Turki Alalshikh: "Usyk Is One of the Greatest Boxers of Our Generation"

Turki Alalshikh, head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, shared his thoughts on the December 21 tournament at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event's main attraction was the heavyweight rematch between WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO champion Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) and Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs).

"I needed time to process what happened last night, and I want to speak from the heart, as a fan, not as a representative of Riyadh Season. In the fight between Usyk and Tyson, I scored it with Usyk winning by four rounds. That doesn’t mean Tyson performed poorly—no, no, no, he gave it his all. But let’s be honest: Usyk is one of the greatest boxers of our generation, and he has proven this against the biggest names.

Tyson holds a special place in my heart and remains one of the reasons why boxing retains its glorious history. After the fight, I heard wonderful words from Usyk about Riyadh, my country, our leaders, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—may God bless him—and the Saudi people. Yes, this is business, but they genuinely appreciate the opportunities and support we’ve provided.

I view fighters as brothers and members of the family. Usyk told me he is ready for any future bouts. We agreed he will rest for now, and we won’t decide anything until the result of the Dubois vs. Parker fight. As for Tyson, I’ll wait for him to rest and make his decision. I’ll understand if he chooses to retire, but if not, I’ll gladly organize fights for him.

Regarding other highlights from last night, I believe Moses Itauma has immense potential and hope to see him become the youngest heavyweight champion in history. The fight between Fisher and Allen—I scored it differently, but that’s just my personal opinion and not an official judgment.

One personal note I’d like to share: I plan to organize tournaments under the Ring Magazine banner in London and the United States to promote the magazine. You’ll be able to watch them by subscribing to the magazine. This is personal because I, Turki, own it, and it is unrelated to Riyadh Season.

I hope you enjoyed last night’s event, and I look forward to the next tournament in February. Fans will always remain close to my heart," Turki wrote.

As a reminder, Usyk defeated Fury by unanimous decision to retain his titles.