Just twenty days after wowing over ninety thousand fans, Riyadh season is back with another high-power show. At Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will slug it for the undisputed crown. But that’s not all. The show promises a full spectacle that will keep viewers and fans on the edge of their seats. Jai Opetaia will defend his IBF title from Jack Massey. Then you have Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke clash once again for the British heavyweight title. Another champion from Down Under, Skye Nicolson, will defend her title from Raven Chapman.

Chris Eubank Jr., who has already been making news, is all set to face Kamil Szeremeta for the IBO middleweight belt. In summary, it’s round after round of excitement and intrigue. The fights remain the star attraction. But as it appears, a certain section of fans expect nothing short of the whole deal. They look forward to the way different fighters mark their entries. It is often said that the song or music a fighter picks for their walkout reflects their personality and hints at their game plan. It’s always fascinating to see what the champions and fighters select to energize the crowd. Let’s take a look at some of their past choices.

So what do they listen to?

Starting with Jai Opetaia, though born in Sydney, the cruiserweight champion proudly embraces his Samoan heritage. As the rematch with Mario Briedis revealed, he often prefers to imbibe the Samoan warrior spirit with the deep-rooted boxing traditions of his family. For the May 18 fight on the Fury-Usyk card, instead of one, he walked to two Samoan songs. Through a post, Polynesian Music shed some light on the southpaw’s preferred choice—singer Vaniah Toloa‘s ‘Samoae Maopoopo Mai‘, and SJ Demarco‘s ‘Kau Mo Samoa‘.

A few months before the Opetaia-Breidis bout, Frazer Clarke picked Coldplay‘s ‘A Sky Full of Stars‘ and the 50 Cent track ‘Many Men‘. In response, Fabio Wardley struck back with legend Roy Jones Jr.‘s epic ‘Can’t Be Touched‘. It appears to be the favorite of the Suffolk-born heavyweight. A clip from a 2021 fight shows him entering on the Jones Jr. number.

But in the middleweight, Chris Eubank Jr. went a step ahead. Instead of the track, he rather had Roy Jones Jr. walk by his side for the first Liam Smith fight. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg‘s ‘Still D.R.E.‘ played in the background. It remained his choice for the September 2 rematch with Smith.

Sky Nicolson defended her WBC featherweight title against Dyana Vargas on the Jaron Ennis–David Avanesyan card on July 13 this year. Two years ago, she took on Shanecqua Paisley Davis on the famous Katie Taylor–Amanda Serrano card at the Madison Square Garden. So for her ring walk, the Queensland-born Southpaw relied on home rock stars, the INXS. She picked their hit number, ‘New Sensation‘. As in Eubank Jr.’s case, the song seems to be her favorite as she walked out to the number a year before when she faced Bec Connolly.

What about non-title bouquets?

It’s not that the fans will get to see only title bouts on Saturday night. There are a few non-title matches that appear to be equally thrilling. The most prominent appears to be the ten-round light heavyweight duel between the British sensation Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron.

Call him ‘The Drunken Mater’ or ‘The Surgeon.’ The fact remains that Ben Whittaker’s choice of walkout music is as theatrical as his fighting style. From Michael Jackson to the Japanese anime soundtracks, Whittaker enjoys adding flair to his ring walk.

Take, for instance, the June 15 fight against Eworitse Ezra Arenyeka that made him the INBF international champion. The Crystal Palace thundered with Missy Elliot‘s ‘Get Your Freak On’. Last year, singer-songwriter Edwin Starr‘s 1970s hit ‘War (What Is It Good For)‘ preceded a very aptly timed ‘Don’t Stop Til’ You Get Enough‘ from Michael Jackson during one of his fights.

One thing is clear: walkout songs play a significant psychological and cultural role in boxing. They give fighters an opportunity to showcase their persona. For some, it a chance to hype up the crowd’s energy. Many fans feel that a solid walkout song is often that invisible punch that boxers use to establish dominance even before the first punch is thrown!

Which is your all-time favorite walkout in boxing history?