Ring Magazine sold to Turki Alalshikh

[Mark TKO]

Just seen this. A long time since I bought a hard copy but still refer to their ratings for definitive view. Not sure how I feel about it being on Turks hands now....

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianma...rki-alalshikh/

[Master]

Tic raised this in one of his posts.

I thought it was good that it was away from Oscar and that if I was a billionaire fan like Turki then I would do the same as it is the bible of boxing. I was looking for a hard copy at WH Smith but could not find one.

The posters were what I bought the magazine but that was a long time ago.

[Spicoli]

Not big on this. Took a very long time to be invested and hold the Ring to a standard after Oscar and promotion became direct part of it. And never fully got to that point but always found the rankings fairly thought out as multiple independent voices have input and vote. I simply cannot imagine a man who goes by "His Excellency" and wants to confine future Riyadh cards to only Saudi Arabia soil would be an improvement at all. In the background I wonder if he's leaning into controlling rankings as it goes and it feels like a rich kid on a trophy hunt for his hobby collection. If the intent is to make the Ring belt center focus and shut out the other sanctioning bodies over time well, you're also trying to streamline and limit lesser-known fighters who actually get a crack at notoriety and exposure. Also think of his prior talk about making a league and such. Early though so it'll play out. For right now I'll stick to the 4 file boxes of past issues in the den

[TIC]

bringing back physical editions & digitizing the whole catalog sounds great. talk of continued independent ratings panel & coverage also sounds good but we'll have to wait & see. for some reason i see a two sanctioning bodies future, possibly under the same umbrella that lead to an undisputed champion

[Spicoli]

Interesting mega gala for the awards event. A few winners were Prospect of the year...Moses Itauma. Fighter of the Year...Usyk. Upset of the year...Surace KO Munguia. KO of the year...Dubois KO Josua. Round of the year...Usyk-Fury I round 9. FOTY...Raymond Ford vs Otabek Kholmatov. Oh and the Lifetime Achievement award went to humanitarian and all around boxing good guy Don King .

Anyone able to get their hands on a print copy yet?

[Master]

Turki said he will only print 20,000 hard copies so they will be collectors items. I would love to get one, it is an 103 year old boxing magazine company that I loved buy as a boy.

[Primo Carnera]

Turki said he will only print 20,000 hard copies so they will be collectors items. I would love to get one, it is an 103 year old boxing magazine company that I loved buy as a boy.

Yeah I heard that , but I’m guessing that’s 20,000 a month?

[ykdadamaja]

Just seen this. A long time since I bought a hard copy but still refer to their ratings for definitive view. Not sure how I feel about it being on Turks hands now....

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianma...rki-alalshikh/

everything "western," is being stripped away from Anglo Americans and Europeans. lol...

[TitoFan]

Just seen this. A long time since I bought a hard copy but still refer to their ratings for definitive view. Not sure how I feel about it being on Turks hands now....

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianma...rki-alalshikh/

everything "western," is being stripped away from Anglo Americans and Europeans. lol...

Money talks, as with everything else in life.

Just look at how El Clasico (between Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona) was played in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia just yesterday... after years of being held almost exclusively in Spain.

These guys are just throwing money around left and right... and of course, who can resist that, right?

Still expecting one day for the Saudis to host an NFL game there. Or a World Baseball Classic.

[Spicoli]

Figured thread has Ring in the title so have to ask...how in the world is Zhang still rated ahead of Agit Kabayel in the most recent rankings that came out a few days prior to their fight .

Surely it has to be an editing error . But oddly enough their respected records have been updated to reflect the loss and the win by the publication. Was just looking at Kabayel and noticed so hope they correct it.

[Master]

Figured thread has Ring in the title so have to ask...how in the world is Zhang still rated ahead of Agit Kabayel in the most recent rankings that came out a few days prior to their fight .

Surely it has to be an editing error . But oddly enough their respected records have been updated to reflect the loss and the win by the publication. Was just looking at Kabayel and noticed so hope they correct it.

Sounds like an obvious error they should have picked up.

[The Six Four]

I checked Ring Magazine’s site—looks updated with Kabayel at #4 and Zhang at #6. But the real story? Turki Alalshikh & Dana White’s TKO boxing league. Did Turki just pull the rug out from under everyone? Promoters, fighters, and sanctioning bodies who’ve been sucking up might’ve just been blindsided.

[Spicoli]

Yeh first reaction that's what it's starting to feel like. Still need to wrap my head around the "partnership" but I have zero confidence or desire to have White involved in the sport, full stop. When I hear a league being directly partnered with Tony Khan TKO and the WWE...well my stomach turns. Dana lords over a company with maybe 500-600 active, contract restricted fighters in the Ufc. Not the multi thousands in boxing who enjoy having agency as a professional athlete.

I see Turki talking about disregarding the sanctioning orgs and having only one belt etc. Meanwhile he's marketing his next card strictly around Canelo becoming "undisputed" as in gathering all 4 belts once again. He's becoming quite the troll speaking from both sides of his mouth. It almost comes off like he's played with his new toy and become somewhat bored, so now he wants another one. I've just always been skeptical of Turkis full intent and frankly attention span for the long term health and growth of the sport.

[TIC]

in this promo for canelo v william scull, turki is in the middle holding the ring belt & his undisputed belt & someone tries to hand canelo the wbc belt & canelo checks with turki who says no & it's taken off stage again
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-Wx-z...?feature=share

[Primo Carnera]

in this promo for canelo v william scull, turki is in the middle holding the ring belt & his undisputed belt & someone tries to hand canelo the wbc belt & canelo checks with turki who says no & it's taken off stage again
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-Wx-z...?feature=share

and this is just the start of it. Just as I predicted , the Saudis have Bought Boxing, the whole fucking Sport!!! and the piss weak governing bodies have let them do it. Now they'll regret it .
And Dana White getting involved , rumours of Eddie Hearn "Retiring" , no doubt swiftly followed by Frank Warren and eventually De La Hoya . they'll wait Arum out, after al he's 138 years old !!
Look back in History , and all other sports may have conceded and worked together in the end with Money men trying to Buy their sport, but they didn't just roll over and die.
Kerry Packer
LIV Golf
Even this European Football League.