Notebook: Inoue makes $20 million deal to align with Riyadh Season
Gabriela Fundora makes history; new foe for Duarte on Zurdo-Billam-Smith card; Stanionis-Giyasov update; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue, the Japanese superstar four-division champion, including two-division undisputed champion, has signed a sponsorship deal with Riyadh Season that will pay him a windfall of nearly $20 million but won’t require him to fight in Saudi Arabia.
Inoue and Turki Alalshikh, who has spearheaded Saudi Arabia’s heavy investment in boxing over the past year in his capacity as chairman of its General Entertainment Authority and has spoken of his admiration for Inoue, met with Inoue in Japan in recent days and on Monday they announced a deal that will pay Inoue $3 billion yen (about $19,675,000 U.S.) to wear the Riyadh Season logo and promote the Saudi Arabian festival.
It could lead to Inoue eventually fighting in Riyadh, although that is unlikely for at least his next three fights.
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