The August 20 mother of rematch between Nigeria born British boxer Anthony Joshua and Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk is expected to boost boxing in Saudi Arabia, Authorities have enthused.
The fight is being billed as one of the biggest heavyweight rematches in the history of the sport. Prince Fahad Bin Abdelaziz, spokesperson for global rights holder for the world heavyweight championship Skill Challenge Entertainment, made the submission while speaking on the importance of hosting major sports events in the Kingdom to inspire future generations at a grassroots level. There are plans to inspire 500,000 fans to take up the sport in 4 years.
It will be the second time Saudi Arabia will be hosting boxing event involving Anthony Joshua who is desirous for reclaiming his title even as the Prince threw more light on reason for hosting the much talked about bout.
“One of the major reasons to host events like this here in the Kingdom is to inspire the locals and future generations at a grassroots level. Since the last fight, Clash of the Dunes, in 2019, we’ve witnessed a 300% increase in men and women participating in boxing and the number of boxing gyms increase from seven to 59.
Through hosting further events like this, including the first women’s boxing championships, we aim to inspire over 500,000 individuals to take up the sport in the next four years” he told Gulf news.
Over a million fans turned up to watch the first clash in 2019 and the turnout is expected to pass come August 20.