Although not strictly a promoter, Riyadh Season is the entity most deserving of 2024’s Promoter of the Year award. The institution’s involvement in boxing, backed by Turki Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has revolutionized the sport over the past 14 months.
Riyadh Season first entered into boxing with the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou crossover clash in October 2023, with Alalshikh hoping to stage the undisputed heavyweight championship bout between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in December 2023. Fury had a much tougher than expected contest with the former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou though, and thus the Usyk fight had to be postponed.
Alalshikh decided to still hold a card in December 2023 and requested the services of former champ Anthony Joshua instead. In doing so, Alalshikh forced Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, and Queensberry Promotions’ Frank Warren, who was already involved in the show, to work together. Hearn and Warren have been Britain’s leading boxing promoters for more than a decade, but they had notoriously never spoken until Alalshikh brought them together.
This one act, in and of itself, was groundbreaking.
Riyadh Season has since presented seven major pay-per-view boxing cards in 2024 — eight shows in total — including two undisputed title fights: Usyk vs. Fury for the undisputed heavyweight title and Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol for all four light heavyweight belts. Usyk vs. Fury and Beterbiev vs. Bivol were two of the most sought-after matchups that could be made in the sport for years, and Alalshikh made them both within a year of his entry. Additionally, Riyadh Season staged five unified title contests and 16 world title fights, averaging two per event.
In just over a year, the brand has become synonymous with the biggest and best fights in boxing, consistently providing fans with the matchups they most desire and rounding out shows with meaningful undercard bouts. It’s even made an effort to cater to fans’ suggestions. Riyadh Season ventured to Wembley Stadium in London and BMO Stadium in Los Angeles in 2024. In recent shows, main events have begun earlier, and the pacing of the cards has considerably improved — both of which were complaints of Riyadh Season shows earlier in the year.
Some fans criticized the volume of pay-per-views, so November’s Riyadh Season card with two unified world title attractions and other compelling matchups was made available to watch for free. Alalshikh’s group worked with all of the major promoters in Britain and the U.S. and helped break down the cross-promotional barriers and boxing politics that have long prevented the biggest fights from happening.
Although DAZN is the exclusive broadcaster for Riyadh Season shows, other networks have been brought in as well to televise the cards, making them widely accessible. Before Riyadh Season, the U.K. never had a joint pay-per-view event in the 21st century, and the structure was rarely used stateside. By bringing the promoters and networks together, Alalshikh has removed the biggest obstacle in making major fights.
Riyadh Season’s 2025 campaign kicks off Feb. 22 with what many fight fans have dubbed as one of the best boxing cards ever. Beterbiev and Bivol rematch in the main event, and Daniel Dubois defends his IBF heavyweight championship against Joseph Parker in the co-feature of a star-studded bill.
Alalshikh stated that the Feb. 22 card will cost £19.99 or less in the U.K., and no more than $25.99 in the U.S. American fans have become used to paying three times as much for pay-per-view events that sometimes aren’t even half as good as the upcoming Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 show.
The Saudis’ deep pockets made boxing a much more enjoyable sport in 2024. Appreciate it while it lasts.
