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Turki Alalshikh’s statement to boxers regarding future fights is a clear indication of his intentions following the failure of his Times Square show to ignite.
Alalshikh told boxers who appear on his shows that they must compete in a certain way that doesn’t mimic the performances of Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney in New York.
On the back of Garcia and Haney’s bouts entering the top six of CompuBox’s list of the fewest punches thrown in a twelve-round fight, Alalshikh is getting tough.
CompuBox named both fights, which excruciatingly occurred on the same May 2 show, on a list that is over forty years old.
The ‘Times Square Dud’
After the May 2 show, where Garcia lost to Rolly Romero and Haney defeated Jose Ramirez, they stated, “Devin Haney and Jose Ramirez did not look to entertain the folks in Times Square.
“Haney landed 70 of 224 total punches and Ramirez landed 40 of 279. In most rounds, Haney did not punch for the first 30 seconds; a couple of times, it was a full minute before he threw. Scores were 119-109 twice and 118-110.
“Haney (229) and Ramirez (274) combined to throw 503 punches. Fourth-fewest in a 12-round fight in CompuBox history.”
They added that this isn’t the first time for Haney and Garcia. Their fight on April 20, 2024, also makes the list.
“Ironically, Haney (214) and Ryan Garcia (285) combined to throw 499 punches- the 3rd fewest in a 12-round fight in CompuBox’s 40-year history,” said CompuBox.
Turki Alalshikh’s warning for boxers
Responding to fan reaction and the damning statistics, the Saudi matchmaker promised, “From this point on, I don’t want to see any more Tom and Jerry-type boxing matches where one fighter is running around the ring and the other is chasing him.
“We can no longer support these kinds of fights with Riyadh Season and The Ring. We want to support fighters who leave it all in the ring and fight with heart and pride!”
Alalshikh’s warning to fighters regarding entertaining the fans alongside showcasing their skills is a clear ‘flag in the sand.’
That’s according to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, who believes boxers will have to change their philosophy to feature on future Riyadh Season shows.
“I think that you have to get the mix right. Ultimately, this is a sweet science. This is hit and don’t get hit. We get that, but it’s also the entertainment business,” Hearn told Fight Hub TV.
“So people don’t want to watch, or a very small minority of the audience, and they’re the extremely well-educated boxing people.
“They don’t really want to watch a back-foot defensive master class of a guy winning every round and not really taking any chances or showing any aggression, trying to end the fight at any time.
Flag in the sand
“I can’t really go to a fighter and go, ‘look mate, I know you’re a great boxer and you can win every round, but I really need you to switch up your style and stand a trade.
“He is going to look at me like I am mad.
“But the reality is, if you are not entertaining, you will become a tough sell. And if you become a tough sell, you may start lacking opportunities, particularly in big fights, and his excellency kind of put his flag in the sand and said, ‘If you’re not entertaining, I don’t want you on my shows.’
Speculation began immediately that Haney is no longer in Alalshikh’s plans. At the same time, Garcia is reportedly taking a year off to recover from injury.
The next show under the Riyadh Season banner is ironically back in New York. Shakur Stevenson faces William Zepeda for the WBC lightweight titles in the headliner.
Stevenson is known as one of those kinds of ‘Tom and Jerry’ fighters Alalshikh spoke of. Therefore, all eyes will be on Stevenson to see if he engages with Zepeda.
The co-feature is Edgar Berlanga vs Hamzah Sheeraz, which many expect to be a fire fight anyway.
Let’s see if there’s a visible difference from the entire card.
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Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay and learn more about the author. Phil Jay is an experienced boxing writer and Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News since 2010.
