11/04/2024
Turki Alalshikh has landed a monster.
In a groundbreaking move, Naoya Inoue, the undisputed super bantamweight champion, has signed a major sponsorship agreement with Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season. This partnership, worth approximately $20M, will make Inoue an official ambassador of Riyadh Season. The move aligns the event’s brand with one of the most accomplished and electrifying boxers of the modern era. The deal will debut in Inoue’s upcoming December 24 title defense against IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman, where the Riyadh Season logo will feature prominently on Inoue’s trunks, in promotional materials, and around the ring itself.
This sponsorship doesn’t include a requirement for Inoue to fight in Saudi Arabia. Nonetheless, Alalshikh has expressed optimism about potentially bringing “The Monster” to the kingdom. “We will have a big fight in Saudi Arabia,” he hinted. Riyadh has become a key location for premier boxing events. Inoue himself has not ruled out a Saudi Arabian fight, though he remained cautious about timing. “If we can fight in Saudi Arabia, depending on the timing, we will only deliver the performance we have done in Japan,” he said in an official statement.
Should such a fight materialize, Alalshikh has a dream matchup in mind: a clash between Inoue and Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev, the WBA mandatory challenger. Akhmadaliev has openly called for a fight with Inoue, which could be the most lucrative bout of his career and a compelling showdown for a stagnant super bantamweight division. Earlier this year, the WBA ordered a mandatory title bout between Inoue and Akhmadaliev for the super bantamweight title.
Inoue, known for his exceptional speed, power, and ring intelligence, has solidified himself as one of boxing’s all-time greats. With this new deal, he becomes the most prominent athlete associated with Riyadh Season—a significant move for both Inoue and the event as Saudi Arabia expands its footprint in international sports.
As the first and only boxer to become the undisputed super bantamweight champion, holding all four major titles since 2023, Inoue’s accomplishments are unparalleled. Prior to his current reign, he became the undisputed champion at bantamweight from 2022 to 2023, a first in the sport’s four-belt era. These titles add to a collection of accolades spanning multiple divisions: the WBC Junior Flyweight Championship in 2014, the WBO Super Flyweight Championship from 2014 to 2018, and the WBA Bantamweight Championship from 2018 to 2019. He also claimed the lineal championship titles at both bantamweight and super bantamweight, along with the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament win.
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Interesting move