Nine undercard fights on offer, three that could easily headline their own bill including two world championship bouts in contrasting divisions without a dominant name. A quartet of Brits in action, some early Queensberry vs. Matchroom bragging rights to be had and plenty elsewhere on offer before the fight we’ve waited 25 years to see takes centre stage in Riyadh this weekend.
Stacked undercard fits the billing for Fury-Usyk headliner
- “Massive stage to showcase my talent on. I thought we’d cross paths for years, we’re here now,” IBF champion Joe Cordina says before Matchroom vs. Queensberry showdown for 130lb world titles against Anthony Cacace
- Banana skin incoming? IBO world titleholder Cacace with an extra edge: “I know all about Joe’s strengths and weaknesses, waited 12 years as a pro for an opportunity like this, I’m privileged and buzzing to be here… to win.”
- Mairis Briedis’ promoter Kalle Sauerland insists the cruiserweight division throws up some of the sport’s greatest battles and Saturday night will be another one, as Latvian looks to avenge his close defeat by Jai Opetaia
- “I hate trash-talk,” In battle of 24-0 unbeaten contenders, Arslanbek Makhmudov’s conequeror Agit Kabayel insists he’s ready for test before final eliminator vs. Frank Sanchez for WBC world heavyweight title
Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Tyson Fury (c) for undisputed world heavyweight titles
Ring of Fire main event from Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena, Saudi Arabia on May 18
Estimated ringwalks anywhere after 11pm BST, 1am Saudi (GMT+3) time
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — We could delve deeper into the mind games at play and wonder aloud whether Tyson Fury’s more measured behaviour so far this week is a sign of him acknowledging the occasion, aware what’s at stake. Then he could throw that all to one side and behave much differently at tonight’s weigh-in, knowing only one more sleep separates him from being crowned the best of his generation.
Oleksandr Usyk, as usual, didn’t have much to say. His boxing skills speak for themselves, as they did 600 miles south-west in Jeddah against Anthony Joshua some 21 months ago the last time these pressing questions were asked of him.
Daniel Dubois was a credible mandatory challenger, but most didn’t give the Brit more than a puncher’s chance in Wroclaw last summer. That he emerged with credit in the bank, despite what unfolded from round five onwards, speaks to his maturity and how he could still reach the very top. Filip Hrgovic has other ideas.
Itauma and Chamberlain go international, again
That storyline is to be explored on another day, but it’ll be interesting to see how highly-rated British teenage heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma fares in his first 10-round contest at international title level on the undercard this weekend.
The 19-year-old, who recently joined a busy Ben Davison gym, was high in his praise for Dubois last year having sparred the former WBA (Regular) champion among others including Joshua and former interim WBO titleholder Joe Joyce.
His opponent, Kazakhstan-born German national Ilja Mezencev (25-3, 21 KOs) will make a rare appearance outside Germany after a second-round stoppage win on April 13. However, he’s only boxed more than six rounds once – losing in the seventh vs. former Tyson Fury foe Tom Schwarz for the WBO Youth title in Nov. 2015.
We’ll see if his first-round KO prediction sticks, while Turki Alalshikh’s favourite fighter Mark Chamberlain targets another showcase display on his return two months after dethroning Gavin Gwynne on the Knockout Chaos undercard.
Wahab (23-1, 16 KOs) ends a 14-month layoff here and has almost exclusively boxed at super-featherweight during his 10-year pro career, so it’ll be interesting to see whether he learned any lessons from the last time he boxed a Brit – Liam Dillon in September 2022 – against a much harder puncher and better mover in Chamberlain.
Nyika, Kovalev and more
New Zealand’s 8-0 cruiserweight prospect David Nyika said all the right things during his brief address to the crowd and media, stressing he wants to box the Sergey Kovalev vs. Robin Sirwan Safar winner next should he emerge unscathed in a battle of unbeaten hopefuls at 200lbs on the undercard. Proactive matchmaking, anyone?
Andy Clarke said on the broadcast former light-heavyweight world champion Kovalev had been training in the mountains with the Uzbekistan national team after his long layoff and it’ll be interesting to see how much is left, mentally and physically, given how things died down for him after a R11 KO defeat by Canelo in 2019.
“The fight between Sanchez and Kabayel is one only His Excellency could make, tremendous heavyweights,” Eddie Hearn said and given their respective promotional agreements, that statement rings true. PBC had Sanchez, Kabayel was with Top Rank and the pair rarely do business – as Crawford-Spence can attest.
After a pair of stoppage wins on Channel 5 shows in 2023, long-standing featherweight contender Isaac Lowe returns against Hasibullah Ahmadi (16-1, 5 KOs). The experience advantage should stand him in good stead, despite facing a much younger opponent (23) hungry to snatch what’s left of his standing at 126lbs.
