The highly anticipated summer promotional showdown between Matchroom and Queensberry took a significant step forward today.
Earlier this year, Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, two prominent promoters in the world, made an agreement with Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. They planned to organize an unprecedented fight night featuring a series of five-versus-five matches. This unique event would bring together five boxers from Matchroom and five from Queensberry, all competing against each other on the same night.
Up until now, there has been no update on the fighters and weight classes for the upcoming matches. However, today it was announced that Hearn and Warren will have a selection of five weight classes to choose from. These weight classes include Heavyweight (two fights), light-heavyweight, middleweight, and featherweight.
Hearn and Warren have always had a strained relationship, frequently exchanging verbal insults through different online platforms. However, their dynamic took a significant turn when Turki Alalshikh, an avid boxing enthusiast, stepped in as both a peacemaker and a mediator. Ever since, the trio has collaborated to bring some of the most prominent boxing matches to the Middle East.
Since last October, top boxers such as Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Dmitry Bivol, Jai Opetaia, Daniel Dubois, Moses Itauma, Nick Ball, and Israil Madrimov from Matchroom and Queensberry have participated in fights held in Saudi Arabia. In one of these bouts, Fury secured a split decision victory against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Just recently, in Riyadh, Ngannou suffered a defeat in two rounds against Joshua, who seems to have found new energy under his new trainer, Ben Davison. Furthermore, on May 18, Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will clash in a highly anticipated match to determine the first undisputed heavyweight champion of boxing since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
Hearn and Warren must now carefully choose their optimal option to maximize their chances of outperforming each other. Additionally, Warren has expressed his willingness to place a substantial wager with Hearn on the outcome of their competition.
The Five vs. Five fights have the potential to complement the highly anticipated light-heavyweight title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, scheduled for June 1. What remains is for Hearn and Warren to disclose their chosen fighters for the event.
