‘The truth is Saudi Arabia doesn’t care about women’s boxing’

Women’s boxing historian Malissa Smith offered her perspective on Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the sport and its implications for female fighters as the country prepares to host another bout featuring women on October 12. 

The presence of Riyadh Season in boxing is growing – some are delighted, and some are skeptical. Skye Nicolson and Raven Chapman agreed to fight there in the first women’s title fight when Nicolson’s WBC featherweight title will be on the line, marking only the second women’s fight in Saudi Arabia, on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol.

Smith is skeptical of the future of women’s boxing on these cards. 

“It sometimes feels like a token gesture, like they’re saying, ‘Look, we have women on the card,’ but the bigger picture is concerning,” Smith told BoxingScene. “We’ve seen some women’s bouts, like when Ramla Ali fought on an Anthony Joshua card.”

Smith questioned whether this involvement would truly support women’s boxing, and if someone believing the Saudi Arabian influx of capital could run boxing in the short-term, she has concerns around what the future of women’s boxing could be. 

“The Saudis are talking about launching a boxing league, signing major promoters, and putting the sport on the map,” Smith said. “Where are the women in these discussions? This league is all about men. There’s no mention of women at all.”

The world has always been tougher for women, but even harder for those who are fighters. Smith raised concerns about the impact on female fighters. 

“What happens when all the top male fighters are fighting under this league, and the women who typically share fight cards with them are left out?” Smith asked. “Will promoters step up and give women their own platforms as main events? I doubt it.”

Reflecting on the broader challenges for women’s boxing, Smith pointed to the limited opportunities for marquee female bouts. If you look at the United States’ boxing schedule, it isn’t the most plentiful in 2024. 

“Even with fights like Claressa Shields versus Savannah Marshall, which was one of the most exciting match-ups we’ve seen, getting a rematch has been a struggle,” Smith said. “If promoters cared about women’s boxing, we’d see a woman on every fight card.”

Smith concluded by expressing frustration with the current state of the sport, as [Daniel Dubois stopping Joshua] is another missed opportunity for a talented fighter to get a major opportunity. 

“Take Daniel Dubois’ sister Caroline — she’s an incredible talent, a future Hall of Famer, but she wasn’t on the same card as her brother’s big fight,” Smith said. “That makes no sense. The truth is, they don’t care about women’s boxing. If they did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”