The new age of boxing is almost here! The man responsible—Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia. And guess what? Grandson of the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, Nico Ali Walsh, is among the first to celebrate this decision. See, the thing is Riyadh Season has signed partnership deals with Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions!

The updates come weeks ahead of Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov headlining event on August 3 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, which will be His Excellency’s debut on American soil. So, the question now left answered is, what did Nico Ali Walsh say about the partnerships? And when do these events start?

August 10th: Mark your calendars!

Earlier today, HE Turki Alalshikh hopped on X to announce their collaboration with Bob Arum’s Top Rank and Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions in two separate tweets. “Today we announced an official partnership between Riyadh Season and Top Rank [and Golden Boy] designed to continue to drive the promotion of world-class boxing events globally”.

Nico Ali Walsh later reacted to the post stating, “A new age of boxing is coming”. The Saudi royal and his country have hosted some of the biggest fights in recent history, including the undisputed heavyweight bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk earlier this year. The partnership between Golden Boy Promotions and Riyadh Season will begin next month.

Get the EssentiallySports Daily Newsletter. Stay ahead of the game with daily updates, exclusive stories, expert takes, and the biggest moments from the world's most popular sports.

The event will headline with an interim WBC junior middleweight title fight between champion Serhii Bohachuk and undefeated Vergil Ortiz Jr. on Saturday, August 10th at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. So, that leaves Top Rank—when can fans expect to see Top Rank X Riyadh Season in action?

Grander plans to ensue

After the announcement from His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, several sources reveal they will collaborate with the Saudis to host 12 Top Rank events for the rest of 2024 and 2025. It seems like the following year will be a trial run for the promotion and if things go right, this deal may be extended to a bigger extent.

“The partnership will use the power and reach of both organizations to elevate the sport. Riyadh Season will have a presence across a host of Top Rank bills, both in the build-up and on fight night”, a press release from Top Rank said. Interestingly, this is but one of the latest moves from HE Turki Alalshikh in his efforts to bring the sport together to have the best fights possible.

Alright, is this the new age of boxing? Yes, in a way, but it’s too soon to say! There are plenty of other promotions with a plant of promising talent. So, only time will tell what’s next. How do you think these partnerships will affect the boxing landscape?