Today in London, the long-awaited light-heavyweight showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol was announced. But that’s not all – the undercard for this event is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory.
As part of the Queensberry vs. Matchroom concept proposed by Turki Alalshikh, the Bivol vs. Beterbiev undercard is being billed as “5 vs. 5”. It will feature five Queensberry boxers facing off against five boxers from Matchroom. This unique format not only gives the boxers a special platform, but also allows the two promotional companies to determine which stable reigns supreme.
Confirmed fights:
Heavyweight: Filip Hrgovic, 17-0 (14) vs Daniel Dubois, 20-2 (19)
Featherweight: Raymond Ford, 15-0-1 (8) vs Nick Ball, 19-0-1 (11)
Middleweight: Ammo Williams, 16-0 (11) vs Hamzah Sheeraz, 19-0 (15)
Light-heavyweight: Craig Richards, 18-3-1 (11) vs Willy Hutchinson, 17-1 (13)
Heavyweight: Deontay Wilder, 43-3-1 (42) vs Zhilei Zhang, 26-2-1 (22)
Event rules:
The weight classes were chosen by promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn, with each selecting two. Turki Alalshikh, the event host, decided the fifth weight class.
Scoring includes one point for a decision win, two points for a referee’s stoppage or TKO, and zero points for a draw. Additionally, the score of the appointed captain (Wilder for Matchroom; Sheeraz for Queensberry) will be doubled.