'Via Riyadh' Hosts Official Reception for 'Mexico vs. the World' Stars, Kicking Off Boxing Week

The “Via Riyadh” area hosted the official reception for the boxing stars participating in the “Mexico vs. The World” event on Wednesday evening, marking the launch of the Boxing Week activities as part of the seventh edition of the Riyadh Season. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming matches scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at The Venue in the capital city of Riyadh.

The event featured the appearance of the participating boxers, along with media interviews and official photo sessions, attended by numerous sports figures, media personalities, and guests. This marked the first official activity of Boxing Week, which brings together 18 boxers from various countries around the world for nine professional bouts. The lineup is headlined by the highly anticipated clash between Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and French-Cameroonian boxer Christian Mbilli for the World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight title.

The main event has garnered widespread media and public interest. Canelo, who boasts a record of 63 wins, including 39 by knockout, aims to reclaim the world title after a career that has seen him capture championships in four different weight classes. Mbilli enters the bout to defend his world title, relying on his undefeated record of 29 wins, 24 by knockout, and one draw.

The card also features a strong super middleweight matchup between Mexican Jaime Munguia, the World Boxing Association (WBA) champion, and Russian Nikita Zvonarev. Additionally, there is a World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title fight where Mexican Rafael Espinoza defends his belt against Nicaraguan Ricardo Blandon, pitting the undefeated champion against an opponent with extensive professional ring experience.

Other bouts include Mexican David Picazo, a former WBC silver belt holder, facing Filipino Carl Martin in the super bantamweight division, and Mexican Raymundo Vasquez Rojas taking on Japanese Rito Tsutsui in the super featherweight category.

Saudi boxer Sultan Al-Mohammadi will also compete, facing Mexican Eric Velasquez in the super featherweight division, aiming to continue his professional winning streak before the Saudi audience. Meanwhile, Mexican Marcus Vasquez will face Kazakh Bek Nurmaganbet in a super middleweight bout that promises to be a clash of experience and offensive power.

The fight card is completed by a middleweight contest between Mexican Carlos Emiliano Rocio Vasquez and Romanian Flavius Bia, as well as a super middleweight match pitting Mexican Hector Octavio Aguirre against Cuban Bryan Leon. In these fights, the boxers aim to enhance their professional records and continue their upward trajectory in their careers.

The Boxing Week program continues with an official press conference on Thursday, October 29, at Square 2 in the Boulevard City area, where the boxers will discuss their preparations and expectations for the upcoming matches. This will be followed on Friday, October 30, by a ceremonial weigh-in and face-offs at the same venue at 9:00 PM. The main event night will take place on Saturday, October 31, at The Venue, with its competitions broadcast globally via the DAZN platform.

The organization of the “Mexico vs. The World” event is an extension of the global matchups hosted by the Kingdom as part of the Riyadh Season activities. It aims to continue attracting top boxing stars and presenting major sporting events that bring together a select group of champions and rising talents, thereby strengthening Riyadh’s presence on the global events map.