Whatever you might think about the country, Saudi Arabia boxing has become a ‘thing’ in recent years. There’s no getting away from it, and there is plenty more high profile boxing coming up in Saudi Arabia soon.
A mega-money card featuring Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder broadcasts across the world on December 23rd 2023. We’ve also got the world heavyweight title clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk scheduled for February 16th 2024, too.
So, Saudi Arabia is, on the face of it, committed to putting on big fights whenever it possibly can, despite many naysayers. But why is Saudi Arabia so committed to big-time boxing? What does this mean for the sport longer-term?
Saudi Arabia Boxing: The Basic Reasons
It almost goes without saying that Saudi Arabia is a rich country. No, make that a VERY rich country. The Saudi Arabian economy is the 18th largest in the world, but that perhaps doesn’t tell whole story. The country sits on so much oil that the rest of the world is heavily dependent on them as a supplier, giving Saudi Arabia massive amounts of leverage over the global economy.
On top of this, and to put it in very simple terms, Saudi Arabia historically hasn’t had much to offer the world apart from oil. As is the case with other Gulf states, there appears to be an acknowledgement the oil won’t last forever. A long-term plan is needed to ensure continued prosperity in Saudi Arabia for many generations to come.
With that in mind, the Saudi Arabia boxing plan is pretty simple. The country has invested heavily in bringing top-level boxing to its shores, as part of a wider Saudi Arabia sports strategy to diversify its economy. This in turn should boost its tourism and entertainment sectors, and improve its image on the global stage. So far, the broader sports strategy appears to be working well. Just look at the global eyeballs Saudi Arabia football now receives.
A Brief History of Boxing in Saudi Arabia
The first major boxing event in Saudi Arabia was in September 2018. George Groves and Callum Smith fought for the WBA super-middleweight title and the World Boxing Super Series crown at the Sports City in Jeddah, with Smith winning that particular match-up. More importantly, the event showed that Saudi Arabia was capable of putting on big fights.
Since the Smith vs Groves fight, Saudi Arabia has hosted several even higher-profile boxing matches, including:
- Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua II, December 2019: Joshua avenged one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history when Joshua regaining his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles from Ruiz in a rematch at the Diriyah Arena. The fight was reportedly worth $100 million and attracted a sell-out crowd of 15,000 fans.
- Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua II, August 2022: Usyk had taken Joshua’s title in their first fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021. The rematch in Jeddah was no different. Usyk won again on points, with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund contributing a reputed $77 million towards the purse for the bout.
- Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou, October 2023: In a hugely hyped crossover duel, WBC heavyweight champion Fury faced former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou in a 10-round bout at a specially-constructed arena in Riyadh. Fury survived a knockdown in the fourth round to claim a controversial split decision victory over the MMA star, who was making his professional boxing debut. Ngannou reputedly made more in this one fight than in all his MMA fights combined.
What’s next? Upcoming Big Fights
As noted above, there are some big Saudi Arabia boxing matches coming up.
On December 23rd 2023, the Saudi Arabia regular Anthony Joshua fights Otto Wallin. It’s a fight that might cause Joshua more problems than he might like. Wallin was arguably unfortunate not to be judged the winner when he fought Tyson Fury in 2019.
That fight is part of a stacked card that also features big-hitting Deontay Wilder. He takes on Joseph Parker, a former World Heavyweight Champion himself in which the loser seems likely to face retirement.
Possibly the best fighter on the card – Dmitry Bivol – isn’t even the headline event. Bivol gives Lyndon Arthur a shot at his WBA light heavyweight championship, a fight the excellent Bivol should win comfortably.
The big one, though, comes in February 2024. Saudi Arabia hosts the undisputed heavyweight clash between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Expect the Fury vs Usyk fight to be one of the biggest events in boxing history.
Criticism of Saudi Arabia: Sportswashing Allegations
However, Saudi Arabia’s involvement in boxing has also drawn criticism from human rights groups. They accuse the country of using sport as a tool to ‘sportswash’ its poor record on issues such as women’s rights, freedom of expression, and political repression.
Saudi Arabia aren’t the first ‘petrostate’ to receive this kind of accusation. Qatar were subjected to the allegation ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, for example. Furthermore, Abu Dhabi’s ownership of Manchester City has been under constant scrutiny since purchasing the club back in 2008.
According to a report by Grant Liberty, a human rights organization, Saudi Arabia has spent at least $6.3 billion on sportswashing since early 2021. This is more than quadruple the amount spent between 2014 and early 2021.
How The Money Has Been Spent
Some of the most notable deals by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia include:
- The purchase of Newcastle United, the English football team, for $391 million by the Saudi Public Investment Fund;
- The creation of LIV Golf, a rival-turned-partner to the PGA Tour, golf’s foremost competitive body;
- The signing of Lionel Messi to promote tourism to Saudi Arabia on social media for $25 million.
Critics of sportswashing argue that Saudi Arabia is trying to distract from its poor record on human rights, which includes the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, the ongoing war in Yemen, the repression of dissidents and women’s rights activists, and the lack of basic freedoms and democracy.
Critics urge sports figures and brands to reject lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia and to stand up for human rights and justice. When it comes to boxing in Saudi Arabi, this won’t be happening any time soon.
