Cairo: In front of a strong media presence, the 'Hyatt Regency Cairo West' hotel hosted two of the standout events of fight week for 'Glory in Giza' on Wednesday, beginning with the 'Media Day' sessions that brought together the stars of the card with local and international media outlets, before the atmosphere shifted in the evening into the highly anticipated 'Grand Arrival' celebration, which drew the attention of fans and attendees alike.
According to Saudi Press Agency, leading the spotlight was Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk, holder of an undefeated record of 24 victories and reigning WBC heavyweight champion, alongside his opponent Rico Verhoeven, the global kickboxing icon from the Netherlands, in an atmosphere that reflected the magnitude of the highly anticipated showdown set to take place on Saturday at the foot of the Pyramids.
The fighters interacted with members of the media during the 'Media Day' sessions, with the full fight card in attendance, including Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz and Germany's Alen Begic, who will compete for the vacant WBO super middleweight title, as well as Britain's Jack Catterall facing Uzbekistan's Shakhram Giyasov for the WBA Regular welterweight title. Egyptian fighter Mai Soliman was also present ahead of the biggest fight of her career against Japanese champion Mizuki Hiruta.
The participation of Arab fighters marked a notable moment during the day's events, with Egyptian boxers Bassem Mamdouh, Mohamed Mabrouk Yahia, and Omar Heikal featured across the card, alongside Saudi boxer Sultan Al-Mohammed, who continues to represent Saudi boxing at major international events under the umbrella of Riyadh Season.
Today's activities came as a natural continuation of the launch of fight week, which began on Tuesday at the Giza Plateau near the Sphinx, where organizers staged the first official Face Off for the fighters in one of the most visually striking backdrops in boxing history.
The event, organized by The Ring and Matchroom and sponsored by Riyadh Season, continues to attract significant international media attention, highlighting the exceptional stature of a fight card featuring four world titles on a single night in front of one of humanity's most iconic historical landmarks.
Fight week activities will continue tomorrow (Thursday), as boxing fans around the world await the official 'Glory in Giza' press conference, scheduled for 9:00 PM, marking the final collective media appearance for the fighters before fists do the talking at the foot of the Pyramids on Saturday night.