- Turki Alarusik, Saudi advisor to the Royal Court, is instrumental in stirring up a major conflict.
- He made big fights happen quickly and secured big names like Joshua and Fury.
- Mr. Alarusik persuaded Mr. Hahn and Mr. Warren to cooperate for the first time.
Whether you're a fan of Saudi Arabia's rapidly escalating boxing scene or not, investment from the Middle East has changed the sport forever. And at the center of it all is one man.
Behind “Battle of the Baddest'', “Knockout Chaos'' and “Ring of Fire'' are royal court battles, along with Hollywood-style video promotions and eye-watering financial rewards for the fighters. Turki Alalcik, Saudi advisor and chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA). – Responsible for planning major events in the kingdom.
If you watch any of the press conferences, weigh-ins or interviews in Saudi Arabia featuring the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, you'll likely spot a familiar face among them.
Aralsik is considered an enigmatic figure, but he is essential to quickly wrapping up this major matchup, which is often plagued by protracted negotiations and egos getting in the way.
His dedication to boxing is a gift to boxing fans, bringing together Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker, Daniel Dubois, Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Otto Wallin for the Day of the Dead. I'm happy to see epic cards like the “Reckoning” event. card.
Not much is known about the 42-year-old, but he has close ties to many of the sport's top fighters and promoters, who call him “Your Excellency.”
Born in August 1981, Mr. Alalshik graduated from King Fahd University of Security Studies in 2001 with a degree in security science and later worked in various government departments in Saudi Arabia, including the Ministry of Interior, the Emirate of Riyadh office, and the Defense Department. He started working at the minister's office, the prime minister's office, etc. Crown Prince.
Significantly, in 2017 he issued a Royal Decree in which he became a Royal Advisor and was appointed as a Minister, and the following year he was elected as Chairman of the GEA.
During his tenure at the Ministry, he was responsible for announcing the Riyadh Season, a sports and cultural festival aimed at bringing major sports and entertainment events to Saudi Arabia.
One of the first major sporting events they created was the Riyadh Season Cup, in which the PSG team with Lionel Messi was invited to Saudi Arabia and the Riyadh XI with Cristiano Ronaldo, which combined players from Al Nasr and Al Hilal. I played against.
The following year, his event grew even bigger, with Alarusik responsible for bringing together the “Battle of the Baddest” showdown between Fury and Ngannou to kick off the 2023 edition of the festival. The two fighters are said to have made around £40 million and £8 million respectively for this fight before PPV sales.
The Day of Reckoning event was followed by the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup in December, which featured the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcarez.
Mr Alarsik last week hosted Saudi Arabia's first professional snooker tournament, the World Masters of Snooker, which was won by Ronnie O'Sullivan and also introduced the Golden Ball, which allows players to secure 167 breaks and a $500,000 bonus. It was included.
With no one able to make the break, Alarusik announced after the final that he would double the Golden Ball award fund next year and offered Robbie the chance to open his own snooker academy in Saudi Arabia.
He announced that the first-ever UFC fight would be held in the Middle East this summer, shortly after the Bellator event took place in February. WWE is already familiar with the Middle East. He has delved into and turned his attention to almost every major sport.
However, he never achieved as much success as boxing.
It's not just the quality events he organizes or the top-level fighters he signs, it's also the quality of the promotion. Fans were shocked by the trailer for the “Day of Reckoning” event, where Joshua and Wilder are depicted as zombies in a clip we expect to see in theaters.
The same quality can be seen in Joshua's 'Knockout Chaos' promo for his fight against Ngannou, which features big-budget stunts and fight scenes depicting the pair as video game characters fighting each other in a city. was.
A lot of effort and investment has gone into his events, which shows how serious he has been about making Saudi Arabia the boxing capital of the world.
There have been a lot of big fights in Saudi Arabia, and the big theme was that this is where boxers want to be. Saudis have spent money to show they are serious people, so why wouldn't they?
A quick look at Alarusik's Instagram shows him posing with Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Jose Mourinho, John Cena, as well as just about every major figure in boxing, fighters and promoters. You'll know it's there.
He builds relationships and commands respect, hosting large-scale events and many are quick to praise him by calling him “His Excellency,” a title given to non-royal officials in Saudi Arabia.
They have every reason to be satisfied with Mr. Aralsik's work. Boxing is often disliked for having too many intermediaries that get in the way of negotiations. When he gets involved, fights are usually resolved quickly.
Let's take a look at Fury vs. Usyk. The match never happened twice, but then Alarusik worked out a deal that made it the first undisputed match since 1999, giving it a fancy new title: “Ring of Fire.”
The same thing happened with Fury vs. Ngannou and Joshua vs. Ngannou. He would have arranged Joshua vs. Wilder had the American not suffered a shocking loss to Parker. Saudi involvement in this major battle removes egos and allows the fighters to focus on the fight.
Even when Fury was forced to postpone his big fight with Usyk, Aralsik stepped in to defend him, claiming he had “fooled” the Ukrainian.
He was present during a tense video call between Fury and Usyk's team and said either fighter would face an £8m fine if they pulled out of the fight, ensuring the fight takes place in May. He made an interesting claim that shows how much he intends to do so.
“If Usyk gets scared, I'll call him.” [Anthony] Joshua vs. Tyson,” he said. “If Tyson is scared, then Usyk will call any fighter he wants, and that's my name on this one.'' We have assurances from both sides and they know it. ”
This is not the first time Aralsik has played the role of a peacemaker. Before he became involved in boxing, his rival promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren had never spoken a word to each other. Now, you can see them lining up as co-promoters at his events and even planning to pit their fighters against each other.
Hearn and Warren had never spoken before, but the Joshua vs. Ngannou fight forced both of them to work together, and Alarusik found a quick way to strengthen their relationship – the best fighters. It's a showdown.
He pitched the idea for a “5-on-5” card in which five of Hearn's Matchroom fighters would face five of Queensbury's Warren fighters to settle the debate over who has the best stable. came up with.
It was quite picturesque to see the two rivals shaking hands while Warren claimed he was willing to bet £1 million on winning the event. The two have already signed a deal to make it happen, but no date has been set yet.
At a joint press conference attended by the three, Alarusik joked, “I don't like the peace between them,” and wrote in the caption, “The ultimate showdown in Riyadh!” Matchroom vs. Queensbury, two boxing giants finally clash in an intense 5-on-5 battle. After years of touting their own fighter jets, it's now time for these giants to face off. Riyadh, prepare for a night of epic conflict and raw power. ”
So while the debate over whether Saudis are fit for boxing rages on, the arguments against it are diminishing as long as the man at the forefront is producing the goods.
