Matchroom vs Queensberry fights revealed for Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol card

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will finally meet on 1 June in Saudi Arabia on a card that will also feature the Matchroom vs Queensberry five vs five series between the UK’s two biggest boxing promoters.

Beterbiev holds the WBC, IBF and WBO light-heavyweight titles along with his fearsome 100 per cent knockout record having stopped every man he has ever stepped in the ring with.

Bivol holds the remaining major world title in the division in the WBA belt, with their undisputed title showdown arguably the biggest fight in boxing behind Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk which also takes place in Saudi next month.

Both men will put their titles and undefeated records on the line when they meet in Saudi on 1 June as part of a spectacular show that will also see Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren of Matchroom and Queensberry respectively pit their five best fighters against each other.

Hearn and Warren shared a bitter rivalry for years as the UK’s biggest promotional operators, constantly trading blows in the media without ever meeting in person.

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That all changed last November after the intervention of Turki Al-Sheikh, who has led Saudi Arabia’s bold venture into boxing, with Hearn and Warren signing contracts for an unprecedented Matchroom vs Queensberry card earlier this year.

In a spectacular unveiling, the respective teams were revealed in London on Monday evening.

Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder ends his own long-running feud with Hearn, signing for Matchroom and representing the stable in a huge showdown with Zhilei Zhang.

Wilder is seeking to revive his career at the top of boxing’s blue-riband division after being outclassed by Joseph Parker last December.

Zhang was also beaten by the New Zealander last time out, suffering the second defeat of his professional career in March.

Filip Hrgovic renews his ties with Matchroom to take on Daniel Dubois in another seismic heavyweight fight.

Dubois has been promoted by Warren and Queensberry for his entire professional career and comes off the back of a win over Jarrell Miller in December, having fallen short against Oleksandr Usyk in his first world title crack last August.

The winner of Hrgovic vs Dubois will likely be next in line for the IBF title, which is expected to be vacated by the winner of Fury vs Usyk later this year.

Matchroom’s Ray Ford will meet Queensberry’s Nick Ball with the American’s WBA featherweight title on the line.

Ball fought for world title gold as recently as March, sharing a controversial draw with WBC champion Rey Vargas in a fight many felt the Briton had won.

Also representing Queensberry is Hamzah Sheeraz, the undefeated middleweight in action against Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams.

To complete the five vs five series, Matchroom’s Craig Richards takes on Willy Hutchinson in another light-heavyweight bout.

In a unique point system, one point will be awarded for a decision win, two points for a stoppage or knockout with each team captain’s fight worth a double haul.

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