Having both Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua signed up had some fans dreaming, but it quickly became clear that both would share the main event billing, but against other opponents.
Eventually the hope has to be that Wilder vs Joshua is the plan- both are Ranked highly by the WBC and could easily be called as a number one contender bout, while there is also the possibility that both could end up fighting for a vacant World Title, notably in the IBF organisation.
Filip Hrgovic, who is also heading to Saudi a couple of days before Christmas, will have plenty to say about that, as will Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker,
There has been plenty of excitement about the card, which has brought together rival promoters and rival fighters, but in the cold of light of day the feeling has to be a little different.
Of course it can only be good news that rivalries have been overcome and there is a potential that Saudi Arabian money is going to be able to put together some of the big fights fans have been asking for.
It's just not on this card.
Quality names and fighters are going to be showcasing their talents, but the oddsmakers rarely get things wrong and there are huge favourites set for every bout taking place.
Hopefully it is a card that is just setting up a monster event in 2024, and you can never discount the chance of seeing an upset or two when it comes to the Heavyweights. I will be tuning in on December 23rd, but for a lot of casual fans, it may not be the kind of main events that really draws them in.
Las Vegas is hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix this weekend and that means a Top Rank card has to be moved to Thursday to avoid any clash with a big event.
It is an important card that is potentially setting up a future big fight, while also giving Shakur Stevenson a chance to earn his WBC World Lightweight Title.
Shakur Stevenson vs Edwin De Los Santos
There is a lot of excitement around Shakur Stevenson, but his reputation has perhaps made it more difficult for his promoters to tempt some of the big names in the 135 pound Division into the ring with the unbeaten American.
This is just the second fight in the weight class and Stevenson has a chance to pick up a vacant World Title that has been dropped by Undisputed Champion Devin Haney as he moves up to win a World Title in the Light-Welterweight Division.
For a long time Stevenson has been calling out Haney and he was even in the ring following Devin's controversial win over Vasyl Lomachenko, but that fight continues to marinate.
At this stage there is no guarantee that Devin Haney will head back to the Lightweight Division and unlikely if he is to win a World Title in the 140 pound Division.
With that in mind, Shakur Stevenson has to just continue his career and that means winning World Titles, unifying and then ultimately becoming Undisputed and force Devin Haney into the ring with him.
There are plenty of big names in the Lightweight Division that can be targeted- the winner of the rumoured Lomachenko vs George Kambosos Jr should be easy to make under his current promoter, while the likes of Keyshawn Davis, William Zepeda and Frank Martin are improving all the time and perhaps looking for those big fights at the back end of 2024 too.
Of course the main target right now has to be Gervonta Davis, but Shakur Stevenson cannot afford a slip up.
Edwin De Los Santos is a southpaw and has shown plenty of power, while his one loss was a slightly controversial one to then unbeaten William Foster. He is quite a bit down the current WBC Rankings to have been given the shot to fight for a vacant belt, but that only underlines the problems Stevenson has had in getting some of the bigger names into the ring.
You have to wonder if there is enough from De Los Santos to trouble someone as slick as Shakur Stevenson, but it is a long shot.
The expectation is that Stevenson will just use his defensive skills to frustrate and counter Edwin De Los Santos and really begin to take over once the first three or four Rounds are in the books.
He has stated as much himself and this does feel like an opportunity for Shakur Stevenson to impress with a strong, dominant performance to back up his first win in the Division earlier this year.
Shakur Stevenson was able to put his punches together to force a Stoppage, albeit perhaps in a fight that could have been allowed to go on, and the feeling is that he is going to want to put on a show as this one goes on. You can never discount a power puncher that Edwin De Los Santos looks to be, but he has not been in the ring with someone as good as Shakur Stevenson and could end up walking into some big shots as frustration builds.
The chief support has Emanuel Navarrete defending his WBO Lightweight World Title as he continues to 'chase' Shakur Stevenson up the Divisions.
This is clearly a fighter that Top Rank are lining up for Stevenson, even if there are options to unify within the 130 pound Division, but Navarrete has to focus on avoiding any slip up.
A third fight this year shows that Emanuel Navarrete is looking to continue his development with all of those being in this Division after a late win over Liam Wilson and then a strong win over Oscar Valdez.
Oscar Valdez has also suffered a loss to Shakur Stevenson and more comparisons will be made between the American and Emanuel Navarrete after this one.
Robson Conceicao was beaten by Stevenson in September 2022 in what turned out to be the latter's last fight in the 130 pound Division and he has fought just Two Rounds since that loss. At 35 years old, this is the Brazilian's last chance to win a World Title in all reality and the real question in this fight is whether Conceicao can get to the cards as he did in defeats to Oscar Valdez and Shakur Stevenson.
Emanuel Navarrete is crude and unorthodox, while he will not stop pushing forward and looking to crack the Robson Conceicao puzzle.
Early on you would expect the Challenger to put some Rounds in the bank, but the feeling is that Navarrete will build the momentum and can eventually crack through late in the contest.
Another Decision defeat for Robson Conceicao would surprise no one with his defensive skills, but he might be a bit rusty and the pace that Emanuel Navarrete pushes may be too much for a 35 year old with little ring time over the last fifteen months.
Being a prospect in the Welterweight Division will always draw some attention and this is a good platform on which Brian Norman Jr can impress.
He is fighting another undefeated fighter in Quinton Randall and both are stepping up their level of competition in this Ten Rounder.
However, Norman Jr has a real edge when it comes to the power and the expectation is that he can break down Randall and eventually find a Stoppage to continue his move up the World Rankings in a loaded Division, but one that could soon have Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford moving into Light-Middleweight to leave an opening at the top.
Brian Norman Jr will have to be patient before the really big fights come his way, but the next twelve months will be important to continue to step up his opponent level to get closer to the top names.
MY PICKS: Shakur Stevenson to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 4.33 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Emanuel Navarrete to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.25 Bet365 (2 Units)
Brian Norman Jr to Win by KO/TKO/Disqualification @ 3.40 Bet365 (2 Units)
Boxing 2023: 53-93, - 22.77 Units (269 Units Staked, - 8.46% Yield)
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