5 things this boxing weekend: Monsters, beasts and where to find them
It's a stellar lineup of boxing action this weekend. Here's a closer look at five key storylines to look out for as all eyes turn toward Riyadh.
Just when you thought last weekend’s Eubank-Benn drama had finally killed off the father-son rivalry genre, along come the Haneys and the Normans to drag it right back from the grave. Because while Brian Norman Sr. and Bill Haney aren’t the ones lacing up for this Saturday's Riyadh Season card, they’re the two who’ve come closest to throwing hands before a single bell has even been touched.
Along with a 50/50 fight between their sons, Brian Norman Jr. and Devin Haney, we have a stellar lineup of boxing action this weekend, ready for us to sink our teeth into.
Let’s take a closer look at five of the key things to look out for this weekend across the boxing slate.
1. What’s scarier: A 'Monster' or a 'Beast'?
You have to feel for Anthony Yarde during this fight week.
The marketing moguls behind the scenes have been heavily leaning on the combined records of the eight main protagonists featured on this stacked card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, totaling an impressive 193-3.
On first glance, that looks like a cricket score (sorry readers from outside of the UK or Australia — we’ve been swept up by Ashes fever here), but dig deeper and you soon realize that all of those three losses belong to the Briton.
Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) is hoping it's third time's the charm for him in world title fights this weekend after dropping spirited losses to Sergey Kovalev (2019) and Artur Beterbiev (2023), but things won’t get any easier against the Mexican “Monster.”
David Benavidez is a pound-for-pound star on the verge of breaking into the wider public’s consciousness, and a dominant performance against the man monikered "The Beast” could do just that.
Benavidez is 30 fights unbeaten, has racked up 24 stoppages, and at just 28 years old, is still shy of his career peak. If he navigates a route past the hard-hitting and gutsy Yarde, then the likes of Dmitry Bivol, Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez and Beterbiev await in 2026 — even, perhaps, a long-awaited matchup between him and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, if a weight can be negotiated.
2. It’s a family affair between the Haneys and Normans
Thanksgiving might still be a week away, but we’ve already been served a healthy portion of what looked suspiciously like two drunk dads bickering across a crowded dinner table.
On Thursday afternoon, Brian Norman Sr. and Bill Haney managed to turn a routine press conference into a family-function sideshow, making their sons — Brian Jr. and Devin — look like the only adults in the building.
Things escalated when Bill Haney sprung out of his seat and effectively offered to throw down with Norman Sr. out on stage, much to the delight of a press pack who could barely keep a straight face. Security eventually stepped in, but by then the circus had well and truly arrived.
All of it adds another layer to a fight that really doesn’t need any extra seasoning. On Saturday night, Brian Norman Jr. puts the WBO welterweight title he claimed earlier this year on the line — and thanks to the dads, the temperature has been turned up just that little bit more.
This co-main event is a pure 50/50, coin toss, pick ‘em — whatever you want to call it, just make sure you don’t miss it.
Brian Norman Sr got bill Haney ready to crash out ???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/5CbFZHn9QI— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) November 20, 2025
3. Bam Rodriguez means business
The boyish grin of Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez will light up Riyadh’s ANB Arena on Saturday night, as he looks to tighten his grip on the super flyweight division. The Texan prodigy attempts to defend his unified world titles against Argentina’s marauding Fernando “Puma” Martinez, with the WBA strap glinting just out of reach, inviting him to complete another piece of the puzzle.
“Bam” remains one of boxing’s great oxymorons.
With the floppy hair, the easy smile, and the unassuming demeanor of someone who still gets ID’d buying an energy drink, the 25-year-old hardly looks like a man who has carved out a reputation as one of the sport’s most ruthless young talents.
“Bam” has also recently become a father, so Saturday’s contest with the fearless “Puma” holds extra incentive as he looks to protect his family's future.
Rodriguez's promotor, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, described his super flyweight charge as “everyone’s favorite fighter” at Thursday’s press conference, before weighing in with his own verbals during what was a spirited faceoff between the two world champions.
David Benavidez, Anthony Yarde, Devin Haney and Brian Norman Jr. may all be jostling for position as the main attraction of Saturday's card, but when “Bam” means business, he’s usually the brightest star in town.
4. Is Abdullah Mason’s time now?
“That’s something I’m very excited about,” Abdullah Mason told DAZN in response to the expectation that he will become the new “face of boxing” in the future.
We may be some time off that yet, but the 21-year-old can make a big step toward that accolade this weekend as he attempts to bag his maiden world title.
Mason boasts a perfect record with 17 knockouts from 19 victories, and challenges the United Kingdom’s Sam Noakes for the vacant WBO lightweight world title this Saturday night.
The southpaw only turned pro in late 2021 but has been one of the most active fighters in the sport since, racking up 19 fights in just four years. A win over Noakes will see him become the youngest male world champion in the boxing, eclipsing Puerto Rico's Xander Zayas from earlier this summer.
5. Tenshin Nasukawa and Takuma Inoue collide in Tokyo
If you’re not all boxed-out following Saturday's card, then settle down for some Monday action live from Tokyo, Japan.
Tenshin Nasukawa is one of Japan’s most gifted and hyped combat sports prodigies of the past decade, and after moving from kickboxing into boxing in 2023, he now has the chance to win a world title — adding to those from his previous career.
The 27-year-old southpaw is a bonafide superstar in Japan and will start as a big crowd and betting favorite against Naoya Inoue’s younger brother, Takuma Inoue, for the vacant WBC bantamweight world title inside the Toyota Arena.
Taukma Inoue is only 29 years old, but with two defeats now blotting his record, this feels like a crossroads fight between two guys whose careers are heading in different trajectories.
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