Ultimate guide to the '5 vs. 5' Queensberry vs. Matchroom fights

Rival promoters Warren, Hearn on working together; Hearn and Wilder on teaming up; a look at each bout; how it came together; what the fighters have to say

Dan Rafael

Apr 17, 2024

Heavyweights Zhilei Zhang (left) and Deontay Wilder

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The profound impact that the Saudis have had on professional boxing in the past year, thanks to their seemingly endless financial resources, was on full display Monday at a news conference in London to formally announce the latest mega card that will take place in Riyadh on June 1.

The show is so stacked with attractive fights that they actually held two news conferences.

First up was the kickoff presser for the main event, the hugely significant and long-awaited undisputed title fight between three-belt light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and WBA titlist and fellow unbeaten Dmitry Bivol, who will meet in the second undisputed world title fight that will take place in Riyadh in two weeks as it comes just after the historic Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk heavyweight four-belt unification fight on May 18.

Beterbiev and Bivol will square off in a fight many consider the best that can be made in boxing as they vie to become the first four-belt undisputed 175-pound champion and the first in the division since Roy Jones Jr. unified the necessary three belts 25 years ago.

Then the digital signage was changed and a new emcee stepped in to introduce the “5 vs. 5” bouts, which technically make up the Beterbiev-Bivol undercard even though only in Saudi Arabia would these bouts be slotted in a supporting role.

The five bouts will pit fighters from Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions stable against fighters from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing roster and despite the matches having been widely reported, including by Fight Freaks Unite, the powers that be elected to make a spectacle of it with all 10 fighters coming to the dais one by one wearing matching white and red masks, as if it was hard to tell that fighters such as the 6-foot-7 former WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder and 6-foot-6 former WBO interim heavyweight titlist Zhilei Zhang were among them.

Fight by fight the identities of the masked men were revealed and while there were no surprises it was impressive seeing the depth of talent together on the same stage for an event spearheaded by Turki Alalshikh, a big-time boxing fan, who essentially picks the fights he wants to see and pays for them in his role as the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.

Here’s the lineup (Team Queensberry listed first, then Team Matchroom):

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Zhang vs. Wilder

New pals Deontay Wilder (left) and Eddie Hearn

In a fight between supreme punchers, Wilder (a devastating right hand) will face Zhang (a destructive left) in a must-win fight for men coming off upset losses.

As weird is it is for most to see Hearn and Warren working so closely together on the Saudi cards, Alalshikh has also brought together Hearn and Wilder. Hearn and Shelly Finkel, Wilder’s manager, spent years publicly blaming each other for an undisputed title fight between Wilder, who was then with Premier Boxing Champions, and Matchroom Boxing star Anthony Joshua going unmade. When it finally was agreed to, though not for a title, it went down the drain when Wilder lost an interim bout to Joseph Parker on Dec. 23 on the same card on which Joshua did his part by knocking out Otto Wallin in the main event.

“It’s a blessing to be back. Nobody ever thought me and old Eddie would be working together, so this is the ultimate surprise right here,” Wilder said. “(The Saudis have) rearranged and changed the way boxing is promoted and done.”

Under the rules agreed to for the “5 vs. 5” Warren and Hearn were allowed to have one “wild card” fighter if they wanted and Hearn made a deal with his frenemy Finkel to include Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs), 38, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Team Matchroom. Hearn even picked Wilder as Team Matchroom captain.

“This was the obvious pick to make,” Hearn said of using his wild card option on Wilder. “Deontay Wilder versus Zhilei Zhang is a massive, massive heavyweight fight between two punchers. We’ll see what the future holds but for one night only we work together and I believe this man’s going to make a real statement and get back on the heavyweight scene.”

While Wilder looked dreadful in the decision loss to Parker in December, Zhang dropped Parker twice on March 8 but lost a majority decision and the interim title.

“Deontay knows how important this fight is to him,” Warren said. “His career is on the line and it’s the same with Zhilei. This fight is a big, big match for them. The winner goes back to the top table.”

Both know their ability to land major future fights depends on winning.

“I respect Zhang, he’s a good fighter, but it’s my time,” Wilder said. “I’ve been through a lot. I’ve had to regroup. I’ve had to get myself together and things don’t just change overnight. You have to keep working, keep pushing until you get what you want. I’m narrowing it down and come the night of the fight we’ll see if I got it or not. This fight, I’m holding it as my last stand, my last chance. I’m just ready to do what I’m known to do — to be the Wilder that I am.

