After he shared that the all-British Dennis McCann–Peter McGrail showdown won’t be gracing the Tyson Fury–Oleksandr Usyk undercard, HE Turki Alalshikh has a fresh update. McGann will miss the boat. However, McGrail is back in the picture. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian has a fight scheduled against another unbeaten Briton.

Earlier reports emerged that 23-year-old McCann had failed to clear the VADA drug test. As a result, the fight against McGrail met with cancellation. Seven months after their first match, Fury and Usyk will meet again on December 21 at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena, aiming to settle all their unresolved arguments.

Peter McGrail makes his return to the ring

“It is now confirmed that Peter McGrail will stay on this Saturday’s card to face unbeaten British contender Rhys Edwards as part of the #Usyk2Fury rematch undercard 🔥🥊,” said HE Alalshikh. Though otherwise considered a bland undercard by many, quite a few fans were looking forward to the McCann-McGrail match.

The Kingdom Arena show has already faced scrutiny for several reasons. From Israil Madrimov‘s withdrawal to Dennis McCann’s controversy, the card has dealt with numerous issues even before unfolding. Another major grievance has been the glaring absence of big names. Beyond Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, there’s little star power to justify calling this a mega event. Inevitably, comparisons have been drawn to other major shows.

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Even the few events scheduled for next year seem to feature strong undercards designed to give viewers and fans that edge-of-the-seat excitement. Let’s check what some of the fans had to say.

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk Undercard: Nothing particularly remarkable

It seems the Fury-Usyk undercard has let down this fan. They said, “For the biggest heavyweight clash, this undercard could’ve been much better.” Unlike other Riyadh Season cards, both past and upcoming, the December 21 event is notably absent of prominent names.

The next one blamed a significant measure. They said, “They ruined the card taking off the Madrimov vs. Bohachuk fight.” But one shouldn’t forget, the Israil Madrimov-Serhii Bohachuk fight was canceled after the Uzbek fighter withdrew due to ‘acute bronchitis’.

The following user felt that all efforts were perhaps focused on the Fury-Usyk fight. “This is a terrible card compared to the Bivol and Beterbiev one. Suppose you gave the headline act all the money for it. 🤷🏼‍♂️️,” they said. When compared to the tentative Artur Beterbiev–Dmitry Bivol rematch, which many deem as the greatest card in boxing history, the one coming this weekend lags far behind, the user felt.

For one fan, the show was all about the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk rematch. They said, “I know I am going to skip straight to the main event 😂.”  The rest of the fights barely mattered. There was another comparison. This fan said, “That Benavidez vs. Morel card clears this one lol.” Similar to the Beterbiev-Bivol card, the February 1 event headlined by David Benavidez and David Morrell also features some major matchups.

True, apart from the two headlining heavyweights, the Riyadh Season card may lack any A-list fights. However, fans need not lose heart.

Sometimes, the most unexpected moments become lasting memories. With Peter McGrail’s return, alongside the Serhii Bohachuk–Ismael Davis bout and the clash between Moses Itauma and Demsey McKean, there’s plenty of excitement on offer. There’s also a WBC international title showdown between Andrii Novytskyi and Edgar Ramirez.

Do you think adding another big name as the co-main event could have helped the Riyadh Season card avoid some criticism?