A grand event deserves grand stakeholders. In the boxing world, one such grand event remains the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury fight scheduled to take place on the 17th of February. For this grand event, one of the grand stakeholders remains the quintessential name in soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo.

IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk will fight the WBC champion, Tyson Fury, in a bid to emerge as the undisputed champion in the heavyweight division. The position has not been held since 1999 and is slated to usher in a new reign in heavyweight boxing. Billed as the ‘Ring of Fire’, the fight will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh and is expected to host the who’s who of the sporting world. One of the potential attendees is ‘CR7’. However, he won’t be just a spectator at the event but will enter the arena with a key role to play.

Cristiano Ronaldo Among the Big Stakeholders

Sports insider, Boxing Kingdom, has reported that the soccer player’s packaged drinking water brand, Ursu, will be a key sponsor for the monumental event. However, more details of his sponsorship remain shrouded. Nevertheless, it is important to note that Ronaldo has been an active name on the guest list of boxing events that have happened in the Kingdom. He was in attendance at both ‘The Day of Reckoning’ card as well as the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou event.

In 2022, the then-37-year-old Portugal star signed a $200 million-per-year deal with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr FC. Since then, a regular presence in the Kingdom, Ronaldo has taken a keen interest in the sporting events that happen in Saudi.

Apart from him, other sponsors for the boxing event include Saudi Arabian Oil Giant, Aramco which is estimated to be worth a whopping $2 trillion. Saudia, the flagship airline which is worth $572 million as well as real-estate mogul, Roshn, and New Murabba, are also credited for sponsoring the big event.

With such big names backing the event, it seems like the Kingdom is sparing no costs in making the much-anticipated fight a grand affair. When looked through it all, the Saudis’ efforts and determination to get such fights rolling hint at a bigger picture. What is that picture?

The new epicenter of boxing: Saudi Arabia

In the last few years, the Kingdom has posited itself as a new hub for the boxing world. Leading these efforts is the mastermind, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Speaking to DAZN Boxing, the advisor at the Royal court detailed how the sport is plummeting, and how the Kingdom is doing its bit to resurrect it to its former glory.

He noted, “There are a lot of reasons. Fighters are not as charismatic. There are a lot of problems with promoters. They don’t want to do the strongest fights because it costs a lot. Some fighters don’t want to fight the strongest fights, and there are four belts… Also, you need to catch the younger generation. We are coming up with a new strategy… to do and deliver to the market, the best fights at a good price, and make the fights the people want to see. We don’t want to waste time.”

Also Read: Who Is Turki Alalshikh, New Dynamo in Boxing?

The upcoming Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury clash marks one of the biggest events for Saudi Arabia. If successful, it will find itself as being the new hub for boxing. What do you think about their efforts in the boxing world? Let us know in the comments section below.

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