Beterbiev-Bivol II, Dubois-Parker lead way on loaded Feb. 22 card
7-fight Riyadh Season mega event also includes Stevenson-Schofield, Adames-Sheeraz, Ortiz-Madrimov, Zhang-Kabayel, and Buatsi-Smith
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
Undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will meet in an immediate rematch and IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois will defend against Joseph Parker in the top two bouts of a loaded Riyadh Season card on Feb. 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced on Monday.
The announcement confirmed several bouts reported by Fight Freaks Unite last week. The show will feature seven title bouts in all — four full title fights and three for interim belts — and is easily one of the deepest cards top to bottom of all time.
Moreover, Alalshikh, who has pledged to lower pay-per-view prices, will continue keeping that promise.
“We will make PPV price no more than 19.99 GBP in UK, and in USA and the rest of the world not more than 25.99 USD,” Alalshikh posted on social media along with unveiling the full card. “We want the fans be happy and enjoy it…Lets get boxing great again.”
The other five bouts:
WBC lightweight titlist Shakur Stevenson defends against Floyd Schofield, who campaigned hard for the bout.
WBC middleweight titleholder Carlos Adames defends against red-hot No. 1 contender Hamzah Sheeraz.
WBC interim junior middleweight titlist Vergil Ortiz Jr. will put his belt on the line versus Israil Madrimov instead of IBF welterweight titlist Jaron “Boots” Ennis, the original opponent, who talked a big game but ultimately declined the bout.
Heavyweights Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel will meet for the vacant WBC interim title made available by the organization.
WBO interim light heavyweight titlist Joshua Buatsi will defend against former WBA titlist Callum Smith in an all-British showdown.
I am in my 25th year of full-time boxing coverage. Take advantage of that experience by upgrading to a paid subscription for full access to all posts and comments — and also support independent journalism.
Beterbiev vs. Bivol II
In the main event of an Oct. 12 Riyadh Season card, Beterbiev narrowly outpointed Bivol to retain the lineal, WBC, WBO and IBF titles while claiming the WBA belt to become the first undisputed light heavyweight champion in 25 years — since Roy Jones Jr. in 1999 — and the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era in the 175-pound division.
Beterbiev won 116-112 and 115-113 and one judge had it 114-114. Beterbiev, who went the distance for the first time as a pro, may have claimed the undisputed title but there was certainly a dispute over the rightful winner of the extremely close fight.
Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs), 33, of Russia, pressed for an immediate rematch, Alalshikh said he thought Bivol won, and Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs), 39, a two-time Russian Olympian, who is now a Canadian citizen, said he would take the rematch if that is what Alalshikh wanted.
It is what Alalshikh wanted and it will take place with all of the belts at stake. Although the IBF recently ordered Beterbiev to make a mandatory defense next against Germany’s Michael Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs), 26, he has made a six-figure deal to step aside and allow the rematch, a source with knowledge of the deal told Fight Freaks Unite.
Dubois vs. Parker
In his third consecutive Riyadh Season card appearance, Dubois tuned in a star-making performance in his last bout on Sept. 21 when he shockingly ran destroyed British countryman and former two-time unified titlist Anthony Joshua, the heavy favorite. Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs), 27, scored four knockdowns in a devastating fifth-round knockout before a British-record crowd announced at 98,128 at London’s Wembley Stadium, which hosted the first Riyadh Season event to take place in the United Kingdom.
While there was discussion of a rematch, Joshua was so badly defeated it seemingly made no sense for anyone involved to do it right away.
Former WBO titlist Parker (35-3, 23 KOs), 32, of New Zealand, however, has earned his opportunity. Parker, who will have his fourth straight fight in Riyadh, has won five fights in a row.
His past two wins were big ones: an upset decision over former titlist Deontay Wilder in a dominating performance last December followed by a majority decision over Zhang to win the WBO interim belt on March 8. Parker overcame two knockdowns against Zhang.
Stevenson vs. Schofield
In the all-American match, three-division titlist Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs), 27, a southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, will make his second WBC lightweight title defense against Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs), 22, a top prospect from Austin, Texas, taking a monumental step up in class.
Stevenson was originally set to face Joe Cordina on the Oct. 12 Riyadh Season card but withdrew because he injured his hand and had surgery.
His return on Feb. 22 was supposed to be against mandatory challenger William Zepeda, but he suffered a hand injury winning the winning vacant interim belt on the Nov. 16 Riyadh Season “Latino Night” card and withdrew. With Zepeda out, Schofield campaigned hard for his promoter, Golden Boy, which is doing a lot of business with Alalshikh, to get him the fight.
“(Schofield) is officially the most badass prospect fighter today,” Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya wrote on social media Monday. “Kid officially accepts to fight. Shakur Stevenson, let’s go!!!!!
Schofield will come into the bout with Stevenson coming off a lopsided decision over Rene Tellez Giron on Nov. 2 but Giron badly hurt and dropped Schofield in the 11th round. But he is confident against Stevenson, who figures to be a substantial favorite.
“Strap season has begun,” Schofield posted to social media when the fight was announced. “And the New (champion).”
Adames vs. Sheeraz
Sheeraz, the WBO mandatory challenger, was in talks to face WBO/IBF titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly, but withdrew from a purse bid for the chance to face Adames instead. Sheeraz is also the WBC No. 1 contender.
