“He Could Do What De La Hoya Did Years Ago, Mayweather Did”: Teddy Atlas Explains How Saudi Arabia Is Creating Monopoly in Boxing

Can Saudi Arabia turn boxing into a monopoly limited to their country? While there hasn’t been any indication of such intentions from them, Teddy Atlas claims if they really wanted to, they have the capability to do so. In the recent past, Saudi Arabia has taken significant strides to deliver what fans have been asking for years.

They made the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury fight, which will see the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. They even organized the upcoming Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou fight, but Atlas thinks there could be a hidden agenda! He especially warns everyone that the Saudis could do what Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya did – through a video shared on YouTube on 9 February!

Teddy Atlas claims the Saudis are forming a conglomerate

Speaking about the role Saudis have played in making the biggest fights in boxing lately, the acclaimed boxing trainer dug deep into what they could do in the future. “He [Turki Alalshikh] is taking all the middlemen, that are the promoters out there…he’s forming a conglomerate over in Saudi Arabia, where he’s enticing them all to come there,” said Atlas. He thinks it’s not backbreaking for the Saudis because they can promise the promoters a mountain of money like no one else.

The boxing analyst even suggested, “If he wanted to, like the snap of a finger, if he wanted to…down the stretch…he could eliminate the promoters and just become the one force of boxing in the whole world.” Atlas highlighted that boxers might be in contracts with the promoters, but that wouldn’t last forever. 

“Eventually, their contracts [will] run out, or [they can] buy them out or whatever. [Let the] lawyers figure it out,” said Atlas. He used Mayweather and De La Hoya as examples, claiming the Saudis could entice the fighters directly to cut out the middlemen and become free agents to make more money.

Also Read: Best Fights Are in Saudi or Not at All: With Joshua and Fury Lined Up, David Haye Chimes In on New Bitter-Sweet Reality of Boxing

“If he wanted to, he could do what De La Hoya did years ago. Mayweather did. They left the Bob Arums. They left the guys that they were locked into, that were making a lot of their money,” said Atlas. However, it’s vital to mention that Teddy Atlas was speaking about what could happen. It doesn’t necessarily mean the Saudis have any such intentions. 

Given all that Turki Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia as a whole have done for the sport of boxing, including the fans, would a monopoly in Saudi be that bad? There is a debate to be had about it, but in case it does happen, the promotion culture in boxing will definitely go extinct. Do you agree with Teddy Atlas? Let us know in the comments down below.

Also Read: 2023 Was a Big Year for Boxing in Saudi Arabia and Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo’s Attendance Only Added to Its Charm