broke the internet – and now they will see the world’s leading promoters going hammer and tong to settle a score for the ages.
“This is a mouthwatering one. It’s time to settle the score, who’s getting the bragging rights?” said Frank Warren.