Boxing tonight (June 1, 2024): What are the fights lined up?
Boxing tonight is not stepping aside for the much-hyped UFC 302 pay-per-view later this evening. 'The Sweet Science' will field a unique event pitting two of its most prominent promotions, Queensberry and Matchroom, against each other at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The event will be streamed by DAZN at 2:00 PM E.T. (Eastern Time) / 11:00 AM P.T. (Pacific Time) and will be headlined by two of heavyweight boxing's most fearsome power-punchers in Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. No title will be contested between the pair, but there is still much at stake.
For Wilder, who is currently on the first rough patch of his career, a win will earn him a matchup with rising heavyweight boxer Jared Anderson. However, according to 'The Bronze Bomber', a loss would spell retirement, as he would be 1-4 in his last five fights.
The co-headline, meanwhile, features Daniel Dubois, who recently challenged Oleksandr Usyk for unified heavyweight supremacy, taking on Filip Hrgovic in a heavyweight clash. Below them, Hamzah Sheeraz faces Austin Williams in a meeting of undefeated boxers.
In light heavyweight title action, Dmitry Bivol defends his WBA belt against short-notice replacement Malik Zinad, who is stepping in for Dagestani knockout artist Artur Beterbiev after the latter tore his meniscus in training, canceling the original matchup.
In more championship boxing, Raymond Ford defends his WBA featherweight title against Nick Ball. Lastly, the event begins with light heavyweight action, as the streaking Willy Hutchinson against the struggling Craig Richards, who is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Joshua Buatsi and hasn't fought in two years.
Are there other boxing events tonight?
While the Queensberry vs. Matchroom event is boxing's marquee offer tonight, it is also the sport's only attraction today. There is nothing else for fans of 'The Sweet Science,' however, tonight's matchups are pivotal, as they could set up blockbuster fights in the future, especially involving Dmitry Bivol.
If he beats Malik Zinad, he will have his long-awaited showdown with Artur Beterbiev. A loss, however, could derail his plans completely. Similarly, Deontay Wilder must overcome Zhilei Zhang if he hopes to face Jared Anderson.