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Turki Al Al-Sheikh Announces Names of World Champions Participating in Global Boxing Match

28 October 2023, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority, Counselor Turki Al-Sheikh (L), presents the belt of the Riyadh season to the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury (2nd R), after defeating his competitor, heavyweight mixed martial arts champion Francis Ngannou in the Kingdom Arena, as part of the opening activities of the fourth edition of the Riyadh Season. (FILE/Saudi Press Agency)
28 October 2023, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority, Counselor Turki Al-Sheikh (L), presents the belt of the Riyadh season to the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury (2nd R), after defeating his competitor, heavyweight mixed martial arts champion Francis Ngannou in the Kingdom Arena, as part of the opening activities of the fourth edition of the Riyadh Season. (FILE/Saudi Press Agency)
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Turki Al Al-Sheikh Announces Names of World Champions Participating in Global Boxing Match

28 October 2023, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority, Counselor Turki Al-Sheikh (L), presents the belt of the Riyadh season to the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury (2nd R), after defeating his competitor, heavyweight mixed martial arts champion Francis Ngannou in the Kingdom Arena, as part of the opening activities of the fourth edition of the Riyadh Season. (FILE/Saudi Press Agency)
28 October 2023, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority, Counselor Turki Al-Sheikh (L), presents the belt of the Riyadh season to the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury (2nd R), after defeating his competitor, heavyweight mixed martial arts champion Francis Ngannou in the Kingdom Arena, as part of the opening activities of the fourth edition of the Riyadh Season. (FILE/Saudi Press Agency)

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Advisor Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al Al-Sheikh, has announced the lineup for the "4 Crown Showdown" fight, featuring an electrifying clash for the undisputed world championship in the light heavyweight category (175 pounds) between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Al Al-Sheikh also unveiled the participants for the upcoming “5 vs 5 a Riyadh Season Original” event, a highlight of this year’s Riyadh Season. This event will bring together boxing rivals Queensberry and Match Room at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on June 1, SPA reported.
Al Al-Sheikh emphasized, “The ‘4 Crown Showdown’ and ‘5 vs 5 a Riyadh Season Original’ fights are among the standout events of this year’s Riyadh Season, showcasing champions selected by our partners at Queensberry and Match Room.” He stressed Riyadh Season's commitment to hosting top-tier fights, major events, and forging partnerships to deliver unparalleled entertainment to fans.
Dmitry Bivol, the current light heavyweight world champion at 33 years old, boasts an impressive record of 22 wins, including eleven knockout victories, and has successfully defended his title in 10 matches over the past six years. Meanwhile, Artur Beterbiev, aged 39, holds the WBC, IBF, and WBO world champion titles, having secured all 20 of his victories by knockout.
In the "5 vs 5 a Riyadh Season Original" matchups, announced during a press conference at Outernet in London, Queensberry selected heavyweight boxer Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs), known for his formidable skills in the ring. Dubois recently faced champion Jarrell Miller in Riyadh last December and is set to take on Filip Hrjovic (17-0, 14 KOs), the number one contender in the International Boxing Federation, representing Match Room.
Queensberry's second heavyweight contender is Chinese giant Zhang Zhili, also known as “Bang Bang” (26-2-1, 21 KOs), who will face former WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) from Match Room.
In the featherweight category, champion Nick Paul (19-0-1, 11 KOs) represents Queensberry and is expected to engage in a thrilling bout against American world champion Ray Ford of Match Room (15-0-1, 8 KOs) for the WBA World Featherweight Championship.
The middleweight division features WBC silver and Commonwealth champion Hamza Shiraz (19-0, 15 KOs) from Queensbury, facing off against Match Room nominee Austin Williams (16-0, 11 KOs), who claimed the IBF North American title in 2023.
The final matchup of this eagerly anticipated event pits Queensberry light heavyweight champion and former amateur world champion Willie Hutchinson (17-1, 13 KOs) against Match Room candidate Craig Richards (18-1-3, 11 KOs), the former British champion and WBA World Champion title challenger.

