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Nick Parkinson
Since Saudi Arabia entered big-time boxing in 2019 (the rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua), the Kingdom has staged some great cards featuring multiple fights that are good enough to be main events, all on the same show, and this Saturday is another example of that.
Following the undisputed heavyweight clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on May 18, we were initially going to get another undisputed showdown between light heavyweight champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. A knee injury to Beterbiev has put that matchup — one of the best boxing can offer — on ice, but the card on Saturday is still a mega event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
Bivol now will make the 11th defense of his WBA light heavyweight title against Malik Zinad, supported by a novel promoter-versus-promoter, best-of-five matchup. Five fighters from each of the promotional teams of Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing) and Frank Warren (Queensberry) will face each other in a mini-series.
World titles, big-money opportunities and egos will all be on the line. What are the best fights, why should you watch them, and who is fancied to win?
6. Willy Hutchinson (+120) vs. Craig Richards (-150), light heavyweights
For Richards, this is a chance to shine on the big stage again, and it will be interesting to see how he does against a tough light heavyweight contender.
Richards, 34, from south London, ended 21 months out of action in February with a seventh-round TKO win over Boris Crighton. He must win this fight to move back into contention.
Richards (18-3-1, 11 KOs) lost unanimous decisions to Bivol in a 2021 world title shot and to Joshua Buatsi in 2022, before the layoff due to a hand ligament injury.
Hutchinson, 25, from Scotland, has progressed during Richards’ absence and has won four fights in a row inside the distance since stepping up from super middleweight.
While Hutchinson (17-1, 13 KOs) has recent activity and momentum on his side, Richards has experience to draw on. Richards surprisingly made the fight with Bivol close, with one judge scoring the Russian one point ahead and another by two points. If Richards produces that quality again, he will make up for some lost time against Hutchinson.
5. Hamzah Sheeraz (-225) vs. Austin Williams (+175), middleweights
A star could be born in this nontitle middleweight encounter. The 160-pound division needs some excitement, and this is an opportunity for one of these two contenders to make a statement, if they can carry their good form into this clash.
Sheeraz, 24 , from London, is No. 1 in the WBO rankings, and a victory will set up a shot at WBO and IBF world champion Janibek Alimkhanuly. Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) has stopped his last 13 opponents but faces a foe who is also in form.
“Ammo” Williams (16-0, 11 KOs), 28, from Houston, KO’d Armel Mbumba-Yassa in February and the southpaw has perhaps faced better opposition in his career.
Much will depend on how successful 6-foot-3 Sheeraz’s jab is on the night. He may have to go to a decision for the first time in six years.
4. Dmitry Bivol (-2500) vs. Malik Zinad (+1100), for Bivol’s WBA light heavyweight title
Saudi Arabian funds have made boxing matchups that previously were not happening due to financial disagreements an exciting reality. Once Beterbiev’s injury is healed, we can confidently expect to get the undisputed light heavyweight title clash by the end of the year.
And that leaves Bivol with no room for error. If he underprepares or underperforms, Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) could squander what would be a career-defining and life-changing encounter with his fellow Russian.
Bivol, 33, has risen to the occasion before, upsetting the odds against Canelo Alvarez in May 2022, and it is hard to see an upset win for little-known Zinad, 30, from Libya. But the slim chance of a seismic shock makes this fight compulsive viewing.
Zinad (22-0, 16 KOs), who lives in Malta and trains with Buddy McGirt in the U.S., defeated Jerome Pampellone by a majority decision in Australia in April and has put in the miles to get this opportunity.
Bivol, the WBA champion, won a shutout decision over Lyndon Arthur in December and may do the same versus Zinad, who has not competed anywhere near an elite level so far in his career.
3. Raymond Ford (-175) vs. Nick Ball (+140), for Ford’s WBA featherweight title
Since both produced exciting moments in their most recent fights three months ago, Ford’s first defense promises to be eventful too.
Ford, 25, from New Jersey, was trailing on the judges’ scorecards when he stopped Otabek Kholmatov with just seven seconds remaining in the final round to win his first world title.
But Ball, 27, from Liverpool, England, had contrasting emotions, as he was held to a split draw with WBC champion Rey Vargas. Ball thought he did enough for the win after he floored Vargas twice in a strong second half of the fight. It was heartbreaking for Ball, but his performance ensured he gets another title shot.
At 5-foot-2, Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) will have a 5-inch height disadvantage against the 5-7 Ford, but Ford has talked about moving up in weight, which raises doubts about how comfortable he is at this weight.
Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) is favored to prevail in a first defense, but this is a tough one to call. Don’t rule out a draw and then a rematch.
2. Daniel Dubois (+210) vs. Filip Hrgovic (-275), heavyweight
A shot at the vacant IBF world title versus Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium on Sept. 20 or 21 awaits the winner, and that should bring out the best in these two contenders.
The 31-year-old Hrgovic, from Zagreb, Croatia, is technically better, so he can afford to be patient. But don’t be surprised if Dubois, 26, goes for it early on.
Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) has power, and his best hope of winning this fight is perhaps to go for the stoppage against Hrgovic, whose skills helped him win a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics as an amateur.
Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) has been the IBF’s leading contender for two years. In that time, it has been hard to read a lot into his recent performances, especially his 2023 mismatch against Mark De Mori, which ended in a first-round KO win. If Hrgovic is as one-paced as he was until the last round against Demsey McKean last year, and in a controversial decision win over Zhilei Zhang two years ago, Dubois will punish him. The Londoner does not lack desire and won some rounds before Usyk stopped him in the ninth round last August. Dubois claimed Usyk should have been given a count in the world title fight too, when he landed what was judged to be a low blow.
A fight against English rival Joshua, in his home city of London, would be a dream fight for Dubois. But Hrgovic’s superior experience, and the vulnerability Dubois has shown in visits to the canvas and two stoppage defeats, make Hrgovic the likely victor via decision.
1. Deontay Wilder (+120) vs. Zhilei Zhang (-150), heavyweight
There are only so many last chances in boxing, before a career begins to roll down a slippery slope. Neither Wilder, 38, nor Zhang, 41, can afford to lose this fight at their advanced age for a boxer, but particularly Wilder after he looked a shadow of his former self against Joseph Parker in a wide, unanimous-decision loss last December.
Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs), the WBC champion from 2015 to 2020, says he is once again motivated and is desperate to impress against Zhang. That desperation could see Wilder start loading up with big shots from the first bell.
Despite only one win in his past four fights (a first-round KO of Robert Helenius in October 2022), Wilder still demands attention from the boxing world due to his sleep-inducing right hand. The Alabama resident once struck fear into the heavyweight division, but needs a vintage performance to remind us of that. Win, and Wilder moves on to a planned Aug. 3 bout with fellow American Jared Anderson in Los Angeles.
Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) also needs a win after losing a majority decision to Parker in March, but the Chinese boxer is feeling better about his recent form than Wilder. Wilder is not the only puncher in this fight, as Zhang is dangerous too. He ended the progress of Joe Joyce in back-to-back stoppage wins last year and dropped Parker twice before losing a decision.
Zhang has provided great entertainment recently and carries deceptive power, but his lack of mobility in the ring makes him an inviting target for Wilder, who could start to tee off on the New Jersey-based fighter early on.
It is hard to see this fight going the distance. Instead, look out for Wilder to pull off the KO in the first five rounds.
Betting lines per ESPN Bet
Source: www.espn.com