“I lost my love and the passion for this business. I lost my hunger for so many different reasons. … Here I am; I’m not playing around this time. I have nothing to lose but only to gain. I mean business. I can feel the desire and sensation in my heart again, that hunger, that monster, that beast is coming back. You’ll see what I’m talking about come the night of the fight.”

China’s Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs), 40, a southpaw, broke through with a pair of upset knockout wins over Joe Joyce in 2023 before the setback against Parker.

“Deontay Wilder is the heaviest puncher in boxing,” Zhang said through an interpreter. “He’s very dangerous. I have to be really careful, really cautious, but when the opportunity shows itself I’m not gonna hold back.”

Dubois vs. Hrgovic

Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs), 31, of Croatia, will fight Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs), 26, of England, in a heavyweight bout that will be upgraded to a vacant IBF title bout when the belt will be relinquished (per the contracts) by the Fury-Usyk winner in the days following the fight.

They’ve sparred and apparently it went badly for Dubois.

“I am very confident,” Dubois said. “We had a spar a while back, and he keeps talking about that, so I want to show that people can change. I am a different animal now.”

Said Hrgovic: “I hope he has changed because if he didn’t change it will last only a few rounds. So I do hope he has changed because that sparring we did together was not so good for him.”

Ball vs. Ford

Raymond Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs), 25, a southpaw from Camden, New Jersey, will make his first WBA featherweight title defense against Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs), 27, of England.

“5-0. That’s all I can say,” For said. “I’m going for the knockout.”

Ball is happy to get a second straight title shot following a split draw with WBC titlist Rey Vargas on March 8 in Riyadh.

“I’m always confident,” Ball said. “It’s another massive opportunity for me.”

Sheeraz vs. Williams

Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs), 24, of England, will face Austin “Ammo” Williams (16-0, 11 KOs), 27, a southpaw from Houston, in a match of two of the best up-and-coming middleweights.

“I’m so ready to showcase my skill. I’m so ready to showcase the investment and all the fights and everything we’ve done, me and Eddie Hearn, and it will shine through in Saudi Arabia,” Williams said.

Sheeraz, picked by Warren as the captain of Team Queensberry, added, “On June 1st, it’ll be a Queensberry win for sure.”

Hutchinson vs. Richards

Light heavyweight up-and-comer Willy Hutchinson (17-1, 13 KOs), 25, of Scotland, will face former title challenger Craig Richards (18-3-1, 11 KOs), 33, of England, who gave Bivol one of his toughest fights.

“I am buzzing,” said Hutchinson, who will be in easily the biggest fight of his career. “My confidence is through the roof, and I look forward to getting in the ring with this fella (Richards) and having a good time.”

Winners will be awarded one point for a decision and two points for a knockout. No points will be awarded for a draw. A win from team captains Sheeraz or Wilder will give them double the points.

Like all of the cards taking place in Saudi Arabia, they simply would not be possible without the nine figures Alalshikh has at his disposal. He has also been the key figure in bringing longtime British promotional rivals Warren and Hearn together.

Rival promoters Frank Warren (left) and Eddie Hearn

“It is actually quite remarkable as we talk every week and we meet multiple times with His Excellency (Alalshikh) that it has actually taken this long for us to work together or even to speak,” Hearn said. “You’re talking about 13 or 14 years where we never spoke and it’s not good for the sport of boxing. The rivalry’s good, the competition’s good. But now we take it to another level with events like this.

“This is serious. We have to win and although we’re ‘friends’ now we’re not really. I really want to absolutely destroy Queensberry on June 1. These are massive fights for our guys. You got world championships, huge heavyweight dust ups, big domestic fights. You got career-defining and ending fights. And one thing we do share in common is we love our fighters and we want them to win desperately. And this five I’ve got here I’m very confident will do the business in Riyadh.”

The rivalry goes back to when Hearn was a kid and Warren butted heads with his father, Barry Hearn, who has since stepped back from the business and left his son in charge.

“There is a natural rivalry,” Warren said. “We get that. We both love the sport. We both want to win. We both feel for our fighters. … Hopefully this will be the first of many encounters. I’m not sure Eddie will want another one after we wipe the floor with him.

“We want to win it. Eddie’s team wants to win it. His fighters want to win it. We want to win it. We’re all competitive. Everyone’s competitive. You know why? Because it’s called the fight game. There’s winners and losers, and we are not and don’t want to be the losers. Everything’s on the line here.”