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Pep Guardiola is Facing More Questions about His Manchester City Future

Pep Guardiola (file photo by Reuters)
Pep Guardiola (file photo by Reuters)
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Pep Guardiola is Facing More Questions about His Manchester City Future

Pep Guardiola (file photo by Reuters)
Pep Guardiola (file photo by Reuters)

Into the final year of his contract at Manchester City, questions are being asked again about Pep Guardiola's future.

The latest came after Wednesday's Champions League game against Inter Milan, with an Italian journalist asking if Guardiola could see himself working in Italy one day.

“I love English football, it is fantastic, really enjoyable. They leave you alone to get on with the job. That doesn’t happen anywhere else," the City manager said, The AP reported.

Guardiola has already stayed at City for longer than any of his other managerial jobs - and longer than many expected when he was appointed in 2016.

It will be nine years by the end of the season, compared to four at Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich.

“It’s a great club. I really feel good being here,” he said.

Guardiola likely knows he will never find another club like City in elite European soccer.

He has close relationships with his immediate superiors at the club - CEO Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who he previously worked with at Barcelona - and he is idolised by the supporters.

That's a difficult package to walk away from and whenever the possibility has arisen, Guardiola has been convinced to extend his contract.

It has reached that point once again where he must decide if he has the energy or will to go on for longer.

The outcome of the hearing into more than 100 charges of alleged financial breaches that was due to start this week could also be a factor.

Jurgen Klopp's decision to stand down at Liverpool last season was evidence of the toll soccer can take on managers. For long periods he matched Guardiola stride for stride in the battle for supremacy - and even halted City's rule when winning the title in 2020.

The intensity of their rivalry forced each man to greater heights and in January Klopp made the shock announcement that he needed a break from it all.

“It is not what I want to (do), it is just what I think is 100% right,” the German said at the time.

Guardiola did likewise when taking a 12-month sabbatical after his first job at Barcelona. He's now been in continuous employment since taking over at Bayern in 2013 - winning league titles in all but two of those 11 seasons.

Those are the levels he has been operating at and that dominance should not be confused with an easy ride - particularly during his time in England when Klopp's Liverpool and latterly Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have pushed City to the limits of their powers to remain at the summit.

Arteta has added a new dimension to England's top flight by transforming Arsenal's fortunes since leaving his role as Guardiola's assistant to take over at The Emirates Stadium in 2019.

He takes his team to City on Sunday as the man likeliest to seize Guardiola's crown.

City vs. Arsenal, Guardiola vs. Arteta. These are now the biggest rivalries at the top of English soccer.

Two seasons ago, Arsenal spent 248 days at the top of the standings, but was eventually beaten to the title by City. No other team had spent so long in first place without being crowned champion.

Last season, Arsenal went even closer when taking the race down to the last day of the campaign, but eventually finished two points behind City.

Arteta has signed a new three-year contract, which is a statement of Arsenal's faith in him to continue to challenge Guardiola.

Over the last two years, however, Arteta - like Klopp before him - has discovered the extraordinary levels required to topple City.

After topping the standings for so long in 2022-23, Arsenal recorded its most wins in a Premier League campaign - 28 - last season and still ended up empty-handed.

A return of 89 points was the club's second highest in the Premier League era - one short of the 90 achieved by its ‘Invincibles’ team that won the title in 2004.

Arsenal also ended a winless run against City dating back to 2016 - taking four points from two games against its title rival and still came up short.

So there is little evidence of Guardiola wilting in the face of a fresh challenger. He won a treble of trophies, including a first Champions League for City, in 2023 and an English record fourth successive top division title last term.

City is already two points ahead of Arsenal going into Sunday's match and the only team with a 100% record at the start of the season.

If this is to be Guardiola's final season, he is already leading it from the front.