Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang will possible be the headline struggle of the Matchroom vs Queensberry 5 vs 5 competitors on June 1 in Saudi Arabia, with promoters and Saudi organizer Turki Alalshikh selecting the divisions for the fights as we speak.
Queensberry’s Frank Warren selected the heavyweight and middleweight divisions, whereas Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn selected featherweight and lightweight heavyweight.
Turki Alalshikh selected a second heavyweight struggle to spherical out the format, with that kind of defeating the aim on-paper, in addition to the truth that Alalshikh’s matchup can see the businesses represented by any heavyweight, not simply somebody below firm contract.
That struggle, then, appears to clearly be the Wilder vs Zhang struggle. Zhang has been combating for Queensberry currently, however has fought for Matchroom previously. Wilder has no historical past with both firm immediately, and the illustration looks as if it may go both means.
The present will likely be headlined by the undisputed gentle heavyweight championship struggle between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, which isn’t a part of the 5 vs 5 competitors.
What is going to the opposite fights be?
Promoters get to select representatives from their in-house stables.
The 2 heavyweight fights
So we’re 99.9 p.c certain the “wild card” heavyweight struggle chosen by Alalshikh is Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang, with which aspect these guys struggle for a bit extra up within the air.
As we’ve talked about already, Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KO) is coming off of the worst efficiency of his profession in defeat to Joseph Parker, whereas Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KO) can be coming off of a loss to Parker. However it’s a giant struggle and whereas it’d completely stink if Wilder simply doesn’t throw punches once more, it has the intrigue of arguably the division’s two largest hitters going head-to-head.
Photograph by Richard Pelham/Getty Photographs
The opposite heavyweight bout, the one chosen by Warren, appears nearly sure to be Daniel Dubois (Queensberry) vs Filip Hrgovic (Matchroom). Like Wilder vs Zhang, that struggle has already been reported as taking place on the cardboard.
You may marvel why Hrgovic and his necessary title shot he’s been ready for endlessly would take a threat like Dubois (20-2, 19 KO) when he may simply sit and wait, however the economics and politics of the heavyweight division particularly are altering quickly with the Saudis primarily controlling your entire factor.
There’s additionally an opportunity, in fact, that the IBF — the one one of many 4 main sanctioning our bodies that even pretends to observe its guidelines — might strip the Fury vs Usyk winner for fairly clearly not desiring to struggle Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KO), and that two weeks after we crown an undisputed heavyweight champion, we are going to not have one. Hrgovic vs Dubois may wind up a vacant IBF title struggle.
Middleweight
Warren’s different selection is middleweight. It’s value noting that each Hearn and Warren stored saying the phrase “home,” that means British fighters, as each are in fact British promoters. “Home” British fights taking place in Saudi Arabia is humorous, however it’s a new actuality as the 2 of them are eager to journey the wave of Saudi cash so long as they probably can; it’s sufficient to get two guys who all however refused to work collectively for years to snort and joke at a press convention as in the event that they’ve been friends for many years.
However Hearn has an opportunity to throw an American in right here, as he may select Austin “Ammo” Williams to characterize Matchroom in a probably glorious “rising star” matchup with Queesnberry’s Hamzah Sheeraz. The 24-year-old Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KO) and 27-year-old Williams (16-0, 11 KO) could be a terrific matchup.
Lesser Various: A rematch between Matchroom’s Felix Money and Queensberry’s Denzel Bentley. Money had the perfect evening of his profession blitzing Bentley within three rounds again in 2021, and all however disappeared from the dialog after. Bentley’s coming off of an upset loss to Nathan Heaney. Money has not been dependable of late, however he could possibly be within the dialog right here as a “make or break” second for him and Matchroom.
Alternate Lesser Various: A prospect matchup between Queensberry’s James Heneghan (10-0, 1 KO) and both Mark Dickinson (6-0, 2 KO) or George Liddard (9-1, 1 KO) from Matchroom. This actually doesn’t appear to fulfill the specified stage of the present, however “issues change” from on-paper to actuality in boxing, so it’s a must to be ready.
Gentle Heavyweight
175 has some choices, however there are solely a few matchups that appear to suit the invoice for the extent this contest is supposedly meant to be, and each contain Anthony Yarde repping Queensberry.
Yarde has acknowledged his want to face Joshua Buatsi subsequent, and Buatsi is a Boxxer fighter now. However I feel Yarde will get the decision right here for Queensberry, and the Buatsi vs Yarde struggle merely received’t occur.
Count on Yarde to face Matchroom’s Craig Richards. Richards (18-3-1, 11 KO) has misplaced his final two related fights, however Hearn and Matchroom may even see an advantageous type matchup with the artful Richards in opposition to Yarde (25-3, 24 KO), who did present some new technical and tactical wrinkles in his final outing. Callum Smith, coming off of a brutal loss to Artur Beterbiev in January, may characterize Matchroom, however Richards appears the extra possible decide.
Lesser Various: A prospect matchup between Queensberry’s Karol Itauma (12-1, 7 KO) and Matchroom’s John Hedges (9-0, 3 KO).
Featherweight
Photograph by Wealthy Graessle/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs
We may see a world title bout with this one, and I don’t assume Hearn would have chosen the division if he didn’t imagine that’s what he’d be bringing to the desk.
Raymond Ford simply received the WBA title on March 2 on a High Rank card, stopping Otabek Kholmatov within the twelfth spherical. Ford (15-0-1, 8 KO) mentioned after the struggle that he might should go as much as 130, however he’s nonetheless received the belt and all that, and realistically, the larger cash for him is staying at 126 if in any respect potential and preserving this belt.
One downside right here is that no one within the Queensberry steady is presently ranked within the high 15 by the WBA. However that may change, and it may change fairly fairly if the insertion is Nick Ball, who simply had a controversial draw with WBC titleholder Rey Vargas.
Ball was actually solely not within the WBA rankings — that are a joke, like all sanctioning physique rankings — as a result of he was a WBC necessary challenger and combating for his or her belt. Placing Ball in forward of the star-studded likes of Dominique Jamar Francis and Arnold Khegai wouldn’t register on the laughable sanctioning physique rating determination scale. Mauricio Lara remains to be within the WBA high 15 and he doesn’t even struggle within the division anymore, and Stephen Fulton Jr is No. 3 regardless of having no related fights within the division.
Ball (19-0-1, 11 KO) is determined for an additional title shot and Warren is determined to get him one. This may be an answer, and in addition a great matchup. Ball can be very entertaining to look at.
Lesser Various: Matchroom’s Hopey Value (12-0, 5 KO) taking up Queensberry’s Nathaniel Collins (14-0, 7 KO), who holds the British and Commonwealth titles.
