If one singular fight could illustrate how Saudi Arabia has transformed boxing, it takes place at Kingdom Arena on Saturday night – and it's not the main event.
That headline bout – a rematch between Russian rivals Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for light-heavyweight supremacy – might not have taken place at all, let alone twice in just four months, without the lubricant of Saudi cash.
But directly beneath the Russian maestros on the bill sits a clash between two of the most in-form heavyweights in the sport – two fighters who have taken full advantage of the opportunities presented by Riyadh Season.
Unified champion Oleksandr Usyk operates in a class of his own having sent Tyson Fury, the generation's other elite big man, into at least a temporary retirement.
But the Ukrainian's next challenger is likely to come from Saturday's salvaged co-main between Joseph Parker and Martin Bakole. It's a scenario few could have envisaged at the advent of the Saudi boxing project.
Parker had been due to face Daniel Dubois but the IBF champion has fallen sick. Instead, he faces the division's bogeyman, the Congolese Bakole, who has taken the fight at two days' notice.
If anything confirms that times have changed in heavyweight boxing then it's the making of Parker versus Bakole in the space of a few frantic hours on Thursday night.
In this climate, the best fight the best and money talks. Dubois is unavailable? Next man up. Bring in Bakole. The show goes on. Parker is 3-0 in Riyadh, while Bakole is 2-0 on Saudi-backed cards. Saturday's winner could challenge Usyk for the keys to the kingdom.
Parker's resurgence has been both popular and hard earned after a 2022 defeat to slow-motion slugger Joe Joyce left him out in the cold.
“Truthfully, I always believed I had the ability to do well in boxing again, but when you have a few defeats and things are not going your way, you start asking yourself questions,” Parker said this week.
“I never had any doubt and I never wanted to give up ever, but I knew I had to make a change and I guess making the change that I've had now has been very, very nice.”
Parker (35-3, 23ko) won a version of the title at just 24 with an underappreciated victory over Andy Ruiz.
He was paid well but then relieved of the strap after an underwhelming effort against Anthony Joshua in 2018, and another loss to Dillian Whyte left him jobbing on undercards.
A pair of wins over Derek Chisora reinvigorated a career that was immediately derailed once again by defeat to Joyce.
Andy Lee, a former middleweight titlist and devotee of Emanuel Steward's Kronk Gym in Detroit, was in his corner by then, and despite the setback, the partnership endured. As Lee has blossomed as a trainer, Parker has matured as a heavyweight.
“I think it was a great start with Andy and it was great in the beginning, relearning the basics,” Parker explained. “As a fighter, when you've been in the game for a while and you start learning new things, sometimes, you go away from the basics. I think it [also] was important to gain that friendship.
“You can only learn from each other if you become very close and even though we are friends outside the ring and we like to hang out and chill … When it's time to train and when it's time to put in work it's very different.”
The 33-year-old wasn't meant to beat Zhilei Zhang or Deontay Wilder, but did so through skill, technique, discipline and Lee's razor-sharp game plans.
He will need all of that and more against Bakole (21-1, 16ko), who has a well-earned reputation as an avoided fighter and was described on Thursday by Parker as a “beast”.
Bakole, 31, the younger brother of former cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu, was born in Kananga, DR Congo, but has become an adopted Scotsman while training with Billy Graham in Greengairs, a small village on the outskirts of Airdrie.
The chances are that Parker and Bakole have sparred rounds, with Bakole's fearsome reputation forged in UK gyms while going rounds with Fury, Joshua and Dubois, who Bakole claims he knocked out during a session.
A solitary defeat to the American Michael Hunter in 2018 led to claims of him being exposed, but he has won 10 on the spin since then.
With the backing of Riyadh Season he was given the opportunity to face top prospect Jared Anderson in Los Angeles last August. Bakole decimated him in five rounds.
His promoter Ben Shalom said it is unlikely Bakole will be at anything more than 50 per cent on fight night but that will still be enough to get the job done.
“He was in the Congo, he’s on his way,” said Shalom. “If you’re ever going to have a chance at beating Martin Bakole it’s on two days’ notice, but I still think he’s the favourite in the fight.
