Riyadh: Boxing mogul Frank Warren settled the score with longtime rival promoter Eddie Hearn, winning 10-0 at the historic 5vs5 fights at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday night to take the $3 million prize.
Russian powerhouse Dmitry Bivol retained his IBF and WBA light heavyweight titles with a stoppage (technical knockput) against Libyan boxer Malik Zinad in the sixth round, ending Zinad’s 22-win streak.
“I’m happy for maybe 90 or 80 percent,” Bivol told Arab News, expressing admiration for his beaten rival: “I had a good opponent who has a real warrior spirit. And thank you to him and his team and his family.”
Bivol, for the first time, brought his two young sons to the ring with him to celebrate the victory, and shared with Arab News the importance of including them in his journey.
“I want them to see what their father is doing because I don't see them, a lot, in my training camp,” he said.
“I’m just leaving them for two months. For three months. And they could think like, where is their father?” he continued.
“They were with me all week. Since the morning they saw that I have interviews ... I didn’t eat properly all week. And I had to fight and (they saw) how people respect their father,” he concluded.
Turki Al-Alshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, extended an invitation to Bivol for another bout on Oct. 12 in Riyadh as part of Riyadh Season 2024.
“I feel that I deserve it, and I hope I will show my best, on October 12th,” Bivol told Arab News.
The evening opened with a win for Warren when Willy Hutchinson beat Matchroom’s Craig David by unanimous decision, enduring 12 rounds together.
Hutchinson told Arab News it “feels very good” to take the WBC silver light heavyweight belt back home to Scotland. He said: “Hopefully the next one’s for the WBC world title”.
Nick Ball pulled off a bloody split decision victory against Matchroom’s Raymond Ford, handing the American fighter his first defeat.
Ball told Arab News the win “meant the world” to him. “I’m finally world champion, this is something you work your whole life for,” he said.
British boxer Hamzah Sheeraz beat American opponent Austin Williams with a TKO in the 11th round. This win by Sheeraz gave Queensberry Promotions their sixth point, leaving Matchroom Boxing with none.
“I’m over the moon and hopefully I've got a few local (boxing fans) supporting me now as well,” Sheeraz told Arab News.
“I’m just extremely grateful for this, to be a part of what’s happening in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia as well,” he added.
Matchroom continued to fall to defeat fight after fight. In the eighth round, British heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois (WBA) defeated Croatian Filip Hrgovic by TKO, securing Queensberry Promotions’ their eighth point.
Chinese boxer Zhilei Zhang’s fight with American Deontay Wilder was one of the evening’s most anticipated fights. In only five rounds, Zhilei secured two additional points for Frank Warren, winning by a TKO.
On raising his country’s flag, he told Arab News: “This is my mission. No matter where I fight, I always want to raise that Chinese national flag. This is what I represent.”
After the bout, Zhang’s third in the Kingdom, the Chinese boxer said: “I would like to say the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a beautiful country.”
Warren rejoiced throughout the press conference, joined by his beaming fighters, as Queensbury promotions beat Matchroom in all five fights.
On the future of boxing events in Saudi Arabia, Warren told Arab News that there are “a lot of things in the pipeline” and concepts like Saturday’s event fight are “just going to get bigger and better.”
“We love being here. You know, it’s a beautiful country. It’s safe. It’s clean. People are just so charming. And they look after us, you know, we couldn’t ask for any more,” he said.