Wroclaw-born Ukrainian international Daniel Lapin (9-0, 3 KOs) prepares to face Octavio Pudivitr (9-1, 4 KOs) for a WBA Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title once held by long-reigning current WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol. Following three consecutive knockouts, can he make it four in a row against better opposition?
Frampton, Woodhall warn Cordina not to overlook Cacace
“This is Cacace’s last chance at 35, a tough kid and seasoned pro. It’s a great fight, I helped train Joe with the Olympic team and he’s very quick off the mark, has shown he’s good against southpaw boxers – Anto can box both southpaw or orthodox, could be a banana skin..”
- Richie Woodhall previewing Cordina-Cacace
Joe Cordina hasn’t shied away from wanting the big-name bouts and lucrative money fights which may await him across two divisions, but the IBF world super-featherweight champion cannot afford to be anything but sharp and 100% focused on Anthony Cacace first if he’s to achieve those lofty future ambitions.
“I’m looking forward to a tough fight, sharing the ring with him and it’s gonna be a good fight – we both believe in our ability,” the Welshman said upon hearing Cacace’s comments about tracking the 2016 Olympian’s progress over the years.
Since regaining his title in a Fight of the Year contender against Shavkat Rakhimov in April 2023 that could’ve gone either way, the Cardiff man followed it up with a hard-fought majority decision win over Edward Vazquez in Monte-Carlo which led many critics to suggest perhaps his luck is starting to run out at 130lbs.
State of play at super-feather, lightweight
May 18: Joe Cordina vs. Anthony Cacace for IBF, IBO titles in Riyadh — Emanuel Navarrete vs. Denys Berinchyk in San Diego for vacant WBO lightweight title
Shakur Stevenson (WBC), Vasiliy Lomachenko (IBF), Gervonta Davis (WBA) hold the other lightweight belts. Navarrete holds WBO strap, interim champion Oscar Valdez will likely be upgraded to full titlist at 130lbs with Navarrete win
June 28: Lamont Roach (c) vs. Feargal McCrory for WBA title
July 6: O’Shaquie Foster (c) vs. Robson Conceicao for WBC title
If anyone can crack the code, Cacace might be that man according to former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton given the rounds they’ve shared in the gym.
“I’ve sparred hundreds of rounds with him and his record doesn’t suggest it, but I’ve never been hit as hard by anyone else in the gym, he’s got frightening power. People are suggesting Joe’s tight at the weight, Anto has a chance here – more than a small one.”
- Frampton on Cordina-Cacace
Cordina is favoured given his world title experience but as Woodhall stated above, this is Cacace’s final chance to deliver on the big stage and psychologically, that plays a big part. Whether he can produce an upset is unclear, but Joe needs to be more assertive with his punch output and defensively sharper than his last two bouts here.
Full card, is as follows
All bouts scheduled for 12×3-minute rounds unless stated
Main event
Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Tyson Fury (c) for IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC, WBO world heavyweight titles
Main card
Australia’s Jai Opetaia (24-0, 19 KOs) vs. Latvia’s Mairis Briedis (28-2, 20 KOs) for vacant IBF world cruiserweight championship
Wales’ Joe Cordina (c, 17-0 with 9 KOs) vs. N. Ireland’s Anthony Cacace (c, 21-1, 15 KOs) for IBF, IBO world super-featherweight belts
Heavyweight: Germany’s Agit Kabayel (24-0, 16 KOs) vs. Cuba’s Frank Sanchez (24-0, 17 KOs) in final eliminator for WBC world title
Undercard
Lightweight: Britain’s Mark Chamberlain (15-0, 11 KOs) vs. Nigeria’s Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab (23-1, 16 KOs) for vacant WBC Silver title
Cruiserweight, 10 rounds: Russia’s Sergey Kovalev (35-4-1, 29 KOs) vs. Sweden’s Robin Sirwan Safar (16-0, 12 KOs)
Heavy, 10 rounds: Britain’s Moses Itauma (8-0, 6 KOs) vs. Germany’s Ilja Mezencev (25-3, 21 KOs) for vacant WBO Inter-Continental strap
Cruiserweight, 8 rounds: New Zealand’s David Nyika (8-0, 7 KOs) vs. Germany’s Michael Seitz (12-0, 10 KOs)
Featherweight, 10 rounds: Britain’s Isaac Lowe (24-2-3, 8 KOs) vs. Afghanistan’s Hasibullah Ahmadi (16-1, 5 KOs)
Light-heavy, 10 rounds: Ukraine’s Daniel Lapin (9-0, 3 KOs) vs. Portugal’s Octavio Pudivitr (9-1, 4 KOs) for vacant WBA Inter-Continental title
Picture source: Queensberry, quotes via press conference broadcast
Mo and Sports 