The promoter helping prep UK fighters for huge things

Boxing's landscape has become almost unrecognisable over the last year, its shifting sands sieving the biggest fights to, well, the sands of Saudi Arabia.

- ALEX PATTLE

But the Gulf state and its deep reserves of money aren’t just hosting the biggest fights, they are creating them: the kinds of match-ups that long eluded fans. Undisputed title fights between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev stand out, topping cards of unprecedented depths: events with world champions and renowned names in almost every bout. Yet the glimmer of title belts can distract.

Saudi’s entry into boxing is not without its issues, the most pressing of which is its link to accusations of sportswashing. And for British fans particularly, the growth of boxing in Saudi is creating a dearth of boxing back home.

Yes, you can still find quality domestic shows, but they are dwindling in number, so up-and-coming boxers are at risk of slipping between the cracks: not established enough to feature on a Riyadh Season card (one or two of which may take place in the UK each year, admittedly), but too promising to step out on a traditional “small-hall” show.

And so Huge Boxing was born, fathered by Charlie Sims. Those entrenched in the sport will know him as the son of Tony Sims, one of the country’s leading boxing coaches. Others will know him from appearances on The Only Way Is Essex, which led him to produce House of Sims. In short, the 32-year-old has straddled the worlds of boxing and entertainment for some time, and now he is keen to bring them together.