Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will lastly meet in an undisputed heavyweight championship showdown subsequent Saturday.
Whereas that’s the plain blockbuster attraction and most important cause to purchase the PPV or not, the cardboard from Riyadh has some great things on the pay-per-view undercard, too.
A fast take a look at some highlights on the undercard:
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Jai Opetaia and Mairis Briedis meet in a rematch for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title. The 2 met first in July 2022 in a bloody struggle that left the victorious Opetaia with a damaged jaw and Briedis busted up himself.
Unbeaten heavyweights Frank Sanchez and Agit Kabayel meet in a proving grounds matchup that would produce one of many subsequent wave of heavyweight title challengers.
Joe Cordina defends his IBF tremendous featherweight title in opposition to Anthony Cacace.
Gentle heavyweight veteran Sergey Kovalev, as soon as the highest man in that division, fights for the primary time in two years, going through Robin Sirwan Safar in a cruiserweight bout.
Opetaia (24-0, 19 KO) has been acknowledged as the highest man within the cruiserweight division since that win over Briedis (28-2, 20 KO) almost two years in the past. Their battle in Australia was completely brutal, an actual struggle of attrition the place neither man gave in over 12 rounds, Opetaia going from query mark to prime canine over that point. Since then, Opetaia has completely thrashed Jordan Thompson and Ellis Zorro, solely rising his standing, whereas Briedis has been inactive.
Grade: A-. It’s type of inconceivable to inform what we’ll be getting out of Briedis, 39, after such an extended spell on the sidelines, nevertheless it’s additionally arduous to be unfavorable about this battle even if you happen to suspect Briedis could also be worse for put on and even cashing out. If he IS cashing out, he’s doing it with the hardest battle there’s for him, in order that’s a lot respectable in itself. The IBF title being vacant is what it’s, a nonsense protocol-following that’s dumber the extra you clarify it, however the belt that ought to be on the road is, so simply go together with that.
Sanchez (24-0, 17 KO) has gone from treading water (at greatest) on PBC playing cards to the Saudi heavyweight circuit, now lastly taking an on-paper good battle in opposition to Kabayel (24-0, 16 KO), who has gone from European-level semi-mystery to trying like a potential actual contender after destroying Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Grade: B+. Each likelihood this might change into a stinker to look at, as Sanchez isn’t precisely prime Evander Holyfield in leisure worth, nevertheless it’s a high-quality matchup of two guys with one thing to show, each hoping to emerge as an actual choice for the Fury vs Usyk winner or another world title battle within the not too distant future. The winner will likely be in that blend; if the winner wins impressively, even higher.
Cordina (17-0, 9 KO) took the IBF 130 lb title from Kenichi Ogawa by violent knockout about two years in the past, and has defended twice, beating Shavkat Rakhimov and Edward Vazquez, each powerful bouts that Cordina’s craft noticed him by means of in the long run. Cacace (21-1, 7 KO) is a former British champ who has achieved what he can to earn his first world title battle, profitable six straight since a 2017 loss to Martin J. Ward.
Grade: B. Not an incredible matchup or something, however Cacace is an honest sufficient contender and on the boxing “world title challenger” scale, doesn’t come wherever close to giving offense in credibility. Once more, he’s achieved what the game asks of him, and right here he’s. He’s additionally the form of fighter who will take his trustworthy shot at it, even when Cordina proves a significant problem style-wise within the early rounds.
Kovalev (35-4-1, 29 KO) has fought simply as soon as since getting knocked out by Canelo Alvarez in 2019, and that was two years in the past, a cruiserweight win over Tervel Pulev that left no critical impression. He seemed first rate sufficient to win that one truthful and clear, however the Russian is 41 years outdated now and a shadow of what he was at his peak. Safar (16-0, 12 KO) is a Swedish fighter, 31 years outdated and turned professional in 2017. This can be a huge likelihood for him on a giant present, clearly. His profession’s been primarily based within the U.S. since 2019, however he’s actually fought at a membership degree to date.
Grade: Incomplete. Actually no thought what we’ll get right here, what Kovalev will nonetheless have within the tank, what Safar actually has. That lends the matchup some curiosity, however nothing greater than that for sure.
Additionally on the cardboard: Light-weight Mark Chamberlain seems to be to maintain transferring ahead in opposition to Joshua Oluwaseun; rising cruiserweight prospect David Nyika takes on Michael Seitz; heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma is in motion, and extra.
