AFTER a lot hypothesis the primary Riyadh Season card of 2025 is now official and it guarantees to be a really particular night time of boxing.
The announcement was made tonight by Turki Alalshikh on social media platform X with promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn following swimsuit.
On February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia the undisputed gentle heavyweight title will as soon as once more be on the road when champion Artur Beterbiev, 21-0 (20 KOs), faces Dmitry Bivol, 23-1 (12 KOs), in a rematch 4 months on from their first combat. That October night time Beterbiev squeaked previous Bivol by break up resolution to take residence all 4 world titles. The end result was a contentious one, nonetheless, and now the highest two at 175lbs will run it again.
IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, 22-2 (21 KOs), makes the second defence of his belt towards former WBO titlist Joseph Parker, 35-3 (23 KOs). The Brit comes into the bout having knocked out former divisional boss Anthony Joshua however faces a rejuvenated Parker who has scored wins towards Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Shakur Stevenson, 22-0 (10 KOs) makes his first look on a Riyadh Season card when Matchroom’s newest marquee signing defends his WBC light-weight title towards the up and coming Floyd Schofield, 18-0 (12 KOs). Stevenson had hoped to face Golden Boy Promotions’ light-weight star William Zepeda however the Mexican withdrew due to damage giving Schofield the largest combat of his profession.
Britain may have one other world champion by the top of the night time if Hamzah Sheeraz, 21-0 (17 KOs) can dethrone WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames, 24-1 (18 KOs). Promoter Frank Warren confirmed weeks in the past that his middleweight star would combat for a world title subsequent yr with many believing it will come towards the present 160lbs primary Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. That combat was put to at least one aspect, nonetheless, when Sheeraz withdrew from his necessary place from the WBO to focus as an alternative on the inexperienced and gold belt.
The energetic tremendous welterweight scene provides one other intriguing combat to its record on February 22 when Vergil Ortiz Jr, 22-0 (21 KOs), does battle with Israil Madrimov, 10-1-1 (7 KOs) for the WBC’s Interim 154lb strap. It stays to be seen, although, if Madrimov will combat on December 21 in Riyadh towards Serhii Bohachuk. Their scheduled bout comes 9 weeks earlier than going through Ortiz Jr. The latter was linked to a combat towards Jaron Ennis however with no settlement made the unbeaten 26-year-old will get to pit his wits towards the previous WBA champion Madrimov who misplaced narrowly to Terence Crawford in August.
One other heavyweight battles lands in Riyadh on the identical night time when Zhilei Zhang, 27-2-1 (22 KOs), and Agit Kabayel, 25-0 (17 KOs), lock horns for the WBC Interim heavyweight belt. Zhang returned to profitable means beating Wilder final day trip whereas Kabayel has made essentially the most of his slots on Riyadh Season playing cards impressing towards Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez.
Rounding off the announcement is a combat which may simply prime a televised card within the UK. Joshua Buatsi, 19-0 (13 KOs), places his world title aspirations on the road when he defends his WBO Interim belt towards Callum Smith, 30-2 (22 KOs). Buatsi checked out his spiteful finest beating Willy Hutchinson in September whereas Smith, who misplaced to Beterbiev in January, continues to pursue his ambitions of changing into a two-weight world champion. The hard-hitting Liverpudlian dusted off the cobwebs after a ten month layoff by stopping Carlos Galvan in 5 rounds on Saturday night time.
