On Saturday (June 1) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a unique concept, promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren go head-to-head with teams of five fighters boxing against one another.
Dmitry Bivol is also on the bill, defending his light-heavyweight title against Malik Zinad, but the 5 v 5 is as follows: At heavyweight, Deontay Wilder fights Zhilei Zhang and Filip Hrgovic meets Daniel Dubois; at middleweight, Hamzah Sheeraz takes on Austin “Ammo” Williams; at light-heavyweight Craig Richards fights Willy Hutchinson and WBA featherweight champion Raymond Ford defends his belt against Nick Ball.
Here, the BoxingScene staff picks out the fights they are most looking forward to.
Kieran Mulvaney
It’s the easy and obvious answer, but for me it’s Wilder vs Zhang. Usyk’s win over Fury and Joshua’s renaissance have breathed some fresh unpredictability into the heavyweight division and given hope to both men that recent defeats need not spell the end of their title aspirations. For Wilder, 1-3 in his last four and without a win in more than four years, victory is arguably more essential, but Zhang, so recently on the cusp of a world title shot, can ill-afford two defeats in a row. This is almost “loser leaves town” territory, and I fully expect Wilder to come out guns blazing. If Zhang survives the early onslaught, the subsequent rounds should be tense and exciting.
Matt Christie
As much as I’d like to say Ford-Ball or Sheeraz-Williams, which are exceptional matchups, the truth is it’s got to be Wilder-Zhang. Having been drawn to the heavyweight division from a young age, this is the kind of scrap that would have sent me daft with excitement when I was younger.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m also aware this could turn out to be the worst fight on the entire card but that potential for a one-punch finish, or for the tide to turn at any moment, or even a heavyweight slugfest of the ages to break out, makes this one impossible for me to resist.
And should Wilder roll back the years we might yet get to see him in with Joshua, after all.
Lucas Kettele
I’m excited for Ray Ford vs. Nick Ball.
Why, you ask? Because the winner could be the next big thing in the featherweight division. With the division in rebuild mode and the top titleholder, Luis Alberto Lopez, possibly moving up soon, this fight really matters for the division. Plus, it’s a clash of styles. Ford, the WBA champ, is a slick boxer-puncher, while Ball is a brawler. Now add to the fact that both fighters had exciting contests in March… Ford had a Fight of the Year performance stopping Otabek Kholmatov in the 12th and final round while Ball battled back to drop WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas twice, but would end up with a split-draw.
The fight answers questions about both fighters.
Eric Raskin
I am not confident Wilder vs. Zhang will be a great fight. I’m not confident it will even be a good fight. But what I am confident of is that I will be on the edge of my seat for every second this fight lasts. It’s a bit lazy and cliched to look at a fight between punchers and say “whoever lands the first big shot wins,” but that is, ultimately, what this fight comes down to. Will Wilder’s right hand land before Zhang’s southpaw left? That question is all it takes to get me pumped for this one.
Owen Lewis
Dubois vs. Hrgovic. Wilder and Zhang, to me, are competing to see who is less washed — they’ve got a combined age of 79 and aren’t going to suddenly revert to the monsters they were at their peaks. Regardless of who wins, I’m not especially interested in seeing either of them in a big fight going forward. But Dubois and Hrgovic have some future promise in a division that, while excellent for much of the past half-decade, is filled with aging warriors close to the ends of their careers. Usyk is 37, Fury is 35, and even Joshua is 33. If the heavyweight division is to maintain its momentum from the superb Usyk-Fury fight, a new, younger challenger is needed. This fight could show who that is.
John Evans
The middleweight division has been dormant for much too long. Hamzah Sheeraz appears to be the most well-rounded prospect in and around the top 10 whilst “Ammo” Williams is the unpredictable but talented wildcard.
The fight is a clash of styles and personalities but both boxers do share the ability to end a fight quickly.
This is a definite step up in opposition for both and the winner will be ideally placed to make the middleweight division relevant again.
Jason Langendorf
My knee-jerk reaction is to gesture toward the Deontay Wilder-Zhilei Zhang headliner, but neither of those fighters are long for active duty. Two heavyweights who have the best chance to help shape the division over the next few years are Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic, who just so happen to be facing each other on the undercard in Riyadh.
Some of the shine has come off Dubois in recent years, but consider this: He is just 26, and has lost only to undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksander Usyk and Joe Joyce – when he was just 23. After he destroyed Jarell Miller in December, now might be Dubois’ time. Meanwhile, Hrgovic, 31, comes off as something of a wild card in this matchup, but he outboxed Zhang in 2022 and would very much put himself in the Usyk/Tyson Fury/Anthony Joshua mix with a win over Dubois. Things are heating up again among the heavies.
Manouk Akopyan
Saturday night’s menu was supposed to serve a main course featuring the undisputed light heavyweight title fight between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev and an appetizer featuring the 5 v 5: Queensberry vs. Matchroom card.
Thankfully, there is still a healthy helping of mouthwatering matchups for fight-starved fans to feed off.
The pecking order of the heavyweight division will change once again after a victor emerges from the fight between top contenders Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
Surely, the former heavyweight titleholder Wilder can’t stomach another loss and letdown, especially since another massive payday potentially awaits against Jared Anderson on August 3. Talk about an intriguing fight if that eventually takes place, and a possible passing of the torch of American heavyweight boxing.
The last time Wilder was in a similar position to set up a significant fight, he lost the chance for a long-anticipated showdown against Anthony Joshua when a rusty Wilder fumbled the bag by losing a wide decision to a resurgent Joseph Parker in December.
Zhang has a recent history of rising to the occasion, as evidenced by his back-to-back knockout wins against Joe Joyce, but he also succumbed to the kryptonite known as Parker in March.
Wilder, 38, and Zhang, 41, will not get too many more bites at the apple like this, so they must prove they still have the necessary ingredients to cook up one last chance title run.
It will either be a sizzling slugfest for as long as it lasts or a slow milquetoast burn that disappoints. I’m leaning more toward a fight that is feast than famine.
Tris Dixon
The more thought and consideration I’ve given it this week, the more I’ve started to appreciate each match. The hope is that Wilder-Zhang is a shootout, and I think people might be sleeping on Hrgovic-Dubois but I’ll go with Ford and Ball. Will it steal the show? Whatever does could be pretty special, and this might be it.
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