Crawford Takes The Main Stage Saturday Night
Photo: Special to the NY Beacon
By Joshua Garcia
Over the last couple of years on the Boxing calendar, many of the premier events and headliners in the sport have bypassed the Las Vegas strip for the greener pastures, if you will, of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thirsty American Boxing fans consistently griped following each sought after matchup being announced to take place in Riyadh, but enter Turki Alalshikh, who vowed to change all of that.
Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of General Entertainment Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, vowed to provide damage control to what he calls a ‘broken’ sport of Boxing. Part of the strategic angle is bringing some of the larger productions to the United States to grow the overall audience, and that begins with the number one boxer in the world in Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.
Pound for pound number one in the world comes with its advantages, and Terence Crawford is enjoying the luxuries. From being dropped casually this summer into the lyrics of a Kendrick Lamar song at the top of the planet’s playlist, to now headlining a fight card in Los Angeles and sharing the bill and marquee with Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem.
Hot off the biggest win of his career where he solidified himself as the top man in his class and era, Terence Crawford will step back into the ring at BMO Stadium on August 3rd in Los Angeles. You know a card is stacked when the likes of former Heavyweight Champion of the World Andy Ruiz, Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller, Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela, Jared Anderson and the phenom and fan favorite Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz are all mentioned in the second breath.
All of the aforementioned fighters on the Riyadh Season fight card for August 3rd at BMO Stadium are easily capable of headlining their own night, and to have them all together in one ring is a huge win for the Sweet Science. Couple that with the fact that all the fighters on the card are from Golden Boy, Top Rank, Matchroom and PBC and are for the first time all working with each other to present this incredible evening of Boxing in an outdoor setting in Downtown Los Angeles, it is nothing short of a Christmas miracle in August.
It’s no secret the sport of Boxing is looking for a spark, one Canelo Alvarez refuses to provide, and this, the Saudi strategy, is the way to jump start it. No longer can the upper echelon in the Boxing world hide behind the excuse their promoters don’t get along, or that the negotiations just didn’t work out, Riyadh Season is transforming casual blasé fight cards into nights full of entertainment.
The beautiful Southern California twilight hours will be filled with matchups of every weight class between current or former champions and up and coming draws who will soon be at the top of their own Riyadh productions. And between those barn burner bouts will be a concert by Eminem, and if you have seen any of the Complex DAZN promotional tours with Marshall Mathers for the fight, you know you are in store for one epic performance on the microphone from the 313 Native who shares a hometown with squared circle legend, Joe Louis. The undercards will be just as tantalizing as the main event.
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