The highly anticipated clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury is just hours away, and fans worldwide can’t stop buzzing about the matchup. However, the conversation has taken a controversial turn after His Excellency Turki Alalshikh publicly voiced his support for ‘The Gypsy King.’ This endorsement has sparked heated debates among fans regarding the fight’s legitimacy.

As a key figure in organizing some of the biggest boxing events in recent years, the Saudi royal wields significant influence in the sport. His backing of Fury has prompted discussions on the boxing community ‘r/Boxing’ on reddit, where fans are speculating about the potential fairness of the bout for the undefeated Ukrainian champion.

Is His Excellency Turki Alalshikh biased?

Let’s take a step back to understand the point r/Boxing is trying to make here. On December 16, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh shared a video on YouTube featuring a FaceTime call with Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. During the call, Alalshikh humorously referred to Usyk as a “freak” and a “rabbit” before openly declaring his support for Fury to win the fight.

Fast forward to the final press conference, Eddie Hearn expressed his support for his compatriot, Fury. Meanwhile, Alalshikh, who was in attendance, interjected, boldly stating, “All of us with Tyson!” This public declaration fueled speculation that the Saudi royal might be using his influence to sway the fight in Fury’s favor.

r/Boxing argues that Alalshikh’s outspoken support for Fury “adds unnecessary pressure to the referee, the judges, and the fighters.” However, what r/Boxing didn’t highlight is why Alalshikh is rooting for Fury. In the FaceTime call, Alalshikh revealed his desire for a trilogy between Fury and Usyk, which, in his view, would require Fury to win this bout.

Alalshikh reiterated this sentiment during an interview with iFL TV, addressing fans’ concerns by emphasizing his wish for a trilogy. Regardless, the misguided r/Boxing post sparked some criticism against the Saudi royal, though he also received massive support from the public.

Fans try to allay fears about Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 result

Despite r/Boxing’s efforts to drum up some controversy, the majority of fans saw the reality behind Alalshikh’s support. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t critics in the herd of commenters. One user claimed Turki wasn’t alone in this alleged scheme, roping Hearn into the mix. “It’s not just Turki, most promoters like Hearn, etc have also said they thin[k] Fury will win. Set up perfectly for an iffy decision,” the user wrote. However, having an opinion about the outcome doesn’t make the fight rigged. 

Another user didn’t have much respect for the Saudi Royal to begin with. “You need to understand Turki and his bosses are a bunch of weirdos. I enjoy the cards themselves, but other than that my expectations are very, very low,” the user wrote. The Saudi government has long been accused of using sports as a tool to overshadow various domestic and international issues, aiming to enhance the country’s global reputation.

The next user quickly came to Turki’s rescue. “We have not seen anything at all pointing to Turki having influence over the judges. He wanted Fury to win the first fight, and he didn’t. I think you’re stressing over nothing,” the user commented. Not to mention, Turki Alalshikh has often expressed disappointment over how some fights were scored. For instance, he didn’t agree with how the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight ended. 

Someone else pointed out the things His Excellency has done in the past to advocate for his innocence in the matter. “Turki has put on so many cards with huge upsets that have gone against his predictions. I don’t see why you can have this complaint that it’s going to be rigged with nothing going against the norm so far,” the user wrote. The only explanation for Turki’s support is that he is a big fan of the sport, and of course, a third fight would put Saudi in the spotlight. 

Meanwhile, this user highlighted that Turki supported Fury in the first fight as well. “To be fair, he did the same thing the first time too. He’s not a promoter. He’s a fan with an infinite money glitch and admits who his favorites are,” the user wrote. Notably, Fury had lost their first fight despite support from a variety of promoters and experts across the globe.

That being said, despite the allegations from r/Boxing, there’s not only no evidence that His Excellency is influencing the fight, but it also appears that he just wants to give the fans a third epic fight between the duo. However, whether that will happen or not is yet to be seen. Do you think Alalshikh is influencing the fight?