Not only did we announce the highly anticipated light-heavyweight showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol today, but we also confirmed an undercard that rivals some of the best in the sport in recent times.
The Bivol vs. Beterbiev undercard, known as the Queensberry vs. Matchroom concept, was initially proposed by Turki Alalshikh. It is being marketed as a “5 vs. 5” event, pitting five boxers from Queensberry against five boxers from Matchroom. This unique platform not only provides the participating boxers with unprecedented exposure but also allows Queensberry and Matchroom, as promotional companies, to determine which stable currently holds the upper hand.
The announced fights:
Heavyweight: Filip Hrgovic, 17-0 (14) vs Daniel Dubois, 20-2 (19)
Featherweight: Raymond Ford, 15-0-1 (8) vs Nick Ball, 19-0-1 (11)
Middleweight: Ammo Williams, 16-0 (11) vs Hamzah Sheeraz, 19-0 (15)
Light-heavyweight: Craig Richards, 18-3-1 (11) vs Willy Hutchinson, 17-1 (13)
Heavyweight: Deontay Wilder, 43-3-1 (42) vs Zhilei Zhang, 26-2-1 (22)
The rules of the event:
The weight classes were determined by Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn, the promoters, with each choosing two weight classes. Turki Alalshikh, the host and initiator of the idea, made the final decision on the fifth weight class.
Scoring-wise, a decision win will earn one point, while a referee’s stoppage or TKO will secure two points. A draw results in zero points. Additionally, the score of the appointed captains (Matchroom’s Wilder and Queensberry’s Sheeraz) will be doubled.
