Predicting Dubois v Parker, Beterbiev v Bivol 2 and every winner from Saudi megacard

Saudi Arabia’s latest boxing announcement concerns an arena that is being hailed by galore successful the athletics arsenic the ‘greatest conflict paper of each time’.

That has people accrued anticipation for 22 February, erstwhile a staggering postulation of fights return spot successful Riyadh, though it will besides summation scrutiny complete the Kingdom’s sportswashing tactics.

The arena will beryllium headlined by a rematch betwixt Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, arsenic they conflict for the undisputed light-heavyweight titles for the 2nd clip successful 4 months. And successful the chief-support bout, Daniel Dubois defends his IBF heavyweight loop against Joseph Parker.

Elsewhere, important names are littered passim the card: Zhilei Zhang, Shakur Stevenson, Joshua Buatsi, Vergil Ortiz Jr, and more.

Below, Indy Sport breaks down the fights and looks astatine who whitethorn travel retired connected apical connected 22 February.

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2

The first fight, which Beterbiev won via mostly determination successful October, was razor adjacent – more truthful than the scorecards suggested. Indy Sport scored that bout a draw, yet Beterbiev’s manus was raised arsenic he stayed unbeaten, handed Bivol a first master loss, and took his chap half-Russian’s world title. The consequence made Beterbiev, antecedently unified champion, undisputed astatine light-heavyweight, and now he defends each the golden successful a rematch pinch Bivol.

It is easy to ideate this conflict being very akin to the first, some successful action and result. In Octber, it felt for illustration Bivol could not person done more; his protect activity was superb arsenic he became the first man to debar a knockout nonaccomplishment to Beterbiev, and he fought daringly successful phases – putting Beterbiev nether unit arsenic often arsenic possible. The rumor is: Beterbiev can do much next time, moreover aft he won the first meeting.

Beterbiev came connected beardown successful the 2nd half of the fight, truthful if he tin get going earlier successful the rematch, he whitethorn good unafraid triumph again. Bivol, meanwhile, needs immoderate judges who worth his defence; it felt unfair that nary of the 3 successful October gave him the win.

Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker

This 1 is besides truthful difficult to call. Dubois was written disconnected by immoderate fans and pundits aft his stoppage nonaccomplishment to Joe Joyce successful 2020, his struggles against Kevin Lerena successful 2022, and his TKO conclusion by Oleksandr Usyk successful 2023. But since then, the 27-year-old Briton has been resurgent: stopping Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua successful the past 12 months, and becoming IBF champion successful the process.

But New Zealand’s Parker is besides enjoying a renaissance. Earlier successful his career, the 32-year-old suffered points losses to Joshua and Dillian Whyte, and conscionable 2 years agone he was stopped by Joyce. But Parker’s caller run, including nether his business pinch Tyson Fury’s coach Andy Lee, contains 5 consecutive wins – pinch awesome victories complete Deontay Wilder and Zhang successful his past 2 outings.

This match-up pinch Dubois is an enthralling one. All heavyweights deed hard, but Dubois has the powerfulness advantage here, and he is simply a smarter boxer than he often gets in installments for. Parker climbed disconnected the canvas doubly to outpoint Zhang, but it won’t beryllium astonishing if a supremely assured Dubois finds the changeable to support Parker down.

Shakur Stevenson vs Floyd Schofield

Stevenson is regarded arsenic 1 of the champion pound-for-pound talents successful boxing... but doesn’t show the extent of that talent often enough. The American is already a two-weight champion astatine conscionable 27 years old, but he needs to commencement giving fans much reasons to watch him: much stoppages, bigger names connected his resume. As such, he needs an awesome capacity here, arsenic he defends the WBC lightweight title against Schofield, who is conscionable 22 years aged but has a coagulated grounds astatine 18-0. Schofield will beryllium hungry, but Stevenson should beryllium a people supra – show it, Shakur.

Carlos Adames vs Hamzah Sheeraz

At this point, it would consciousness unwise to prime against Sheeraz. While Adames is an knowledgeable usability astatine 30 years aged and 24-1, Sheeraz has moved done the ranks almost flawlessly. The 25-year-old’s past 3 results read: second-round KO of Tyler Denny; 11th-round KO of Austin “Ammo” Williams; first-round KO of Liam Williams. Now, the Briton yet gets a middleweight world-title fight, and this could beryllium his coming-out party. Then again, almost each Sheeraz conflict feels for illustration that.

Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Israil Madrimov

Another nosy match-up, this 1 astatine super-welterweight. Madrimov fought valiantly against Terence Crawford this summer, and he was unbeaten anterior to that result, truthful he’ll participate this 1 pinch awesome confidence. Well, actually, that depends connected really he fares successful December; the Uzbek, 29, must flooded Serhii Bohachuk connected the Fury vs Usyk 2 undercard to guarantee this conflict pinch Ortiz.

And what of Ortiz? The American, 26, is 22-0 pinch 21 KOs – a fearsome fighter. The interim champ thought he was owed for a mouthwatering bout pinch Jaron “Boots” Ennis here, only for talks to reportedly autumn through. Boots has taken the blasted from fans, while a disappointment Ortiz should person the spot betwixt his teeth erstwhile he faces Madrimov. Ortiz mightiness good denote himself to the wider boxing world successful captivating fashion.

Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel

This could beryllium absolute chaos. Zhang has 22 KO wins from 27 full victories, and he showed disconnected his “Chinese power” with his detonation of Deontay Wilder successful June, having knocked retired Joyce doubly successful 2023. The 41-year-old did stutter successful a determination nonaccomplishment to Parker successful March, but he still dropped the Kiwi doubly connected that night. Kabayel moves good for a heavyweight and showed that arsenic he upset Arslanbek Makhmudov 12 months ago, anterior to his adjacent knockout: against Frank Sanchez successful May. Like astir bouts connected this card, this conflict could spell either way, but a tentative prime would beryllium Kabayel, 32, to enactment unbeaten – though not without going done existent adversity.

Joshua Buatsi vs Callum Smith

Buatsi tin beryllium compared to Stevenson, successful that the Briton is tremendously talented but doesn’t ever show the existent grade of his gifts. He was forced to activity successful a showdown pinch bully friend Dan Azeez successful February, earlier overcoming Willy Hutchinson successful a gritty matter successful October. Still, location was merit successful those wins, which kept the Briton unbeaten, showed disconnected different broadside to him, and yet took him to the WBO interim light-heavyweight title.

Now, the 31-year-old defends that loop against a seasoned successful Smith, who is surely wily capable to contradict fans the champion of Buatsi... Can the champion yet put it each together and nutrient the capacity he’s been striving for? Whether aliases not he does, he should get the triumph complete Smith and enactment successful statement for a imaginable conflict pinch Beterbiev aliases Bivol.