You know, this whole scenario unfolded just like I’d been predicting for over a year now. Turki Alalshikh has finally made his move to dominate the boxing world, with Dana White and the TKO group playing henchmen in this bid for control.
Just this past Wednesday, we saw the announcement that the Saudi Arabian powerhouse and TKO have teamed up to launch a new promotional company aimed at reinventing boxing. This news didn’t exactly have people jumping for joy. Rather, there’s a palpable sense of dread among those familiar with the murky dealings of both the Saudis and Dana White. It’s an unsettling development for anyone invested in the integrity of boxing.
This alliance was crucial for Saudi ambitions, given that any path to kingdom-wide boxing dominance inevitably passes through the United States, where the sport still generates significant revenue. They’ve already thrown a mountain of cash at Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for a four-fight deal. Before that, Turki had coaxed Shakur Stevenson and Jaron Ennis into agreements with the Saudi-aligned Eddie Hearn, and let’s not forget Terence Crawford’s new role as Riyadh Season Global Ambassador.
Despite their wealth, the Saudis dislike losing money, and so far, their attempts at a boxing coup have been financially disastrous. Their latest event in Riyadh, hyped as “The Greatest Card In The History of Boxing,” only managed to get 45,000 buys in the U.S., even at a discounted price.
To realize their grand plans, Turki and his team need a deeper foothold in the U.S. market. They’re leveraging their ownership of Ring Magazine to promote Ring-branded matches stateside, luring big names like Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Rolly Romero into the fold. From there, Dana White and TKO will take the reins.
This hasn’t been without its skirmishes. A lawsuit lobbed at Top Rank by their former “fixer” Billy Keane, making some shocking allegations, conveniently surfaced just before the Saudi-TKO collaboration was made public. The timing was impeccable, casting a shadow over the traditional boxing landscape and potentially sabotaging Top Rank’s ability to renew their ESPN contract.
For the past two years, Turki has meticulously courted boxing’s top promoters, lavishing money on them, and enticing fighters with hefty paydays, all while weaving his influence deeper into the sport’s fabric. Now, having gained a solid foothold, Turki seems almost ready to yank the sport away from those who unwittingly facilitated his rise.
Just after flexing his new TKO muscle, Turki spoke about his desire to “crush” the competition. By the next day, he was throwing down veiled threats to Matchroom’s Dmitry Bivol, who might be considering skipping a scheduled third match with Artur Beterbiev in favor of the WBC-backed fight against David Benavidez.
Benavidez, mind you, was Turki’s guest in Riyadh for the February rematch between Bivol and Beterbiev, being touted as the next contender for the winner. Turki made it clear that he’s lost interest in a Bivol-Benavidez matchup, issuing a public warning to Bivol to stay loyal to those who’ve really delivered for him.
So much for breaking down barriers. Turki seems to be erecting them faster than ever, potentially leaving his former partners fenced out. When queried about this potential fracture, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn maintained a diplomatic front, acknowledging the financial benefits of the partnership but implying readiness for conflict should it arise.
Hearn’s calm demeanor will likely change if Turki begins weaponizing the fighters he’s acquired against their former promoters. Meanwhile, Dana White isn’t shy about his intentions to revitalize boxing from the ground up, with little regard for collaboration with existing promoters.
There’s also the question of boxing’s sanctioning bodies, some of which have happily accepted financial backing from Turki and the Saudis. They might find themselves on the outside looking in. In the announcement for the Canelo Alvarez-William Scull fight, only the IBF was mentioned, omitting Canelo’s other championship affiliations, possibly hinting at a shift in the sport’s structural hierarchy.
Drawing a road map for Turki’s promotion reveals reliance on his Ring Magazine belts as the new standard worldwide. Though few will shed tears for the promoters and sanctioning bodies now kneecapped by the very system they endorsed, the irony isn’t lost on those of us who saw this coming. Watching the self-inflicted downfall of these figures provides amusement, but there’s a looming sense of foreboding too. Shifting boxing from its somewhat shady roots to the hands of a high-powered authoritarian machine feels like a step into shadowy, uncharted territory.
Critics might argue it’s rash to pre-judge this emerging league. But aligning with figures like Turki, known for suppressing dissent, alongside a company known for inequitable fighter compensation, doesn’t bode well for boxing’s future. The established boxing world may soon realize the steep price of their dealings as the new players come to collect on their investments.
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