HE Chairman Turki Alalshikh from the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) revealed a special announcement: the highly anticipated boxing match ‘Ring of Fire’ featuring Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is now honored in a unique, handcrafted watch. This exclusive timepiece will be auctioned by Sotheby’s, and all the money raised will go to support Make-A-Wish® International.
HE Turki Alalshikh asked Big Time Creative Shop, GEA’s creative team, to team up with Jacob & Co, a luxury watch brand, to create a special watch for this important boxing event. Sotheby’s, a top place for art and luxury items, will host the auction during fight week.
All funds raised from the auction will go to Make-A-Wish International, a charity that fulfills wishes for children with critical illnesses in 50 countries. They have 40 Affiliates worldwide helping grant these special wishes.
The ‘Ring of Fire’ watch is part of the Astronomia Art collection and is made by Jacob & Co. It’s a 50-mm rose gold watch that honors both fighters directly. You can see small figurines of each heavyweight champion and their gloves, even with their autographs. The watch also has a double-axis flying tourbillon. The dial shows the World Boxing Council (WBC) champion belt, with a green strap representing Riyadh Season, which works with WBC.
Fury and Usyk, the heavyweight champions, will each receive one of these watches as a special gift before their big fight at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday, May 18. This fight is part of Riyadh Season and is the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the 21st century.
HE Turki Alalshikh said: “This is an incredible and rare opportunity to own a piece of boxing history. The magnitude of this fight cannot be under-estimated. It will be spoken about for decades, and the successful bidder will share a special bond with the lead protagonists of this undisputed heavyweight story through the collective ownership of these unique and elegant timepieces. We are also pleased to be able to donate all auction proceeds to Make-A-Wish International, so they can help fulfil the wishes of even more children around the world.”
Sotheby’s Deputy Chairman of Contemporary Art, Michael Macaulay, who will act as the auctioneer, stated: “Sotheby’s is thrilled to be hosting this charity auction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the highly anticipated ‘Ring of Fire’ heavyweight boxing match, in what promises to be an epic showdown between two of the world’s great fighters. The opportunity to help raise vital funds for internationally renowned charity Make-A-Wish is always a privilege. For decades, the charity has been devoted to serving children with critical illnesses and their families and has facilitated more than half a million life-changing wishes with the help of donors and more than 27,000 volunteers around the world. Sotheby’s is thankful to HE Turki Alalshikh for choosing to partner with us.”
“We are honoured and excited to be the beneficiary of this incredible auction.” said Luciano Manzo, President and CEO, Make-A-Wish International.
“Make-A-Wish has a vision to grant the wish of every eligible child, and our collaboration with the General Entertainment Authority of Saudia Arabia will ensure more children who are living with a critical illness have a wish and are given the opportunity to replace fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope. We are so grateful to HE Turki Alalshikh, Jacob & Co, Sotheby’s, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for their support.”
“We’re very excited to see Fury and Usyk get into it,” says Jacob & Co. Chairman and Founder Jacob Arabo. “At Jacob & Co., we have a long history of making bespoke timepieces with and for fighters. It’s a privilege for us to make this limited edition Astronomia Art Ring of Fire. Especially because proceeds from one of the timepieces will go to one of the most respectable charities. This fight is one for the ages!”
