Riyadh Season Launches Boxing Week With Official Welcome for “Mexico vs. World” Fighters

Via Riyadh hosted the official welcome ceremony on Thursday evening for the boxers competing in the “Mexico vs. the World” event, marking the start of Boxing Week under the seventh edition of Riyadh Season. The ceremony heightened anticipation for the bouts scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at The Venue in Riyadh.

The event included appearances by the participating boxers, media interviews and official photo sessions, attended by sports and media figures and invited guests. It was among the first official activities of Boxing Week, which brings together 18 fighters from around the world for nine professional bouts, headlined by the eagerly awaited clash between Mexican star Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and French-Cameroonian boxer Christian Mbilli.

The Canelo–Mbilli showdown is one of the highlights of the card and has generated extensive media and fan attention.

The card also features a super-middleweight bout between Mexico’s Jaime Munguia and Russia’s Nikita Zon, as well as a featherweight contest between Mexico’s Rafael Espinoza and Nicaragua’s Ricardo Blandon.

Other matchups include Mexico’s David Picasso against the Philippines’ Carl Martin at super-flyweight, and Mexico’s Raymundo Vázquez Rojas against Japan’s Rito Tsutsumi at super-featherweight.

Saudi boxer Sultan Al-Muhammad will face Mexico’s Erik Felix at super-featherweight. In another super-middleweight bout, Mexico’s Marcos Vázquez will meet Kazakhstan’s Bek Nurmaganbet.

The card is completed by a middleweight fight between Mexico’s Carlos Emiliano Rojo Vázquez and Romania’s Flavius Bia, and a super-middleweight contest between Mexico’s Héctor Octavio Aguirre and Cuba’s Brian León.

Boxing Week

Boxing Week continues with the official press conference on Thursday, October 29, at Square 2 in Boulevard City, where the fighters will discuss their preparations and expectations. The ceremonial weigh-in and face-offs will take place at the same venue on Friday, October 30, at 9:00 p.m., ahead of fight night. DAZN will broadcast the event to audiences worldwide.

The organization of “Mexico vs. the World” builds on the Kingdom’s growing record of hosting major international boxing events as part of Riyadh Season. It reflects Saudi Arabia’s efforts to attract leading fighters and stage high-profile sporting events featuring elite champions and emerging talents, reinforcing Riyadh’s position on the global events map.