LONDON: Boxing promoter Kalle Sauerland believes the World Boxing Super Series Final in Jeddah will “open the door” to more boxing events in the region, comparing it to the fabled “Thrilla in Manila” and “Rumble in the Jungle” fights of the 1970s.
George Groves and Callum Smith do battle for the WBA Super-Middleweight title on Sept. 28 in what Sauerland believes will be a momentous contest in Saudi Arabia.
And the German, whose company Sauerland Promotions is behind the World Boxing Super Series, insists that the fight is not about making a quick buck, but about growing the popularity of boxing in the Kingdom and the wider Middle East.
Sauerland told Arab News: “For both sides, we’ve already said this is about a long-term relationship to develop the sport in the region. That’s something that we very much intend to do. I fully expect this to become an annual event.
“You talk about opening the door to regions around the globe and the comparison has to be made with the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ and the ‘Thrilla in Manila.’ Those massive events lit the boxing fire in Africa and Asia respectively and I think we have that here.
“It’s not just about doing the event, it is about bringing the sport to the region and helping boxing flourish, hand in hand with the General Sports Authority.”
The Gulf has long been touted as a destination for world-class boxing, but while the likes of Amir Khan, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr have all expressed an interest in fighting there, a major event has yet to materialize.
There have been a smattering of one-off fights, including the final bout of former world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer’s career, a victory over fellow American Shelby Gross in Dubai in 2007.
But Groves vs Smith is unquestionably the highest-profile clash to date, pitting two boxers at the top of their game against each other in Jeddah.
Sauerland says the issue for the many promoters who have looked at hosting events in the Middle East before has been a lack of genuine intent from potential partners on the ground.
He said: “I think many people wonder why it has not been possible for a Team Sauerland, a Matchroom, or even a Don King or Bob Arum to bring an event here over the years. Everyone has talked about it because so many boxers head to places like Dubai. There has been a lot of hype.
“I was with Amir Khan recently in Los Angeles and we were discussing it because he has also said he wants to fight in the Gulf, but that first big fight has just never got over the line.
“We’ve been in communication with people in the region often over the years but there have just never been concrete developments. People talk about wanting to host events but then fail to follow through. Many promoters have had the same problem.”
Sauerland has had no such problem with the GSA, which has shown a desire to make the Boxing World Super Series Final a flagship event in its sports portfolio.
“It’s about finding the right entry point for boxing, and that’s what we’ve got with our event in Jeddah. We finally had a serious approach this time from the GSA and the deal went through very quickly.
“What Saudi Arabia is trying to deliver to the region is very aggressive and ambitious. But they showed with the WWE that they can pull these events off. They have the Italian Super Cup coming, the European Tour — it’s exciting to be involved with bringing world-class sport to the country.
“We have the Champions League of boxing, a product that is easy to grasp and we believe will be welcomed. The World Super Series Boxing Final may be the first boxing event in Saudi Arabia but it will certainly not be the last.”
Jeddah World Boxing Super Series final could be new ‘Thrilla in Manila’ for Middle East
Jeddah World Boxing Super Series final could be new ‘Thrilla in Manila’ for Middle East
How Saudi football scored in the runup to 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Saudi Pro League asserted global dominance with star-studded lineups and record-breaking performances from Asia’s elite top-tier clubs
- Domestic leagues reached new heights, yet the national team faces mounting pressure ahead of a high-stakes global tournament
DUBAI: FIFA President Gianni Infantino seemed full of optimism on Dec. 21 when he said Saudi Arabia had become a major hub on the global football stage and that the Saudi Pro League was on track to become one of the top three in the world.
With players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema and a nation crazy about the great game, this endorsement perhaps comes as little surprise.
Infantino also predicted a successful World Cup in 2034 when the tournament will be hosted by Saudi Arabia. With infrastructure being built and upgraded, the Expo 2030 venue under construction, and reforms underway, the World Cup seems destined to be a success.
The FIFA boss also praised the progress made not only at the senior national team level and across youth categories, but also in the women’s game, thanks to the backing of football authorities in recent years.
While this paints a positive picture of the game in the Kingdom, it follows the national team’s 1-0 loss to Jordan in the semi-finals of the 2025 Arab Cup. Many supporters will need far more convincing of the team’s prospects going into the New Year.
Although the return of Herve Renard as coach of the Green Falcons following Roberto Mancini’s disappointing stint has resulted in a second consecutive World Cup qualification (and seventh overall), failure to win the Arab Cup in Qatar and some less than inspiring performances means the jury is still out on the Frenchman.
At the 2026 World Cup, Saudi Arabia will face Uruguay, European champions Spain, and Cape Verde in their three Group H matches, taking place in Miami, Atlanta, and Houston respectively.
