As the highly anticipated Canelo Alvarez versus Christian Mbilli match approaches, serious safety concerns have emerged that threaten to overshadow the matchup itself.
Multiple strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh earlier this week left 13 fatalities and more than 300 injured, forcing the airport to close until further notice. Yet despite these alarming developments, promoters insist the May event will proceed as scheduled.
The contrast in security arrangements has sparked frustration among undercard athletes and their teams. Robert Garcia, whose athlete appears on the undercard voiced his concerns in an interview about the disparity in safety measures.
While main event stars like Canelo Alvarez and those in featured bouts will travel via private aircraft to secure airports with dedicated security details, undercard athletes and their teams face standard commercial travel through potentially compromised infrastructure.
“Canelo and his team and the undercard… I know, but we’re not in Canelo’s team,” Garcia explained. “They’ll go into a private airport where nobody knows where they’re at. They’ll have security driving them to the arena. We’re not. We’re going to the airport that’s being [ ].”
When he got to know that the airport is closed, he said, “It’s closed, that’s worse. We can’t even get there.”
The concern extends beyond hypothetical scenarios. Riyadh has already relocated a tennis event scheduled for next week due to the security situation, raising questions about why the boxing event remains on the calendar.
Garcia acknowledged that if organizers arranged unified travel for all participants, the concern would diminish. However, no such accommodations have been offered to those outside the main event circle.
With passports already submitted and the event just two weeks away, those involved face difficult decisions.
