Sunday, December 22, 2024

Matchroom vs Queensberry: 5 vs 5 format, rules and prize money explained

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In a novel event this evening, Eddie Hearn will pit five boxers against five selected by rival promoter Frank Warren.

It will be Matchroom vs Queensberry in Saudi Arabia, with Deontay Wilder and Filip Hrgovic among Hearn’s picks, while Warren has named Zhilei Zhang and Daniel Dubois in his group.

Wilder vs Hrgovic and Zhang vs Dubois make for intriguing match-ups, and there will be plenty more talent in action – including Raymond Ford and Nick Ball, who will meet in a featherweight title bout.

The outlier on the card will be Dmitry Bivol’s title defence against Malik Zinad; the light-heavyweight champion was set for an undisputed clash with Artur Beterbiev, but that long-awaited fight has been delayed due to an injury to Beterbiev.

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When is the event?

The 5 vs 5 event will take place on Saturday 1 June at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The card is due to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET), with main-event ring walks expected at 10.30pm BST (2.30pm PT / 4.30pm CT / 5.30pm ET).

How can I watch it?

The event will stream worldwide on DAZN pay-per-view. In the UK, the pay-per-view will cost £21.99 for new subscribers and £20.99 for existing customers. Purchase a subscription to DAZN here, with plans starting at £9.99 a month.

The event will also stream live on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK, at a cost of £21.99. Viewers do not need a TNT subscription to purchase the event and can watch it via discovery+, EE TV, Sky and Prime Video.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.

Full card (subject to change)

Deontay Wilder and opponent Zhilei Zhang are both aiming to bounce back from losses to Joseph Parker
Deontay Wilder and opponent Zhilei Zhang are both aiming to bounce back from losses to Joseph Parker (Getty Images)

Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang (heavyweight)

Filip Hrgovic vs Daniel Dubois (heavyweight)

Austin “Ammo” Williams vs Hamzah Sheeraz (middleweight)

Dmitry Bivol (C) vs Malik Zinad (WBA light-heavyweight title)

Raymond Ford (C) vs Nick Ball (WBA featherweight title)

Craig “Spider” Richards vs Willy Hutchinson (light-heavyweight)

What are the rules?

Each boxer will earn one point for a decision victory or two for a knockout. No points are earned in the case of a draw. Captains (Wilder for Matchroom; Sheeraz for Queensberry) will see their personal points doubled. The team with the most points overall wins. Per Give Me Sport, the winning team will earn $3m in prize money between them. Individual purses have not been disclosed.

Selected odds

Wilder – 5/4; Zhang – 4/6; Draw – 16/1

Hrgovic – 2/5; Dubois – 2/1; Draw – 16/1

Bivol – 1/33; Zinad – 11/1; Draw – 20/1

Via Betway. Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers.

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