Saudi Arabia’s extension of its soft power through boxing has reached across the ocean into the heart of New York City. On Friday, Turki al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, which regulates the kingdom’s entertainment industry, announced a blockbuster fight card to be staged in Times Square on 2 May.
The main event will feature Ryan Garcia (24-1-1 NC, 20 KO) against Rolando Romero (16-2, 13 KO). Garcia has not fought since his controversial bout with Devin Haney last May in New York, a fight he initially won via unanimous decision but was later overturned following a failed drug test. Now back in the ring after a year-long suspension, Garcia is aiming to rebuild his reputation and set up a potential rematch with Haney later this year.
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The co-feature bout will see former undisputed lightweight champion Haney (31-0, 1 NC, 15 KO) take on Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KO) in a welterweight contest. Haney, looking to solidify his standing in a new division, faces a dangerous opponent in Ramirez, a former WBC and WBO champion.
Additionally, Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KO), the reigning WBO junior welterweight champion, will defend his title against the undefeated Arnold Barboza Jr (32-0, 11 KO). Barboza is coming off a hard-fought split-decision victory over Lancashire’s Jack Catterall and now looks to dethrone Lopez on one of the biggest stages in boxing.
A victory for Lopez, a native of Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, could also set up a unification bout against IBF junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins (19-0, 7 KO), adding further intrigue to an already stacked division.
The event will be available on pay-per-view, with further broadcast details to be announced. The New York State Athletic Commission, which oversees professional boxing in the state, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian. The commission’s approval is particularly significant given Garcia’s suspension last year and the logistics of hosting a major boxing event in Times Square.
In December, Al-Sheikh announced his purchase of The Ring magazine, an American boxing publication that has been around since 1922, and his intent to restore its print edition. The outlet had been owned by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Enterprises since 2007.
Al-Sheikh has played a major role in bringing high-profile boxing events to Saudi Arabia, most notably the recent heavyweight clashes featuring Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk as part of the Riyadh Season series.
The decision to bring Saudi-backed boxing to a destination known as the crossroads of the world represents an escalation of Al-Sheikh’s soft power strategy, aimed at cementing Saudi Arabia as a dominant force in global sports. By bringing a high-profile event to the heart of American entertainment and commerce, Saudi Arabia isn’t just hosting fights – it’s challenging the sport’s historic power centers.
Al-Sheikh’s calculated mix of sportswashing, influence-building and economic diversification has shifting boxing’s balance of power from Las Vegas and London to Riyadh in two short years. At the same time, it has appealed to Saudi Arabia’s young population – 70% of whom are under 35 – by showcasing the kingdom on the world stage as aspirational, glamorous and globally influential.
