‘The World Cup of the sport’: Alalshikh and Sulaiman announce Grand Prix tournament

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman and Turki Alalshikh announce their big plans for the coming year with Grand Prix tournament.

During the WBC’s annual convention this week, Turki Alalshikh took to the podium to make some announcements to the boxing world, starting with some criticism of a recent novelty fight before going into his plans to ‘make boxing great again.’

Alalshikh personally asked to see the return of Wladimir Klitschko for a world title opportunity, expressed his continued interest in seeing a Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez fight happen, and his plans for The Ring magazine before handing the microphone to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman to announce a Grand Prix tournament they will be putting together.

“We are in tough situation in boxing field,” Alalshikh said. “Boxing not like before. As a fan of boxing we try our best in the last 14 month to help this sport. Today we will announce big things with my brother after I finish big surprise for boxing fans. In the last 14 months we do a lot of great event, great cards around the world, especially in The Kingdom for the top of the top and I think now the time for the next generation to support and in the same time continue to doing the big card.

“Boxing is not 14 inch gloves, not two-minute rounds, not beating a legend in the age of your grandfather. Boxing is not like this. Do not name it boxing, please. I am not against it. Name it ‘show,’ name it ‘entertainment,’ but not name it ‘boxing.’ In the same time you must check the health of the people before they go to the ring. This is your duty.

“I see Klitschko is here, from great country, and I want to ask him a favor. We want to see you one more time in the ring, try to get chance to have the world champion belt again...let’s see the result of Tyson and Usyk, let’s see the result of Dubois, and I ask the WBC, IBF, WBA, WBO to give you a chance to get this dream and we can support it.

“I see Crawford here. I am waiting for the time to see you against Canelo, and I ask the president to arrange this meeting and to arrange this fight. Even me can do it, anyone can do it, but we must see it.

“About The Ring condition, Ring magazine, I buy it for one issue, to help boxing get great again. I want to see some ceremony with WBC and The Ring magazine in Africa and different place in the world, especially in Africa and focusing in Africa and I hope in ‘25 to do something with The Ring and WBC in Africa.

“Now about the big surprise. It was a dream from the 60, dream for great man, he’s passed away and not seeing that dream. But thank God his son (Mauricio Sulaiman) is still here and we will help him to have this dream. I will make him announce what we think to do in ‘25 with WBC.”

Sulaiman would then take the microphone to make his announcement.

“We have created together the Riyadh Season, WBC boxing Grand Prix,” Sulaiman said. “It is basically the dream that my father had. My father passed away dreaming of making the World Cup of the sport. There are several promoters in this room who were prepared to do it but time did not give them the opportunity. I am today thankful, grateful, and very enthused that this dream — thanks to the great support of (Alalshikh) and passion for boxing, a reality.

“Of course the support of Saudi Arabia, The Kingdom, and the so many people involved in showing what this beautiful country is all about. It is a tournament, it is going to be four weight categories, the invitational Grad Prix, eight rounds, the finals will be 10 rounds, and we will have all the systems in place so that no fighter is disrupted from competition.

“It is going to start in featherweight, super lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight. There will be innovative rules, innovative procedures to make sure that not only safety for the fighter is secure, but also the safety and the fairness and justice prevails with instant replay, with a review system, with a new system of scoring that is being developed...and a 30 second warning to make it more appealing to the end of the round.

“It’s going to be 128 fighters, no more than 26-years old, no more than 10-12 fights, so this is a new prospect for the young talent of the whole world...There is going to be quarterfinals, semifinals, and a grand finale with five events taking place in Saudi Arabia, the grand finale in Riyadh.”