Turki Alalshikh is taking boxing to ‘another level’ according to Eddie Hearn, and the promotional behemoth would not have it any other way.
The chief of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority has injected massive financial resources and vision into the sport in the last 12 months, and it appears he has only just got started.
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Last October a golden age for the sport really began with that crossover Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou showdown. Then came ‘The Day of Reckoning’ in December – featuring both Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.
Riyadh Season changing boxing
Then in March AJ blasted out Ngannou, before we got the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years on the back of that Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk epic.
Since then we have had the Hearn vs Frank Warren 5 on 5 showdow, and Riyadh Season’s first US show as Terence Crawford stepped up to 154lbs for the first time. Next up comes the London debut with a record Wembley boxing crowd of 96,000 expected for that Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois world heavyweight title fight on September 21.
Hearn is aware of what the public perception is for many about his relationship with Alalshikh. And to be honest it leaves him shaking his head.
Hearn and Turki
Hearn told ‘The Stomping Ground’ on YouTube: “Everything that they’re doing is another level, and is taking it to another level. I was on talkSPORT in the week, one of the things that a viewer wrote in – ‘Eddie Hearn, he does whatever Turki says, if he says jump, Eddie says ‘how high’. And I was like ‘yeah, what don’t you get?’
“There is an opportunity for the fighters, for the sport, for our business, to really switch it up and take this sport to another level. The promos are a good example of that. We’re in a golden period for the sport – Joshua/Dubois coming up, first I’m off to Canelo/Berlanga at the weekend. It’s good, good times.
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“People talk about the UK market as well, we’ve got to stay switched on and make changes. Because we’re not gonna always operate at the same level as what you’re seeing on Riyadh Season, that’s just the reality of it. Look at the undercards, look at the promos. So we’ve got to keep things fresh and we’ve got to make sure we maintain the quality of the UK shows.
“It’s a bit of a transitional period at the moment with these Riyadh Season events. Look at the undercard next week in Wembley – it’s unbelievable. The whole event, the show is gonna be incredible, it will blow your mind.”
Working with Saudi
Hearn re-iterated that Matchroom Boxing is a hugely successful business, that he does not have to work with people if he doesn’t want to. Alalshikh definitely though does not fall into that category.
Eddie explained: “We got a good business, we don’t have to work with people we don’t want to. Now of course, but I like his company – he’s a funny funny guy. If I could play you some of the voice notes, where he lays into me all the time, and I give it back.
“He’s very smart, very smart. He also knows his boxing, and he knows where he wants to go. One of the things that I admire is the work ethic because the guy is absolutely – dare I say – relentless. Non-stop meetings, non-stop through the night, they’re phoning me at all hours of the night. Plans, ideas, next fights, all this kind of stuff.
“I’m big on energy, and the energy when you’re involved and you’re in the room, and it’s moving at that kind of speed with that kind of aggression, gives me a buzz. And that’s my buzz, and it’s been a great year, because that’s all it’s been – is a year. It’s mad.”
