Frank Warren Teases A Huge Fight In Saudi This March
Frank Warren has revealed that there will be another big fight in March in Saudi Arabia.
The news comes after the successful ‘Day of Reckoning’ boxing card in Saudi on December 23, 2023. The event was a success, with six stoppages out of the eight fights. There was also a major upset as Joseph Parker outclassed Deontay Wilder to end the hopes of a fight between Wilder and Anthony Joshua. Those two boxers had a two-fight deal, the first set for March 9, 2024. The defeat means that another fight will likely take place. Warren hinted that it was something big.
Warren Reacts
“We are working on [other fights] and there will be a press conference early in January to announce the undercard for Tyson’s show and also what is happening in March. It’ll be very interesting, that’s for sure. It’ll be a big fight. This whole thing has been a game changer.
“That was the phrase I used from the beginning with Tyson vs Ngannou. I just felt this was gonna lead to something special, and the last show was special.”The next one on the [February] 17th is very, very special with all the titles on the line. Four belts on the line, that’s going to be magnificent. The other guys have got to keep winning, to keep in the running to fight the winner down the road,” Warren said
This naturally begs the question: Which fights are in the running? Joshua’s focus is now on Filip Hrgovic since he is the IBF interim champion. The winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk is required to defend his title against the IBF mandatory as a first defence under the rules.
Who Will It Be?
That is unlikely since Fury and Usyk have a rematch clause, so the winner will likely get stripped. That leaves Joshua as the next-highest-ranked fighter to face Hrgovic. That could take place in Saudi Arabia since it is a title fight, and both men boxed in Saudi Arabia during their last fights.
Another alternative could be a potential undisputed fight between Dmitry Bivol and Arthur Beterbiev. Bivol defended his WBA light heavyweight title against Lyndon Arthur with a unanimous decision win. That puts him in line to face the winner of Beterbiev vs Callum Smith. They face off on January 13th, 2024. Bivol has reportedly signed his side of the deal to face Beterbiev, provided he beats Smith. And that is likely to be the fight given Saudi’s desire to host it.
“When we signed the contract against Lyndon Arthur, we discussed a fight against Beterbiev. And they are interested in making this fight happen. They want this fight. They told us, like, ‘We want to make this fight happen.’ ”“He [Beterbiev] wants this fight, of course. As an athlete, he wants it. And I think as an adult person who’s in boxing he understands why this fight couldn’t happen before. And now he understands that this fight could happen with the Saudis,” Bivol stated
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