His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is on a mission to bring the golden era of boxing back to the modern world. As one of the steps to accomplish this dream, he has joined forces with the World Boxing Council (WBC), as they announced a new tournament for young prospects, neatly dubbed the Grand Prix of boxing. The development came as the Saudi Royal was recently honored. 

The Man behind Riyadh Season was awarded the Boxing Man of the Year during the 62nd annual World Boxing Council Convention on Monday, which was previously given to Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela, and Pope Francis. Regardless, during the convention, Alalshikh and Mauricio Sulaiman revealed their plans for what appears to be a World Cup of the sport, featuring 128 prospects across four weight classes. 

It also seems to be the unaccomplished dream of Mauricio’s late father, Jose, the former WBC head. Alongside announcing the tournament for young prospects, which will give them a solid foundation to build their careers, the duo has also laid out the rules for the tournament, alongside guidelines for eligible candidates. 

While Sulaiman has long been a prominent figure in the sport, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia has only recently entered the boxing scene. His involvement has brought positive changes to a sport previously marred by corruption, a decentralized structure, and a convoluted business model.

Regardless, the rules set for the Grand Prix of Boxing appear to limit eligibility for participants. For example, competitors must be under 26 years of age and have no more than 10 professional fights. Reports suggest that the tournament will begin in February, featuring quarterfinals and semifinals over eight rounds, with the 10-round final taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It will, of course, also have several weight classes, like most boxing tournaments, which consist of featherweight, junior welterweight, middleweight, and heavyweight. However, this isn’t the only boxing league the Saudis have talked about. 

Efforts from Turki Alalshikh to create a boxing league

Back in July, a report from Reuters revealed His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, a key advisor to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is spearheading efforts to establish a transformative boxing league in partnership with the Public Investment Fund (PIF). He was reportedly overseeing the final discussions with major boxing promoters, including Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions.

The proposed venture, valued between $4-5 billion, seeks to consolidate the sport’s key stakeholders and elevate Saudi Arabia’s profile in global boxing. This initiative is part of the kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to reduce dependency on oil by investing in sports and tourism. Saudi Arabia has already become a hub for major boxing events, attracting top fighters like Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Artur Beterbiev, and many more.

Despite criticism over “sportswashing,” the league is seen as a powerful tool to enhance Saudi Arabia’s international influence, foster economic growth, and diversify its sports portfolio. To top it off, Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions among others have already signed a deal with the Saudis. 

That being said, it appears His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Mauricio Sulaiman have kickstarted something that will benefit young prospects to get a clear footing in the sport without the backing from major promotions. Whether this will work as intended is yet to be seen, but it’s untenable the benefit such a tournament can have for a budding prospect. What are your thoughts on this?