Two of boxing’s biggest promoters face-off in the unique Queensberry vs Matchroom 5 vs 5 tournament on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn have selected five fighters each to go head-to-head to determine who has the better stable.
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The unprecedented tournament will take place alongside Dmitry Bivol’s WBA light-heavyweight world title fight against Malik Zinad, which was made at late-notice following Artur Beterbiev’s withdrawal due to injury.
The competition includes two mouth-watering heavyweight clashes, with Deontay Wilder hoping to make a successful comeback by beating Zhilei Zhang.
Daniel Dubois will also take on Filip Hrgovic aiming to become the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s IBF world title by claiming the ‘interim’ belt.
Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5 vs 5: How to follow
This huge card will take place on Saturday, June 1.
It is being held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The undercard will get going at 7:15pm UK time, with the main event reportedly set to get going just after midnight at 12:15am.
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The fight will be shown live on TNT Sports and DAZN in the UK.
Fans can sign up to TNT Sports and discovery+ here. More details on how to sign up to DAZN can be found here.
talkSPORT will have live updates throughout fight week, while talkSPORT.com will provide the best of the reaction as well.
We will also be running a watchalong from 7:30pm on Saturday on the talkSPORT Boxing Youtube channel and on talkSPORT 2.
Join Adam Catterall and former super-middleweight champion George Groves in London, with Jim White, Spencer Oliver and Gareth A Davies live from Saudi Arabia for the huge event.
To tune in to talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
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Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5 vs 5: Fight card
The main event will see sluggers Zhang and Wilder face off.
Both men lost to Joseph Parker last time out and will be eager to get back to winning ways.
More heavyweight action will precede it as London’s Dubois takes on Hrgovic for the IBF ‘interim’ heavyweight belt.
The title clash between Bivol and late stand-in Zinad is separate to the 5v5 tournament and will be held early on in the card.
There will also be a WBA featherweight title fight between newly-crowned champion Raymond Ford and hungry challenger Nick Ball.
Subject to change
- MAIN EVENT: Zhilei Zhang vs Deontay Wilder
- Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic – for IBF interim heavyweight title
- Hamzah Sheeraz vs Austin Williams
- Dimitry Bivol vs Malik Zinad – for WBA light-heavyweight title
- Raymond Ford vs Nick Ball – for WBA featherweight title
- Willy Hutchinson vs Craig Richards
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Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5 vs 5: What has been said?
Warren and Hearn are ready to put their long history of bad blood behind them and become partners this weekend.
Hearn said: “When you go 12 or 13 years without meeting or talking, you never think it’s coming but it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done in all honesty.
“It was like ‘forget the past, we’ve got to do this for the good of our companies, for the good of our fighters, the sport’.
“It took someone with a bit of sense to bang our heads together and say ‘guys we can do something really special’.
“There are a lot of similarities with the families. We’re both from working class backgrounds. Frank started well doing in business, then his son George came through in a similar upbringing to me and we both made it in the sport.”
Warren added: “It’s been quite enlightening for me. I’ve been around for a long, long time and it’s put a bit of a spring in my step. I’m enjoying it.
“We’re quite likeminded in a lot of things which I’ve found quite refreshing. I’m enjoying Eddie’s company.
“We’d be fools to mess this up. Our respective fighters are getting tremendous opportunities, making lots of money.”
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