Boxing’s 2024 boom time received a blow early on Saturday but the show WILL GO ON according to Saudi backer Turki Alalshikh.
June 1 had been expected to provide one of the best cards in boxing history, with that epic Eddie Hearn 5 on 5 card topped by the incredible light-heavyweight unification showdown pitting Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol.
But early on Saturday we got the news that the showdown of two brilliant 175-pounders will not now take place, with Beterbiev sustained a ruptured meniscus in his knee.
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So what happens next? Will Bivol still fight, and will that Hearn vs Warren 5 on 5 card still take place?
Alalshik, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, was quickly onto social media to update fans, and it was good news when it comes to that June 1 show.
Hearn vs Warren 5 on 5 decision
He wrote on X: “After receiving today’s news about Beterbiev’s injury, we will be postponing the Beterbiev fight scheduled for June 1st until later this year. Wishing my brother Artur a speedy recovery. However, the 5v5 event is still on for June 1st.”
As well as the 5 on 5 card pitting the Hearn and Warren stables, it also appears that a new opponent is being sought for Bivol for June 1. That comes per Mike Coppinger of ESPN.
Despite losing the show topper, that June 1 card remains terrific in terms of quality and depth. Just to recap those Hearn vs Warren fights are:
Heavyweight: Deontay Wilder (Hearn) vs Zhilei Zhang (Warren)
Heavyweight: Filip Hrgovic (Hearn) vs Daniel Dubois (Warren)
Featherweight: Raymond Ford (Hearn) vs Nick Ball (Warren)
Middleweight: Ammo Williams (Hearn) vs Hamzah Sheeraz (Warren)
Light-Heavyweight: Craig Richards (Hearn) vs Willy Hutchinson (Warren)
It is expected the 5 on 5 card will air on DAZN PPV.
