Riyadh-– The highly anticipated world heavyweight title rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua will take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on August 20, in the coastal city of Jeddah.
Under the patronage of HRH Mohammad bin Salman and in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions, the eyes of the sporting world will be on the coastal city of Jeddah and billed ‘Rage on the Red Sea’ which sees Usyk’s WBA ‘Super’, IBF, WBO and IBO belts on the line. The headline bout against former champion Anthony Joshua is one of the biggest heavyweight rematches in the history of the sport.
The fight is the latest international sports event to take place in Saudi Arabia, which has recently emerged as one of the fastest growing countries in world sport. Its investment in sport is designed to inspire its people to live active lives with levels in participation increasing more than 30% over the last 5 years.
‘Rage on the Red Sea’ will take place three years after ‘Clash on the Dunes’ between Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr was signed in the Summer of 2019 which helped inspire interest in boxing throughout the region. Since then there has been a nearly 300% surge in male and female boxers, the number of boxing gyms has grown from just seven to fifty nine with the Saudi Boxing Federation as a result of staging a year-round calendar of initiatives to inspire participation.
Joshua was dethroned as heavyweight King by Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 in front of over 60,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on a memorable evening in boxing’s marquee division. Since the pair’s first contest, Usyk has gained further global attention after putting the rematch on hold in February to support his home nation of Ukraine. Since then, the former Olympic gold medallist has been able to leave in order to prepare for his rematch against Anthony Joshua.
Skill Challenge Entertainment (SCEE), supported by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sport, have secured the global rights to the event and will host another unforgettable evening in the history of boxing. Joshua, also an Olymic Gold Medalist returns to the Kingdom after defeating Andy Ruiz Junior in the famous ‘Clash on the Dunes’, part of Diriyah Season 2019, to regain his heavyweight world titles.
Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of SCEE, stated “This is another proud moment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia bringing the biggest rematch in global boxing to our great country. Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua are both brilliant champions with different stories, skills and styles and the whole world will watch them go head-to-head in the ring on August 20 – we look forward to welcoming them.”
Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn said, “We are thrilled to get one of the biggest heavyweight rematches in boxing history made and give Anthony Joshua the chance to reclaim what he lost in London last September. Everything is on the line for this Unified World Heavyweight Championship bout and it could not be a bigger contest. We know Oleksandr Usyk is a great fighter and we saw that last time out, but I know Anthony Joshua is more determined than ever. It was a huge success to host Anthony Joshua’s contest with Andy Ruiz Jr. in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2019 and we are looking forward to working with the country again to stage this historic event. So, no doubt all eyes of the world will be on the ring come Saturday August 20. This is a story of redemption, and the countdown starts now.”
Vision 2030 aims to improve the quality of life of residents and visitors to the Kingdom by developing a vibrant environment for participation and spectaorship in sports and entertainment whilst aiming to transform the Kingdom for a post-hydrocarbon era. The nation has become one of the fastest growing countries in world sport with increased participation levels, investment in elite atheltes, a year-round schedule of sport and a rapidly growing commercial sector to support this infrastructure.
SKILL CHALLENGE ENTERTAINMENT
SCEE is The Kingdom’s first fully integrated sports and entertainment agency focussed on combat sports and boxing. We remain dedicated to providing marketing, events and media services to associated brands across the nation in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.