Nick Peet: 5 vs 5 preview

THE huge nights and big fights keep on coming out of Saudi Arabia this weekend when a landmark promoter vs promoter boxing card breaks new ground for the sweet science.

After decades of business rivalry, Frank Warren’s promotional stable will go head-to-head with the Hearn family’s boxing business – now fronted by Eddie – in five real fights offering the ultimate bragging rights.

Dmitry Bivol’s light-heavyweight unification against Artur Beterbiev was to be the main attraction in Riyadh but, after the latter picked up an injury, replacement Malik Zinad now challenges for Bivol’s one belt.

That’s allowed the ‘5 vs 5’ line-up to truly take centre stage, and there are no complaints here with 10 capable fighters match-up and ready to score points for their promoters.

As well as advancing their own careers, each fighter will also score a single point for a decision victory or two points for a stoppage, with named captains scoring double, in order to have a winning promoter by the final bell.

All 12 rounders, first up are British light-heavyweight pairing Willy Hutchinson of Scotland (17-1) and London’s Craig Richards (18-3-1).

Representing Team Queensberry, Hutchinson has scored 13 finishes in his career and, in fact, his only defeat arrived at the weight division below.

Hearn’s man Richards has fought at a higher level during his career, even pushing Bivol all the way in a world title fight in 2021, but is almost a decade older at 34.

Liverpool’s Nick Ball should be a world champion after his last trip to Riyadh ended in a controversial draw, but he’s back in title action against American featherweight champion Ray Ford from Team Hearn.

Ball has 11 stoppages in 19 wins and is a ferocious and relentless pocket-sized pressure fighter. But he faces a huge talent in Ford, who captured his world title with a sensational final minute KO in March, when he was behind on the cards.

Warren’s captain Hamza Sheeraz (19-0) has been dubbed as a future world champion for some time, but gets the toughest fight of his career so far against American ‘Ammo’ Williams (16-0).

Both middleweights arrive in Saudi with huge expectation on their shoulders, but someone’s ‘0’ has to go with stylish and technically savvy Sheeraz facing down the relentless engine and unorthodox southpaw combination punching of Williams.

Daniel Dubois – Frank Warren’s big young heavyweight hope – returns in a world title eliminator against unbeaten Filip Hrgovic.

The Croatian’s 17-0 record looks good on paper but is lacking in star power, whilst Dubois (20-2) still has questions to answer at the highest level after losses to Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk.

Last but not least, former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (43-3-1) skippers Hearn’s fivesome, and takes on China’s ‘Big Bang’ Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1).

With a combined 63 knockouts, the two heavyweights meet at a familiar crossroads as both looked poor losing to Joseph Parker last time out.

Zhang looks the fresher and, as long as he’s in shape, battle-worn Wilder – with one win in his last four outings – is in for another tough night.

TIP: Queensberry Victory

Wins for Ball, Dubois and Zhang to overshadow Matchroom winners Richards and Williams

*Click the image to add Nick’s Queensbury treble directly to your betslip.