Adames (24-1, 18 KOs), 30, of the Dominican Republic, was elevated from interim titleholder to full titlist earlier this year when Jermall Charlo was stripped. Adames has defended the full title once, scoring a unanimous decision over Terrell Gausha on June 15 in Las Vegas.
Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs), 25, of England, who will be on his third straight Riyadh Season card, has emerged the hottest of all middleweight contenders this year thanks to three impressive wins, a first-round knockout of Liam Williams in February, an 11th-round knockout of then-unbeaten Austin “Ammo” Williams on the “5 vs. 5” card in June, and a second-round destruction of Tyler Denny on Sept. 21 to win the European title, which he recently vacated.
Ortiz vs. Madrimov
Ortiz was supped to make his first WBC interim junior middleweight defense against IBF welterweight titlist Ennis on the card.
According to sources, the deal was agreed to and they were exchanging paperwork but when Ortiz’s team at Golden Boy received the deal memo outlining the key deal points the weight for the fight was listed as 147 pounds for Ennis’ welterweight title. The bout was always intended to take place for Ortiz’s belt at 154 pounds, where a few weeks earlier Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) said he was interested in moving up to because of problems making 147 for his less-than-impressive decision win over mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian in a rematch on Nov. 9.
Ennis claimed on social media that he was unaware the fight with Ortiz was being negotiated much less had been agreed to, even though his promoter, Matchroom Boxing, and his father/trainer Bozy Ennis, were involved making the deal.
With Ennis dodging he fight, Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs), the former WBA junior middleweight titlist, who lost the belt by close decision to Terence Crawford on Aug. 3, stepped in.
It could be dicey for him to make it to the fight as he is scheduled for what appears to be a very tough assignment against Serheii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs), 29, a Los Angeles-based Ukrainian, on Dec. 21 in Riyadh. Even if Madrimov, 29, an Uzbekistan native fighting out of Indio, California, wins, he needs to come away without injury.
A source with knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite that here is a back-up plan in place if Madrimov loses or is unavailable for Feb. 22, although details of that plan were not disclosed.
“Bad karma,” Bohachuk promoter Tom Loeffler told Fight Freaks Unite in response to Madrimov scheduling the fight with Ortiz with the Bohachuk fight looming first. “Now Bohachuk definitely going for the KO against Madrimov.”
Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) 26, a southpaw from Grand Prairie, Texas, won his third fight of 2024 on Aug. 10 and it was a classic. He went to battle with Bohachuk, survived two knockdowns and won a majority decision and the WBC interim 154-pound belt in an all-out slugfest that will be in the conversation for fight of the year.
Zhang vs. Kabayel
Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs), 41, a China native based in New Jersey, and Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs), 32, of Germany, will both be on their third consecutive Riyadh Season card and have notched impressive wins in their previous appearances.
After back-to-back upset knockouts of Joe Joyce in WBC interim title bouts, Zhang lost it to Parker in their close fight in March. But Zhang followed with his biggest victory on the June 1 “5 vs. 5” card, a crushing fifth-round knockout of former titlist Wilder that seemingly ended his run near the top of the heavyweight division.
Kabayel dropped then-unbeaten Arslanbek Makhmudov three times in a punishing fourth-round knockout last December and then put away unbeaten favorite Frank Sanchez, knocking him down twice in a seventh-round knockout on the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undercard.
The winner will have the WBC interim title and be in prime position to be named mandatory challenger in the organization for the winner of the Dec. 21 rematch between unified champion Oleksandr Usyk and former champion Tyson Fury.
Buatsi vs. Smith
What would be a significant main event in England will instead be the seventh fight down this card as Buatsi will defend his WBO interim light heavyweight title for the first time.
Buatsi (19-0, 13 KOs), 31, won it by split decision against Willy Hutchinson on Sept. 21 on the Joshua-Dubois undercard in London.
Smith (30-2, 22 KOs), 34, was the WBC mandatory challenger when he faced Beterbiev for the unified title in January and got demolished in a seventh-round knockout. Smith returned on the Sunny Edwards-Galal Yafai undercard in Birmingham, England, on Saturday and scored three knockdowns en route to a fifth-round knockout of Carlos Galvan, paving the way into the Buatsi fight.
A note to subscribers
I sincerely appreciate your readership. If you’re reading, it means you love boxing just like I do. If you’ve been reading you also know the quality and quantity of what I produce. It’s one-stop shopping. Read the newsletters and there is no need to search multiple websites or click a multitude of links to get the latest news, opinion and detailed fight schedule. Everything you need is in one spot and delivered directly to your inbox (or via phone alert if you download for free the superb Substack app). You don’t have to hunt for the news; it comes to you.
I believe that is worth something, so while I will continue providing stories, notes and the schedule for free, I encourage you to upgrade to a paid subscription for the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 24 years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change.
To upgrade your subscription please go here:
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!
Photos: Beterbiev-Bivol: Mikey Williams/Top Rank; Dubois and Parker: Matchroom Boxing; Schofield and Ortiz Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; Zhang: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
This is going to be a great card at a affordable price I will have to get up real early in the morning to watch it but you would not miss it so many great fights
All I care about is turki is a boxing freak and puts on great boxing events and boxing needs it