Saudi Arabian Sports Chairman Turki Alalshikh is ready to commit to the heavyweight division until 2030 and make the best fights possible for fans.
However, when outlining his vision, Alalshikh admitted that the problem with the sport today is having four sanctioning bodies.
Riyadh Season continues with an undisputed heavyweight title clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on February 17. The event is the gem in total heavyweight dominance by the region.
But it’s not a flash in the pan for Turki. He has a six-year plan to keep delivering the best heavyweight fights as he attempts to snap up some of the Pound for Pound stars from lower weights.
“I’m a fan of boxing. I study it. I have people to study it,” he told DAZN. “In the seventies and the beginning of the eighties, the sport that was number one in the world was boxing.
“Now I am very sad. The last [search] result I have before we go inside deeper boxing was the fourteenth [rated sport worldwide]. There are many reasons, some of them being that there are not a lot of fighters who are charismatic and have character now.
“There are a lot of problems with the promoter. They don’t want to do the strongest fight because it costs a lot. Some fighters don’t want to do the strongest fight, and there are four companies and four belts.
“Also, you need to catch the youngest generation now and have a good roster, music, a good show, and promotion.
“You have to use a lot of cameras, similar to what UFC now does. They do it right because they are a company, and they are the only company [for MMA].
Saudi’s heavyweight vision
“For that, we are coming up with a new strategy, idea, and vision. We are supporting the vision of 2030 in our country to deliver the best fights at a good price to the market. We want to make the fights the people want to see.”
On pushing the heavyweight division to its limits, Turki added: “We don’t want to waste time. Tyson Fury is 35 now, around 35, Joshua is around 33, I think, Usyk is around 36, and Wilder is 38.
“We are losing time. The people need to see Joshua vs Fury and Joshua vs Wilder.”
Having witnessed Wilder lose to Joseph Parker, Alalshikh still hopes to work with the American again in the future.
“I hope Wilder comes back. There is a rumor that the fight between Joshua and Wilder [could still happen], but you see the result and Wilder’s body condition now.
“It would not be reasonable to have the fight now. But we want him to come back, and I see Parker [doing well]. What he’s doing is an amazing show, and he is one the best boxers to come back this year.
Asked if he believes this Riyadh Season is the best he’s promoted, he concluded: “Each year, we say these things.
“I hope this year 2024 will go bigger and bigger with the support of his majesty King Salman and his royal highness our leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and his vision.”
