NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 20: Ryan Garcia (white tights) reacts against Devin Haney (grey tights) … [+]
As a 40-year-old journalist and boxing fan, I hope we continue to see big news about the Sweet Science revealed in the current clip. On Friday night, January 17, boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh confirmed the information that some of the fighters he is working with discussed earlier in the day.
In an upcoming super card in May, Ryan Garcia will face Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Devin Haney will clash with former world champion Jose Ramirez.
Then in May, Alalshikh hopes to have the much-anticipated Garcia vs. Haney bout, provided they beat Cruz and Ramirez respectively. On that card in May, Alalshikh plans to have Jaron “Boots” Ennis face Teofimo Lopez.
Then, in February 2026, the winners of Garcia-Haney and Ennis-Lopez in the planned draft tournament will face each other, and the losers will also fight. Alalshikh broke it a post on X.
The trash talk between some of the fighters has already started.
By the time May rolls around, the hype level around the card could be off the charts.
Alalshikh continues to deliver the most logical and exciting boxing concepts that have previously been blocked by promoters’ greed and fighters being extremely protective of their records.
In the fighters’ defense, they’ve been forced into that stance as the sport has been relentless with guys with losses on their records over the past 25 years. Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s 50-0 record. and his position as the king of pay-per-view boxing have made losing fighters look less marketable.
Alalshikh aims to change this mindsetand he is offering life-changing money to fighters to persuade them to take on opponents they would normally have avoided. There are some who don’t believe this approach is sustainable, but for now, it has produced a modern golden age for the sport.
During Alalshikh’s rise as a power broker in boxing, he has facilitated major fights such as Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 1 and 2, Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, Fury vs. Ngannou, Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol, as well as the massive February 22 card in Riyadh that will feature the continuation of the light weight unification period.
Promoters are coming along for the ride because Alalshikh and Riyadh Season are footing the bill for the fighters’ wages, thus removing a large portion of the risk and monetary investment.
Fighters like Gervonta Davis, who are household names but have yet to work with Alalshikh, could feel the heat soon. Davis has been downright impatient with Alalshikh and the fighters who have chosen to work with him.
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 05: Gervonta Davis reacts during a press conference with Lamont Roach Jr. … [+]
Davis is scheduled to fight Lamont Roach Jr. in March in a fight that most don’t consider to be a competitive scrap on paper. At some point, Davis’ popularity may begin to see a decline if he doesn’t match up with other notable names.
Davis’ top potential opponents, like Shakur Stevenson, are already working with Alalshikh. We’ll see if Davis ever decides to work with Riad Season, or if he chooses to stay on the other side.
It’s been a long time since boxing fans have had a variety of fights to enjoy. By sprinkling in alternative aspects like Jake Paul and the Misfits Boxing promotion, fans are getting even more layers of the sport.
Love it or hate it, at least for now, it seems to be good for the game.
