Blow by Blow: Riyadh readies for a sensational night of boxing on June 1

Suspense, enthusiasm, excitement, and world-class competition await boxing fans on June 1 with a number of high-profile fights planned

Rana Muhammad Khair Al-Din

06 May 24

Riyadh readies for the ultimate fight night

Riyadh Season 2023 might have officially come to an end in early March, but the exceptional Riyadh Season sporting events continue to excite and draw in international crowds.

Several highly anticipated sports events are planned to take place on June 1 at the Kingdom Arena: the Four Crown Showdown and the multi-headlining bout between five different weight divisions at the 5 vs 5 Riyadh Season fight.

And, here is everything you need to know.

Four Crown Showdown

Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev

The Four Crown Showdown is a highly anticipated international boxing bout. It promises to be an intense showdown between two challenging contenders.

Dmitry Bivol is a 33 year old Russian light-heavyweight world champion, boasting an impressive record of 22 victories, including 11 knockouts in his six-year career, the fighter is well prepared for this head-to-head battle. His opponent, Artur Beterbiev, aged 39, holds several impressive world titles including the WBC, IBF, and WBO belts. Notably Beterbiev has secured all 20 of his wins by knockout. Beterbiev expressed his readiness for the fight at the London press conference, stating, "I have been waiting for it since 2017. It will be my first visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and I am very happy about that."

With such well-matched competitors, this fight promises to be thrilling and unpredictable. But, for now the questions stands, who will emerge victorious?

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5 VS 5: A Riyadh Season Original

A new and interesting set up, the 5 VS 5 event is attracting the attention from around the world.

The 5 vs 5: A Riyadh Season Original will bring together some of the most intense matchups in boxing history, and will feature ten of the most exceptional world champions vying for top honours in their weight classes. Under Queensberry, boxing legend Frank Warren has selected five contenders, and under Matchroom, Eddie Hearn has chosen five worthy opponents, these five fights will cover each boxing weight category such as heavyweight, featherweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight.

Heavy Weight Fight 1

Daniel Dubois vs. Filip Hrgovic

Warren's Queensberry has selected the heavyweight boxer Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs). One of the best of the UK boxers, Dubois faced champion Jarrell Miller last December in Riyadh, and now prepares to take off the number one in the International Boxing Federation, Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs). Hrgovic has been selected as part of Hearn's Matchroom team. This fight will determine the boxer worthy of holding the title of world heavyweight boxing champion.

Heavy Weight Fight 2

Zhang 'Bang Bang' Zhili vs. Deontay Wilder

Standing at a sturdy 6ft 6inches, and weighing an estimated 290lbs, Chinese heavy weight champion Zhang Zhili (26-2-1, 21 KOs) will fight under the Queensberry card. Zhili has been matched with the 40-year-old Matchroom opponent, and former WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs). Wilder took part in the Riyadh Season 'Day of Reckoning' event in December 2023, and has maintained an impressive 42 knockouts out of 43 victories.

Featherweight Fight

Nick Ball vs. Ray Ford

Queensberry has chosen champion Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) to go up against Matchroom’s chosen fighter, American world champion Ray Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs). Both athletes will compete for the title of WBA World Featherweight Championship, a title Ford only recently achieved following a successful fight against Otabek Kholmatov.

Middleweight Fight

Hamza Sheeraz vs. Austin Williams

The Middleweight will showcase the fierce boxing skills of Queensbury’s Hamza Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs), the WBC Silver and Commonwealth Champion, against Matchroom’s selected fighter Austin Williams, who set a record in the middleweight division (16-0, 11 KOs) and has won the IBF North American title in 2023. Sheeraz will soon be a regular household name as the 24 year old has gained notoriety for earning 13 consecutive early victories.

Lightweight Fight

Willy Hutchinson vs. Craig ‘Spider’ Richards

In the final bout of this highly anticipated event, the lightweight division will see Queensberry’s Willy Hutchinson (17-1, 13 KOs) trade punches with one of the brightest talents in British boxing and the current WBC champion, Matchroom’s fighter, the former British champion and WBA title holder, Craig ‘Spider’ Richards (18-1-3, 11 KOs).

Ticket Details

Tickets are now available to purchase online at webook.com, with prices starting from SAR 120.
Book tickets for 5 vs 5: A Riyadh Season Original here

Green 2G class from SAR 120
Green G1 and Yellow G1 classes from SAR 160
Gold G and Gold Y class from SAR 400
Platinum G and Platinum Y class from SAR 800
Diamond G and Diamond Y class from SAR 1200

Kingdom Arena, Riyadh
@riyadhseason @turkialalshik