“I think a 50 per cent Martin Bakole beats most heavyweights. Fair play to Joseph Parker as well for taking Martin Bakole.
“Everyone knew we were going to put our name in the hat, we were pushing for it. We don’t talk [rubbish] when we say we will fight anyone, we will fight anyone. To do it on two days’ notice is crazy.”
Bivol looks to set up trilogy
In the main event, Bivol will try to level the score and tee up a trilogy bout against Beterbiev after a narrow loss in their first fight last October.
The 40-year-old Beterbiev had posted 20 successive knockout victories but edged past Bivol via majority decision with cards of 116-112 and 115-113 in his favour and the other a 114-114 draw.
Bivol, 33, started fast and boxed beautifully before the relentless Beterbiev closed the show, sweeping the later rounds.
Still, many thought Bivol had done enough, and he won praise for his performance – praise that he flatly rejects.
“Of course I wasn't happy with my performance,” Bivol told Ring Magazine. “I know I could be better. I grade it maybe a six out of 10. I have thoughts on where I can be better and where I wasn't. I know why, what happened, and the reason. Now it's interesting for me – could I use all of this knowledge and be better this time?
“I don't think about 'I won or I lost the fight'. I look at the moments that were good and bad. I have to create many more good moments in the rematch. That's it.
“We are ready for Artur to [start strong] from the beginning,” he added. “This is one of the things that we have thought about. We won't know until the fight. I prepared in camp that he will be faster, hit harder, and push more.”
At 40, Beterbiev is in the final chapter of his career and last October was a little short of his ferocious best. Was it age, the fact he was coming off knee surgery, Bivol's performance, or all three?
“They can say anything. I don't care about it,” Beterbiev said about criticism of his performance and the scoring.
“My challenge is to do better than last time. We needed to learn. We had some mistakes, we needed to correct them. Of course, we learn. We will see, it's coming in a short time, we will see.
“You see something different, why I did this, why I did not do this. Automatically you want to change something.”
The Mexican-American David Benavidez plans to call out the winner in Riyadh, while Turki Alalshikh, the man steering Saudi prizefighting, has touted a move to cruiserweight for Beterbiev and a fight against champion Jai Opetaia.
“I don't know. So far everything's going well. I feel good. My health is good. I want to continue,” Beterbiev said when asked about the future, adding that he will stop only when his mother asks him to.
“Like any mother, any mother worries about their child. Yes, my mother worries but she supports me. She gave me approval,” he said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E268hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E380Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh208%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More from Neighbourhood Watch
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
More on animal trafficking
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
The five pillars of Islam
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The years Ramadan fell in May
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
More from Aya Iskandarani
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206-cylinder%203-litre%2C%20with%20petrol%20and%20diesel%20variants%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20286hp%20(petrol)%2C%20249hp%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E450Nm%20(petrol)%2C%20550Nm%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EStarting%20at%20%2469%2C800%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
More on Quran memorisation:
FIGHT%20CARD
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFeatherweight%204%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EYousuf%20Ali%20(2-0-0)%20(win-loss-draw)%20v%20Alex%20Semugenyi%20(0-1-0)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%206%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EBenyamin%20Moradzadeh%20(0-0-0)%20v%20Rohit%20Chaudhary%20(4-0-2)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHeavyweight%204%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EYoussef%20Karrar%20(1-0-0)%20v%20Muhammad%20Muzeei%20(0-0-0)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%206%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMarwan%20Mohamad%20Madboly%20(2-0-0)%20v%20Sheldon%20Schultz%20(4-4-0)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESuper%20featherweight%208%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EBishara%20Sabbar%20(6-0-0)%20v%20Mohammed%20Azahar%20(8-5-1)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECruiseweight%208%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Bekdash%20(25-0-0)%20v%20Musa%20N%E2%80%99tege%20(8-4-0)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESuper%20flyweight%2010%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESultan%20Al%20Nuaimi%20(9-0-0)%20v%20Jemsi%20Kibazange%20(18-6-2)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELightweight%2010%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EBader%20Samreen%20(8-0-0)%20v%20Jose%20Paez%20Gonzales%20(16-2-2-)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
