Las Vegas, NV, USA - The relationship between His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum seems to have hit a rough patch following a controversial fight between rising heavyweight prospect Jared Anderson and Martin Bakole. In a candid conversation with journalist Dan Rafael on the Fight Freaks Unite podcast, Arum opened up about how Alalshikh, a key figure behind the mega-events of the Riyadh Season, went directly to Anderson to orchestrate the August matchup in Los Angeles. The fight ended in disaster for Anderson, and Arum did not shy away from expressing his frustrations with how things unfolded.

For those who missed the fight, Bakole delivered a stunning upset, knocking out Anderson in the fifth round, handing the young American his first career loss. Arum, who has guided Anderson’s career as a promising heavyweight under the Top Rank banner, expressed regret over the fight, claiming it was a poor decision for Anderson to take. “It wasn’t us,” Arum emphasized, explaining how Alalshikh bypassed the promotion to offer Anderson a deal directly, including a payday the young fighter couldn’t refuse. “He picked Bakole, who is a tenacious puncher,” Arum said, noting that he wasn’t surprised by the outcome.

According to Arum, the mismatch was apparent from the start. Bakole, a powerful and seasoned heavyweight, dismantled Anderson, who struggled to cope with the early onslaught. Arum made it clear that Top Rank was against the fight from the beginning, but Anderson was lured by the lucrative offer presented by Alalshikh. The seasoned promoter voiced concerns about the growing trend of fighters being tempted by large sums of money to take fights they aren’t ready for. He went as far as saying that Top Rank had considered legal action to stop the fight but ultimately decided against it. Arum concluded, “It was the stupidest fight Jared could have taken.”

For his part, Anderson has acknowledged his mistakes in the fight, admitting that he’s had a habit of leaving his guard down—a flaw Bakole exploited. Reflecting on the loss, Anderson took responsibility, saying, “You win some, you lose some... Hats off to him, I lost... He was strong as s**t.” Despite the setback, Anderson remains optimistic about his future, even hinting on social media that he wasn’t entirely surprised by how the fight came about, posting on X (formerly Twitter), “Hope this didn’t surprise yall lol we all know how we get down.”

As for His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, it’s hard to pin the blame on him entirely. His aim has been to create the best matchups possible, and from a promoter's perspective, the bout between Anderson and Bakole certainly delivered action. However, the fight also raised questions about whether Anderson, despite his rising status, was ready for such a dangerous opponent. In the high-stakes world of heavyweight boxing, fighters either rise to the challenge or face the consequences—and in this case, Anderson was forced to learn the hard way.

Whether Anderson can bounce back from this setback remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the rift between Arum and Alalshikh adds another layer of intrigue to the ever-evolving landscape of the heavyweight division. With major events like the Riyadh Season continuing to shape the sport, it will be interesting to see how this relationship, and Anderson’s career, evolve in the coming months.