Who will steal the show?

Ahead of Saturday’s huge night of boxing in Riyadh, the BoxingScene team looks ahead to what it anticipates will happen in Saudi Arabia and, on a promotion featuring numerous main-event-worthy contests, discusses which fighter will make the biggest impact.

Tris Dixon: This is such a tough one because there are so many good fights, but an incredible performance from someone down the bill could really catch the eye. That said, I think Daniel Dubois is in the form of his life, growing as a fighter and as a character, and hits so hard I just think he can stop anyone, so he’s my selection. 

Kieran Mulvaney: Tough one, but I’m going in the opposite direction from Tris and plumping for Joseph Parker. He should lose to Dubois, but he is in a rare vein of form and confidence, and after impressing with wins over Wilder and Zhang, he’ll be looking for the trifecta.

Tom Ivers: I think Hamzah Sheeraz will make a huge statement on Saturday. He is facing a tough customer in Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title but I believe he will blitz him early. Sheeraz is the best middleweight on the planet and I think he will send a message to the rest of the division with another huge knockout win.

Ryan Songalia: For all-out action, I don’t think you can make too many better fights than Vergil Ortiz Jnr and Israil Madrimov. Both have a lot to prove in the 154lbs division, and a big win would make the winner a top contender. Both have plenty of vulnerabilities, too, so I think the winner will leave the fans with something to think about.

Owen Lewis: All the fights on this card are well-matched and mouthwatering, except one: Shakur Stevenson-Josh Padley. Few are giving Padley a chance of competing, much less winning, and I’m not either, but the most shocking and show-stealing result possible would be him handing Shakur his first loss. Far more likely, a fourth straight concussive stoppage for Daniel Dubois gets everybody excited for Oleksandr Usyk-Dubois II.

Matt Christie: The winner of Dubois-Parker, which I suspect will be the former.

Eric Raskin: I guess by definition the main event fighters can’t steal the show, as they already are atop it. I’ll go out on a limb and say Kabayel. If he does to Zhang anything like what he did to Arslanbek Makhmudov — if he makes “Big Bang” go “Timber!” — everyone will be left buzzing about Kabayel.

Declan Warrington: If, as is very possible, Beterbiev stops Bivol, him. Regardless of whether by then there’s been an explosive stoppage in either of the heavyweight contests. But the winner of Israil Madrimov-Vergil Ortiz Jnr, which is another very appealing fight, will be the fighter who most enhances his reputation.

Elliot Worsell: Hamzah Sheeraz. He’s now got the stage and the attention he has wanted. Now it’s time to see if he’s as good as many believe. 

Lucas Ketelle: The fight between Vergil Ortiz and Israil Madrimov. I think it will produce something special.

Jason Langendorf: Ortiz-Madrimov is a sort of concussive chess match. Ortiz is aggressive, engaging and oozes power, and Madrimov’s quirky style is a perilous puzzle to be solved. Aside from mass quantities of punishment, I honestly don’t know what’ll happen – but that’s part of what makes it so fun.

Lance Pugmire: This is ripe to be a coming-out party for Hamzah Sheeraz, who is due to win his first belt and enliven a sluggish middleweight division all at once. Tall and long, Sheeraz has a favorable match-up against the inactive Carlos Adames, and he’ll be poised to ultimately take on whoever decides to flee the stacked junior-middleweight division while also being capable of super-middleweight action.