His Excellency Turki Alalshikh lived up to his promises. Last month reports emerged that the Riyadh Season head had acquired the historic Ring magazine from Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions. The century-old publication had earned widespread recognition as ‘The Bible of Boxing’. For long it held a special place in the hearts of diehard fans.

In 2022, some fifteen years after De La Hoya and his team took charge, it was decided to do away with the print edition. However, sharing his plans to revive the Ring magazine, HE Alalshikh had mentioned reintroducing the printed edition.

HE Turki Alalshikh: Following through on his commitments

“The first copy after getting The Ring magazine printed again… and it has a poster gift inside 🥊” said the Riyadh Season head on his Instagram post. The clip featured the inaugural edition with animated images of Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on the cover page. Usyk will defend his unified titles from ‘The Gypsy King’ at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on December 21.

Several prominent figures and fans came together to thank HE Turki Alalshikh as he shared a detailed plan to reclaim the Ring magazine’s illustrious past. “The Ring Magazine will be a fully independent company without any involvement from Riyadh Season,” he stated.

A team of independent panelists will manage it. With skilled writers covering a range of topics, the magazine will evolve to stay current with the times. Innovations, such as a new website and mobile application, will make it more accessible. Additionally, to celebrate achievements in boxing, plans are in place to organize a significant awards event each year.

For most, it was an opportunity to express their gratitude. Let’s check what some of them had to say.

Stirring up pleasant memories

Among the prominent names, the IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly expressed excitement with the “🔥” emoji. Renowned boxing correspondent Gareth A Davies welcomed the announcement with a “👏.”

Expressing their appreciation for HE Alalshikh, one user highlighted the void left by the Ring magazine’s absence. “Thank you kindly for bringing this iconic magazine back to [the] stands; [it] should [have] never been [taken] off the stands,” they said.

The following fan revealed a plan to collect the new Ring magazine editions: “I’m collecting them for sure [with] no hesitation.” For the next follower, the Fury-Usyk ‘Reignited’ edition reignited some fond memories: “Ring Magazine back like the golden days 🙌”

Unable to control their excitement, this fan expressed that the new Ring magazines would be a valuable addition to private collections. They said, “Can’t wait to buy it! [Collector’s] item 🙌🏽🥊.” The next one went back to their childhood days when they used to buy the Ring magazine. “This was my childhood and teenage years going to buy this from the newsagents,” the fan said. They thanked HE Alalshikh for restoring the iconic publication’s past glory: “@turkialalshik Thanks for bringing this back.”

For sure it must have delighted countless fans who missed the touch and feel of the good old Ring magazine of yore.

Watching such a crucial piece of boxing culture and lifestyle receive a second chance at life certainly deserves celebration. More significantly, the person who played a key role in giving it that vital breath of air deserves all the praise.

What about you? Do you think it’s important for boxing to preserve and continue with such a critical piece of its history, even in this century?