Filip Hrgovic accepts Joseph Parker’s challenge

Five years ago, the idea of staging a major boxing event in Saudi Arabia was laughable. How would the most religiously conservative society cope with the famously raucous boxing public, more at home in Las Vegas than the middle east? Well, very nicely indeed as it turns out.

This year’s Riyadh boxing season kicked off with perhaps the most loaded card in boxing history as Anthony Joshua faced Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder faced Joseph Parker, not to mention the undercard fights which saw Dmitry Bivol, Daniel Dubois, and Jai Opetaia all under one roof.

Now, the season has the hallmarks of going from strength to strength as the March Joshua-Ngannou card looks likely to see Filip Hrgovic face Joseph Parker.

Parker has been one of the most active heavyweights in the game lately, fighting four times last year and being vocal about his desire to keep busy. He called out Zhilei Zhang for the March event, but it looks as if Big Bang will face Deontay Wilder on that same card, as the American tries to salvage some dignity after being so thoroughly dismantled by Parker before Christmas.

Other potential ring mates mentioned by the Kiwi former champ were Joe Joyce and current number one IBF contender Filip Hrgovic. The Croat wasted no time in responding, posting a video on social media where he said, “I heard that Joseph Parker wants to fight me in March on Joshua-Ngannou undercard. I am very happy to hear that. I accept your offer, Joe.”

If this fight winds up being made, this card could become every bit as tasty as the Day of Reckoning. Particularly should Wilder manage to do the fight with Zhang.

Another huge fight in Riyadh is the Tyson Fury - Oleksandr Usyk card on February 17. While the undercard is still up in the air to a certain extent, former IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia is rumored to be on it, plus a surprise billing by Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev.

A formidable name in the light heavyweight division, Kovalev will face undefeated Swedish cruiserweight Robin Safar in what will be Krusher’s first foray into the ring in two years.

Suffering knockout losses to Andre Ward and Canelo Álvarez, Kovalev has been in the ring with some huge names, defeating Isaac Chilemba, Jean Pascal, Bernard Hopkins, and Nathan Cleverly amongst others. Hammer-fisted in his prime, the 40-year-old Russian former champ will be a sight for sore eyes across the boxing world.