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The specifics of this league remain ambiguous, with White indicating in various interviews a commitment to reconstruct boxing from scratch and establishing their own world titles, while in other statements suggesting the league would prioritize emerging talent.
Hearn, a leading promoter in the boxing world, challenged White’s assertion that boxing is in disarray.
“I believe it’s beneficial for boxing,” Hearn from Matchroom stated during the 5 Live Boxing podcast hosted by Steve Bunce.
“One point where I differ is that boxing isn’t broken.
“Boxing is thriving, and it always has been. There are always opportunities for enhancements, but the fact that these individuals want to enter boxing highlights its current status.”
White is set to collaborate with Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s general entertainment authority, who has led recent investments in boxing from Saudi Arabia over the past two years.
This new entity will operate under the TKO name, which also encompasses the UFC and WWE. The UFC employs a league framework in mixed martial arts, locking fighters into exclusive, long-term contracts while promoting their own world titles.
It is anticipated that TKO will manage some of Saudi Arabia’s prominent boxing events, including the proposed super-fight featuring Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez against Terence Crawford this September in Las Vegas.
In contrast, MMA in the United States is not subject to the 2000 Ali Act and the 1996 Professional Boxing Safety Act, which established legal protocols for contract creation and limits on the duration a fighter can be signed to a promotional company.
Recently, TKO president Mark Shapiro criticized the Ali Act, and Hearn expressed doubts regarding the viability of the UFC model in the boxing arena.
“I believe Dana has a strong position in MMA where he can oversee the fighters, the business aspects, and everything else. You are required to comply with directives,” he remarked.
“That approach isn’t likely to succeed in boxing. Fighters are significantly overcompensated in boxing, and the profit margins in MMA differ, so it will be intriguing to observe.”
In addition to potentially forming a new league, there are indications that the league aims in the long run to eliminate the four major world titles and their sanctioning bodies—the WBA, WBO, IBF, and WBC—by introducing their own championship belt.
Hearn indicated that he does not foresee any changes in his professional relationship with Saudi Arabia or Alalshikh, yet he doubts the major world titles will vanish anytime soon.
“It seems to me that the league isn’t really geared toward the sport's elite athletes, but I could be mistaken,” Hearn suggested.
“Dana’s remarks about any title with three letters not holding significance—I disagree. If you truly believe that a fighter doesn’t place immense value on a WBC title, you’re mistaken.
“Though the landscape of the sport can change.”
Since 2021, Saudi Arabia has invested approximately £5 billion in sports, claiming this funding is intended to shift the economy away from its reliance on oil.
Critics assert that Saudi Arabia's investments in sports are aimed at gaining legitimacy and diverting attention from its contentious human rights record, a tactic referred to as ‘sportswashing’.
Men's pound-for-pound rankings
Boxing men's rankings:
1 Oleksandr Usyk Heavyweight (C)
2 Naoya Inoue Super-bantamweight (C)
3 Terence Crawford Light-middleweight (C)
5 Dmitry Bivol Light-heavyweight (C)
5 Artur Beterbiev Light-heavyweight
6 Jesse Rodriguez Super-flyweight (C)
7 Canelo Alvarez Super-middleweight (C)
8 Junto Nakatani Bantamweight (C)
9 Devin Haney Light-welterweight
10 David Benavidez Light-heavyweight
Use the column header buttons to sort columns by ascending or descending orderCurrently not sorted
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