Saudi Arabia's Vegas Dream: Tyson-Backed Gym Launch

Mike Tyson has launched a gym in Saudi Arabia.

Situated in Riyadh, the training facility has become a focal point for numerous boxing camps, including the preparation of Francis Ngannou for his upcoming match against Anthony Joshua on March 8th.

In the past year, top-tier heavyweight boxing has predominantly shifted to Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia, known for its substantial financial contributions to the sport, has succeeded in a realm where it previously faced challenges (e.g., golf). The commitment to boxing has attracted key figures in the industry to engage in its advancement within Saudi Arabia.

The next step appears to involve establishing an iconic gym.

Amer Abdallah, acting as a liaison for Tyson in the Middle East, recently discussed with BoxingScene the significance of a boxing gym in Saudi Arabia bearing Tyson’s name.

Abdallah highlighted, “It is the premier gym in Riyadh, hosting training camps and nurturing local talents. Tyson continues to set new standards and evolve himself over time.

Here we are in 2024, and he remains a prominent figure in the sport, a true living legend.

I recall an encounter in New York around a decade ago, where a staff member asked, ‘Is that Mike Tyson from ‘The Hangover?’”

The gym came about when Tyson visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to attend the Tyson Fury-Ngannou fight last October. 

Turki Alalshikh, an advisor at the Saudi Royal Court and current Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment, extended the invitation to Tyson.

“Boxing is not a mainstream sport,” Abdallah said.

“There are two names people know, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.

Mike gets recognized just as much here as he does in the United States. Everyone loves Mike Tyson.

They love what he has done in boxing, they love that he is a Muslim.”

Alalshikh has quickly become a household name to boxing fans, and he is among the influencers helping turn Saudi Arabia into a staging ground for some of the biggest fights.

Of the four pay-per-views on the upcoming boxing schedule, Las Vegas and New York – quintessential boxing enclaves – will host one each. Saudi Arabia will feature two.

The region does come with its share of political baggage – something all that surrounding wealth can’t make simply go away.

Yet this fertile ground offers fighters, who risk their lives in the ring, a chance to prosper.

Think of it along the lines of the dream of the California Gold Rush.

Especially for the heavyweights, hope of a man striking his fortune clearly exists in the Middle East.

“Boxing is going to go where there is the most opportunity,” Abdallah said.

“How long did some of these fights take to make? Here it is – boom, boom, boom.

These are the fights the fans want to see, these are the fights Saudi Arabia [wants] to deliver.

“They are reinventing how boxing is done – not just from a promotional or marketing standpoint, but also a visual aspect.

“You have never seen the trailers or the promo videos the way you are seeing them now for [these] fights. It’s a movie. Everyone looks forward to the next one.”

Politics aside, there are other drawbacks.

Fights are no longer scheduled at optimum times in the United States.

Travel to Saudi Arabia can be complicated. Local fans are just getting used to the big fights.

But a development such as the founding of Tyson’s gym, now a year old, suggests something big may be brewing in Saudi Arabia.

Like the Kronk, the Summit at Big Bear and the Wild Card Boxing club, Tyson’s gym could become the next in a long line of classic training destinations. Sometimes genius hides in plain sight.

If Saudi Arabia is building an economy around the sport, why shouldn’t a gym fronted by one of the most high-profile heavyweights of the modern era become boxing’s next mecca?

Source: boxingscene