A mammoth card in Riyadh sees a whole wealth of world title action this Saturday, and in the main event, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol run back their October 2024 thriller for Beterbiev’s undisputed light heavyweight title.
A wealth of promoters have put together the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 card, with a whole host of broadcasters involved worldwide.
Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) is now 40, and after reigning as WBC and IBF champion, he added the WBO crown with a ruthless second round stoppage of Joe Smith Jr in June 2022. The Russian then had to work hard to see off Anthony Yarde in eight to start 2023, and almost a year later, he defended in his adopted Canada with a seventh round win against Callum Smith in Quebec City.
Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) had been a long-reigning WBA champion, with his crowning glory coming in May 2022 when he toppled the great Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez on the cards. Three more wins followed to set up an undisputed clash with Beterbiev last October, and in a close-run contest, where you could have made an argument for either, Beterbiev was the victor by majority decision.
Prediction: This was so hard to call last time, although I felt Bivol had done enough, but to no avail. I lean towards Bivol making the necessary adjustments to be the winner, but it could be by the closest of margins.
Bakole steps in against Parker
Daniel Dubois was due to defend his IBF heavyweight title on the bill, but he suffered a bout of sickness two days before fight night, and was forced to pull out of a meeting against Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs). Parker fights on, and will now face Martin Bakole (21-1 16 KOs).
Parker is on a recent resurgence since being knocked out in eleven by Joe Joyce in 2022, and has won five on the spin. The former WBO champion’s last two fights have seen him impress, beginning with a December 2023 points win against Deontay Wilder in a fight that Parker dominated. The New Zealander backed that up last March with a superb majority nod against Zhilei Zhang, where Parker got off the deck twice to take the win.
Bakole is also in good form, and having upset Tony Yoka in 2022, he stopped the usually durable Carlos Takam in four over a year later. The Congolese based in Scotland scored another notable win in his most recent contest, taking a fifth round win against the unbeaten Jared Anderson in Los Angeles last August.
Prediction: Parker will obviously be more prepared for this one, and he can take a points win against Bakole in what should be a competitive fight.
Sheeraz attempts to dethrone Adames
Hamzah Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs) goes for world honours for the first time, as he takes on WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KOs). Sheeraz hasn’t been the distance since 2018, and it will be interesting to see how he handles the championship pace here. The slough man was out three times last year, wiping out Liam Williams inside a round before stopping Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams nearly four months later.
Sheeraz was last out in September last year, stopping Tyler Denny in two. Adames had a spell as WBC interim champion, and was then upgraded, and the Dominican was seen once in 2024, defending for the first time in a wide points win against Terrell Gausha in Las Vegas.
Prediction: Sheeraz is hard-hitting, and no-one has been able to live with his power to date. I think he can become the new champion inside schedule.
Buatsi and Smith battle for domestic pride
The main show is opened by a contest that would grace the main event in most places in the world, and Joshua Buatsi (19-0, 13 KOs) can defend his interim WBO light heavyweight crown against Callum Smith (30-2, 22 KOs), with a clear win on the cards the most likely outcome.
“This will be fight & performance of the night” 😮💨
Joshua Buatsi’s looking for a big statement victory over Callum Smith❗#SmithBuatsi x #DuboisParker |#RiyadhSeason | Sky Sports Box Office pic.twitter.com/lmI1adbV3C
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 19, 2025
Ortiz and Madrimov go to war
Vergil Ortiz Jr (22-0, 21 KOs) was forced to hear the final bell for the first time as a pro in his last outing, and the American can defend his WBC interim super welterweight title against Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs), who lost his WBA title to Terence Crawford last August. Ortiz might be forced to go the distance again to get his hand raised.
Can Kabayel avoid getting Banged?
Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) looks to continue to get back into the mix at heavyweight, and after stopping Deontay Wilder in his most recent contest last June, ‘Big Bang’ can claim the interim WBC title with a stoppage win against Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs), although the Chinese giant does start as the underdog.
Shakur faces late replacement after fight week drama
After a frustrating 2024, where he boxed only once, Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) was due to defend his WBC lightweight title against fellow American Floyd Schofield, but Schofield was hospitalised, and in steps Josh Padley (15-0, 4 KOs) for the chance of a lifetime on just three days’ notice.
Padley stunned Mark Chamberlain in his last fight, but this looks a bridge too far, and Stevenson should retain, possibly via late stoppage.
Shakur Stevenson will defend his WBC lightweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia against undefeated Josh Padley on three-days notice.
Padley steps in for Schofield, who withdrew from the fight against Stevenson due to an illness, his promoters Golden Boy confirmed. pic.twitter.com/Vm0cPez2Ou
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) February 19, 2025
Further undercard preview
In six rounders, Ziyad Almaayouf (6-0-1, 1 KO) can record a points win in his super lightweight meeting with Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira (6-20, 5 KOs), and lightweight novice Mohammed Alakel (2-0, 0 KOs) can do the same against Engel Gomez (8-42-3, 4 KOs).
