All Eyes on Riyadh: Boxing’s Biggest Night Returns
When the boxing world looks back on this era, there will be a clear dividing line: before Riyadh and after Riyadh. What began as an ambitious experiment, bringing the world’s biggest fights to a new home, has quickly become the sport’s new center of gravity. And on November 22, 2025, that gravitational pull brings people to The Ring IV: Night of the Champions at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.
Night of Champions
With four 12-round world title fights on the cards, The Ring IV is sure to be as unforgettable for the viewers as for the fighters.
Headlining the night is the showdown fans have been debating for months: David Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) vs. Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24KOs). It’s a mythic-level fight between an unbeaten star and a confident challenger with nothing to lose – but a lot to prove. And that’s just one of the events!
Even before the Benavidez-Yarde showdown, Devin Haney, a former undisputed lightweight champion, will face Brian Norman Jr. for the WBO Welterweight title in what’s fast becomes the signature Riyadh style: high skill, high stakes, no easy nights.
That’s true for the night’s other contenders too, because the bout between Abdulah Mason and Sam Noakes for the vacant WBO world lightweight champion belt may have an outright favorite in Mason, but his opponent will surely be on the hunt for Nock-out. And then in the Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez–Fernando Martinez showdown we have two undefeated fighters going head-to-head. We can’t know who, but one of them is about to lose their undefeated record…
Why This Event Matters for Boxing, and Beyond
For decades, boxing’s grandest moments were tied to places like Madison Square Garden, the MGM Grand, Wembley Stadium. But now a new venue stands among them, offering something different: scale, high-profile matches, and putting a lot of “undisputed” champions up on the line.
Just as with the fights between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, which, for a long time, was the only anticipated and only talked about event in boxing circles, The Ring IV is also more than a date and an event on the calendar.
Part of what makes these events different is everything that surrounds them. Fans flying in for The Ring IV are going to find themselves in for more than just watching a fight; they’re stepping into an entire entertainment season.
In recent years, Riyadh has redefined what a sporting weekend can look like. From immersive fan zones to desert excursions, street-food festivals, concerts, and cultural showcases, the city creates the kind of total experience that turns it all into an experience to remember.
Not to mention that Riyadh has developed a habit of delivering nights where careers change in a single round. The Ring IV has the feel of another one.
A Glimpse Into the Future of the Sport
If the past two years signaled the Kingdom’s arrival in global sports, The Ring IV is its statement of permanence.
This is a country crafting its own boxing identity not as a host venue, but as a creative force behind matchmaking, production, and athlete storytelling. Riyadh isn’t trying to replicate boxing’s past – it’s building boxing’s next decade.
And the world is beginning to pivot accordingly.
As 22 November approaches, excitement is already building across fan forums, prediction channels, and boxing media.
All that’s left is to ring that first bell.
