Professional boxing has long been characterised by fragmentation and dominance by one or two promoters over the others.
The years of Don King and Bob Arum from the US defined the golden period of the boxing world. Later, geopolitical shifts such as the glasnost and perestroika initiatives of the USSR’s Mikhail Gorbachev allowed mainly Eastern European boxers to participate in world boxing. With this development, US dominance in boxing declined, and fragmentation widened.
More promoters came on the scene, with the heavyweight division being dominated by Eastern European boxers such as the Klitschko brothers from Ukraine. This era also saw German-based Sauerland Promotions dominating Europe until Matchroom and Queensbury Promotions decided to enter the heavyweight battle.
Today, with the global landscape of boxing shifting, the sport is seemingly undergoing a rebirth of some sort after Saudi Arabia secured the hosting of major boxing events to challenge the dominance of the likes of Las Vegas in the US.
In recent months, the country has emerged as a force with deep pockets to revive boxing globally and to attract the biggest names in the sport.
Boxers, including those from SA, are being lured to the oil-rich desert kingdom to fight with big bags of money waiting for them. This cash injection into the sport, which is getting the support of international sanctioning bodies, represents a huge boost for emerging talent and the long-term sustainability of the sport.
The Saudis recently hosted the inaugural WBC Grand Prix series, which featured 124 boxers from over 30 countries. SA was represented by three boxers who regrettably lost in the semifinals. But with the money earned from the tournament, one local boxer has already reaped benefits he could never have dreamt of just a year ago.
Saudi Arabia’s aggressive investment in sporting events augurs well for budding boxers in SA, which has a rich pool of talent, but where local fighters have been struggling to secure decent purses in the upper ranks.
SA has an abundance of talented boxers in the amateur ranks who desire to see more action as professionals, but promoters are struggling to stage tournaments due to lack of sponsorship. Even funding by the government for boxing isn’t enough to realise the development goals of the sport and give opportunity to every aspiring boxer in the country.
The shift in the global boxing landscape with Saudi Arabia attracting top talent and organising major events is, therefore, a welcome development. The Saudis’ ambitions for dominance in the sporting world can also fuel our sporting growth.
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