The most powerful figure in boxing, some say, wants two highly regarded American boxers to join the lucrative jamboree that is all the rage these days in the Middle East. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
In a long interview with DAZN published this week, Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment in Saudi Arabia, issued a generous invitation to boxers Devin Haney, the WBC 140-pound titlist, and Gervonta Davis to fight on a card sometime later this year in the oil-producing nation. Presumably, Alalshikh would also want to see the two fighters take on each other as well.
“I want him (Davis) and I send message now from you to [Davis’ advisor Al] Haymon: ‘Let’s do job [together], brother,’” Alalshikh said. “But Haney I want to see in my country and I send message from you now to him. I will try to do it in 2024. And Davis of course we want him in our country.”
Thanks to Alalshikh and his ability to dip into Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth, boxing has seen numerous high-profile fights made in the past few months, including the stacked heavyweight-laden card on Dec. 23 that featured Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder in separate fights. The country will notably host the undisputed heavyweight championship between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Uysk on Feb. 17, followed by a “crossover” bout between Joshua and former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in March.
Alalshikh has been bullish about his commitment to boxing, saying recently that he wants to actively bring about the sorts of fights that have long been considered impossible because of business politics. One example: the undisputed light heavyweight championship between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Haney is a free agent whose last fight took place under Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, while Davis has long been backed by Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champion.
Both Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) and Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) are relatively recent converts to Islam. Alalshikh has spoken fondly of Muslim boxers, such as Beterbiev.