Saudi fans sharing Infantino’s positive outlook will hope Renard’s men can emulate the historic win over Argentina on that memorable night at Lusail Stadium in 2022. But that is far easier said than done, and many remain unconvinced.
For a start, just as Poland and Mexico were alerted to Saudi Arabia’s potential following that humbling of Lionel Messi and co in Qatar, their opponents in the US will likewise be on their guard this time around.
Worryingly for Saudi fans, the team has rarely, if at all, hit the same highs since Saleh Al-Shehri’s equalizer and Salem Al-Dawsari’s stunning strike brought about arguably the most famous win in the Green Falcons’ history.
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup, played in early 2024 and only months after Mancini’s arrival, saw Saudi Arabia eliminated by South Korea on penalties in the round of 16.
World Cup qualification was eventually secured but not before the team needed to negotiate a fourth round group that included Iraq and Indonesia in October.
The semi-final exit at the Arab Cups prompted rumors — immediately denied by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation — that Renard’s job was under threat. Still, it was hardly a ringing endorsement of the way things had turned out on his second stint as national team coach.
Outspoken Saudi-based football pundit Battal Algoos has been scathing in his criticism of Renard and his employers, and in particular of the excuses for the Arab Cup disappointment.
“It seems to be a contagion that has affected the Saudi camp,” he said on the football show “Filmarma” on Al Arabiya.
“Everyone justifies (their position) through others’ failures. We brought you to win a championship, not to say ‘those before me didn’t win championships, I’m no worse than them’.
“It seems to be contagious, from (SAFF President) Yasser Al-Misehal to Renard. Or their thinking is one and the same.”
Paul Williams, Australian journalist and founder and presenter of “The Asian Game” podcast, was at Lusail Stadium the day Saudi Arabia beat the eventual world champions, but believes urgent fixes are needed by Renard this time round.
“There are a multitude of areas that Saudi Arabia need to improve,” he told Arab News. “The obvious is in the final third, where there are still issues finding a reliable avenue to goal, an issue that blighted most of their qualification campaign.
“But they also haven’t yet found a capable replacement in midfield for Salman Al-Faraj, and the entire narrative around Saudi football has changed since before 2022.
“There has always been pressure and expectation from the fans, but that is even more intense now and it feels like that sits heavily on the squad, who are yet to prove they are capable of delivering under that burden of expectation.”
The team’s main concern remains, as it was four years ago in Qatar, its lack of fire power up front and an over-reliance on Al-Dawsari for goals and inspiration. In that sense, at least the 34-year-old talisman can still be relied on.
The Al-Hilal and Saudi Arabia captain provided one of the highlights of 2025 when he was named AFC Player of the Year at the awards ceremony in Riyadh. Al-Dawsari is the only Saudi to have won the Asian award twice.
On an individual level, he enjoyed a stellar 2024-25 season with his club, although Al-Hilal lost out on the Saudi Pro League title to a Benzema-inspired Al-Ittihad.
Al-Dawsari and Al-Hilal came back strongly in the summer to reach the quarter-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the US, along the way drawing 1-1 with Real Madrid in the group stage and brilliantly beating Manchester City 4-3 in the round of 16.
Domestically, however, it is their local rivals that have stolen all the headlines, with their lead at the top of the SPL delighting millions of fans around the world and perhaps in the process reinforcing Infantino’s estimation of the league.
Al-Nassr, now managed by former Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus and inspired by the relentlessly enduring Ronaldo, look near invincible at the top of the table, having won all nine matches during this campaign.
The coronation that their fans and the Portuguese legend’s army of global followers had envisioned since he landed in Riyadh three years ago is looking increasingly likely to happen in May. Their end of year report card is glowing 9 out of 10.
Al-Hilal, the self-styled Real Madrid of Asia, can never be counted out however, and the title race in 2026 could be one of the most exciting and close in recent years.
Reigning champions Al-Ittihad, on the other hand, have put up a dismal defense of their title resulting in the sacking of Laurent Blanc, who was succeeded by Sergio Conceicao. Their card will read “must do better.”
Al-Ahli provided further evidence of the SPL’s continental dominance by claiming the 2025 AFC Champions League Elite after beating Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale 2-0 in Jeddah last May.
Elsewhere, Aramco-owned Al-Qadsiah and newly promoted NEOM provide intriguing plot lines as they sit in fifth and eighth respectively, while Al-Taawoun continue to punch above their weight in third.
One of the standout personalities of the season has been US investor Ben Harburg who — through Harburg Group — acquired 100 percent of Al-Kholood in July, making it the first Saudi club wholly owned by a foreign entity. The purchase opens up new possibilities for the SPL.
There is little debate now that the SPL is the most powerful and entertaining in Asia and could in future years, if Infantino is right, become one of the world’s best. The national team’s standing however, until the 2026 World Cup at least, remains up in the air.
