A potential withdrawal by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund from LIV Golf has raised an early warning sign for boxing, even as the sport continues to benefit from heavy investment linked to Riyadh Season events.
Reports from The New York Times indicate that the PIF is close to withdrawing its financial support from LIV Golf, a project that has received billions in support since its launch. The development drew immediate attention across sports, including boxing, where Saudi funding has helped deliver several major fights that had previously been bogged down in negotiations.
Dan Rafael responded to the news by posting, “Hopefully boxing isn’t next,” echoing a concern shared by industry observers watching how aggressively the fund chooses to allocate resources moving forward.
Boxing’s recent boom has been tied to event-driven spending rather than long-term league-building, with large arena fees and purses used to bring fighters together across promotional lines. That structure made it easier to finalize battles that otherwise had delays over revenue sharing and network alignment.
There are signs that boxing can be handled differently. A recent partnership with TKO Group Holdings points to a more structured approach instead of funding one-off events, which could give the sport a longer runway.
Any change in spending approach is likely to appear first in negotiations. Without the same financial cushion, deals may take longer to complete, and the number of large-scale opportunities may decrease, especially as investment priorities begin to favor domestic infrastructure, technology and artificial intelligence initiatives worldwide.
Nothing has changed yet in boxing, but the signal is hard to ignore. LIV Golf remains active but remains under scrutiny, and that alone has put other Saudi-backed sports investments under scrutiny.
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Last updated on 2026/04/15 at 19:28
