By: Ivan Gallegos

On February 22nd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, we will witness one of the best cards in boxing history, with all seven fights on the card being title fights that would sell out arenas if they were the main event. The 'Last Crescendo' name is fitting for a card that gets more and more intense as the fights go on, with the main event being the most intense of them all.

The first fight on the card is an all-British light heavyweight clash for the WBO Interim World title between Joshua Buatsi (19-0, 13 KOs) and Callum Smith (30-2, 22 KOs). 

It is a must-win for both fighters as this is Buatsi's first big step up at the world level, and this could be Smith's last chance at a world title fight. The winner of this fight will have a huge fight next with either David Benavidez or the winner of this card's main event, the rematch between Artur Beterviev and Dimitri Bivol.

The next fight on this card will start with a bang, literally, with Zhilei "Big Bang" Zhang (27-2, 22 KOs) and Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) facing off for the vacant WBC Interim World Heavyweight title. 

This clash is crucial for the heavyweight division, as it sets up many fights for the future. For example, the victor could face the winner of the co-main event between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker, or the winner between Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba, or become an opponent for superstar Anthony Joshua. A bonus is that this will surely end with a big knockout as both fighters hit like a truck and are desperate for a win.

This next contest is a contender for the Fight of the Year as Vergil Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) faces Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) for the WBC Junior Middleweight interim world title. 

Both are coming off big fights that raised their stock, with Ortiz coming off a majority decision win against Serhii Bohachuk and Madrimov coming off a loss against future hall of famer Terrence "Bud" Crawford in a fight where many felt he won. This is a great clash of styles, with Ortiz being a relentless, technical, accurate power hitter and one of the best body punchers in the sport. Madrimov has a very shifty Uzbek style, always keeping his opponents guessing while being a powerful-precise puncher who can catch his opponents by surprise with his lunging strikes. This is a must-win for both fighters as this win presents a chance to face WBC and WBO World Junior Middleweight world champion Sebastion Fundora.

We will then have WBC Middleweight world champion Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KOs) defend his title against rising star Hamzah Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KOs) in a very entertaining 50/50 fight. 

It also sets up a unification fight as the winner will face WBO and IBF world champion Janibek Alimkhanuly. Carlos Adames has been chasing the Janibek fight since he became WBC world champion, but he'll need to defeat the most dangerous fighter in his weight class.

We then will have WBC Lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) defend his title against Floyd Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs). 

Both have a point to prove, with Stevenson criticized recently over his performances and opponents, and Schofield counted out heavily as he is still considered a prospect that most fans and even his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, believe is not ready for this step up at only 21 years old. Stevenson is a defensive master of boxing who rarely takes any damage due to a mastery of when and where to pick his shots and get out of range. On the other hand, Schofield is an explosive pressure fighter who loves throwing powerful punches. Stevenson wants to show the world how good he is and wants the biggest fights after this, but Schofield looks to spoil the show and prove the world wrong by becoming WBC world champion. This fight will either be a great showing of skill or a massive upset.

Next is the Co-Main event between IBF World Heavyweight champion Daniel "Dynamite" Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) and Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs). 

Dubois is coming off a huge 2024 after defeating Anthony Joshua with the Knockout of the Year in a sold-out Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000. Most people see Dubois as a heavy favorite, but this is a 50/50 fight, with Parker coming off two huge wins against Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. Both fighters are on a great run of form and want a chance to fight Olexander Usyk. I predict this fight will not reach the final bell.

Now for the main event, we have a rematch for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight titles between Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs). 

Last time out, both fighters gave the world a boxing lesson with one of the best and most intense fights of 2024, and they are running it back less than five months later. Beterviev handed Bivol his first loss, but many fans believed Bivol was the rightful winner. This fight is a major contender for Fight of the Year and will be more intense and entertaining than the last one, with both fighters knowing each other very well.

You will not want to miss this amazing event that will be topped off with a historic rematch between two future Hall of Famers. Make sure you are free on February 22nd, as you will have an afternoon of world-class boxing. Even if you aren't a boxing fan, this is the perfect way to get you into the sport.