LONDON: Boxing in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East has been given a big boost with news that the World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight Final will be held in Jeddah next May.
The World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) has been created to find the next superstars in world boxing, according to Kalle Sauerland, the brainchild behind the competition. And after an agreement between WBSS organizer and owner Comosa AG and The General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia, the two best fighters in the cruiserweight division will do battle in the Kingdom.
Three of the four quarterfinals in the division have already taken place.
Olympic gold medallist and current WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (pictured) kicked off the cruiserweight tournament by spectacularly stopping Marco Huck, in the 10th round in Berlin. And then WBA Champion Yunier Dorticos defeated No.1 ranked Dmitry Kudryashov with a sensational second round knockout in San Antonio. Finally, hometown hero Mairis Briedis outpointed Cuba’s Mike Peres in Riga.
Sauerland said the event will only benefit boxing in Saudi Arabia, saying: “We will also feature local fighters on the undercard and help promote the sport locally.”
Turki Al-Alsheikh, president of the GSA, revealed news of the fight would be a big boost for sport in the country. “Having the final of such a high profile tournament is a key milestone for us and will be one of many major sports events to take place in the Kingdom starting next year,” he said.
Jeddah set to host big boxing final
Jeddah set to host big boxing final
CUPRA KIRO drivers excited for Formula E double-header in Jeddah
- Pepe Marti ready to build on strong finish in Miami
- Dan Ticktum hoping for a change of fortunes in Saudi Arabia
JEDDAH: Drivers from the CUPRA KIRO team said they are looking forward to getting out on the Jeddah track this weekend for the FIA Formula E World Championship.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is the venue for the first double-header of the 2025/26 season, with Rounds 4 and 5 taking place on Friday and Saturday.
Spain’s Pepe Marti, who finished ninth in the last round in Miami, is hoping to carry his momentum to Saudi Arabia.
“I’m very excited to race in Jeddah this weekend,” he said. “I’ve raced here in the past with Formula 2 and finished on the podium, so it’ll be good to be in a familiar environment for the first time this season.
“Obviously, the track layout is completely different, but we’re arriving here after consecutive points finishes in Mexico City and Miami so hopefully, we can maintain this streak and hopefully, aim for something that’s higher than seventh – our best result so far this season.”
Teammate Dan Ticktum is expecting his luck to improve after failing to finish a race this season.
“Jeddah is one of the best circuits on the calendar, and I’m looking forward to driving the track this weekend,” the British driver said. “We showed some good pace in Jeddah last season, and we have two races with it being a double-header. Hopefully we can score some points, finally.”
Russell O’Hagan, CUPRA KIRO team principal, said:
“We’re arriving in Jeddah after a short turnaround from Miami, but everyone in the team has worked exceptionally hard to put us in the best possible position. We were quite competitive here in 2025, and although not everything has aligned yet this season, we’re in a much stronger position now compared to where we were 12 months ago.”
Jeddah is the new home of Formula E in Saudi Arabia after six successful seasons racing in Diriyah.
