On April 24, 2025, The Athletic published a special report by Jacob Whitehead about Turki Al-Sheikh, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia\u2019s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation.<\/p>\n
The over-3,500-word profile<\/a> explores how he became a power broker in global combat sports and details the controversies behind his meteoric rise. Whitehead lays out the story of a man who appears publicly to be the savior of boxing thanks to the backing of Saudi Arabia\u2019s Public Investment Fund (PIF), his ability to get rival promoters to work together on major fights, and his revival of the iconic The Ring magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n The profile also paints a picture of the darker aspects of Al-Sheikh\u2019s rise to power as a trusted enforcer and confidant to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The report offers disturbing allegations of intimidation, with accounts of Saudi critics being picked up by masked security personnel and brought to Al-Sheikh over social media critiques of his sports ministry. Former detainees allege they were sent to specific sections of Riyadh\u2019s Al-Ha\u2019ir prison (known as the \u201cTutu Wing,\u201d a reference to Al-Sheikh\u2019s nickname) for opposing his projects. Meanwhile, human rights organizations argue his sports initiatives launder the Saudi government\u2019s international reputation via sportswashing<\/a> in part to obscure human rights violations.<\/p>\n Given Al-Sheikh\u2019s stature in boxing and connections to one of the richest governments in the world, it\u2019s the kind of story that The Athletic likes to repromote from time to time. It did just that on Wednesday, July 29, via its TheAthleticFC social media channels. The timing seemed right given that he is set for a key role in planning for the 2034 men\u2019s World Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n Aside from the surface details of Turki Al-Sheikh\u2019s government role, little is widely known about the man.<\/p>\n The Athletic interviewed more than 40 people, and they paint a picture of a man who operates as a glitzy promoter on the global stage, but who is central to a regime that\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/RPOu7mzo20<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Shortly after that post went up, a response from Al-Sheikh was\u00a0shared across several of The Ring\u2019s\u00a0social media channels.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the agenda here from The Athletic and New York Times? This fictitious story about me was published in April 2025, yet it\u2019s still being posted on social media by The Athletic 1.5 years later? And this is the 4th or 5th time now. Why?\u201d he wrote. \u201cMaybe they want to distract from their NFL reporter scandal. \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2642\ufe0f Sad to see once great publication like NYT become yellow pages. The story is filled with lies and I wasn\u2019t given chance to comment\u2026 They need to change their slogan \u2018All the News That\u2019s Fit to Print\u2019 to \u2018All Lies That\u2019s Fit to Print and Keep Pushing and Printing More and More,’\u201d<\/p>\n If Al-Sheikh was unfamiliar with the Streisand Effect<\/a> before posting that, he is familiar with it now, as many people noted that they only<\/a> became aware of the report<\/a> because of his response<\/a>.<\/p>\n That social media post was deleted from all of The Ring\u2019s accounts shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n The same goes for an X post by Mike Coppinger, The Ring\u2019s senior insider<\/a> who has offered similar defenses before<\/a>. He offered a retort of his own to The Athletic\u2019s report and defended his boss, refuting some of the allegations. The reporter, who worked for The Athletic for several years, also said he\u2019d never seen the outlet repromote an article this much before.<\/p>\n That post has also since been deleted.<\/p>\n Damn shame this hall of fame tweet got deleted already. pic.twitter.com\/9PwcPJbGhE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Bay_J (@bay_jev) July 31, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n While Al-Sheikh was praised for purchasing The Ring and reviving the iconic outlet, it has faced several controversies in the years since. Chief among them are claims that the publication rankings favor fighters aligned with Riyadh Season and Al-Sheikh\u2019s promotional projects. Critics have also accused The Ring of transitioning into a propaganda arm for Saudi Arabia\u2019s boxing initiatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oscar De La Hoya, who sold the magazine to Al-Sheikh, later regretted the sale<\/a>, saying the century-long rankings had \u201clost their integrity.\u201d He also said the once-prestigious The Ring belt, designed to recognize the lineal champion in each weight division, has been reduced to a marketing tool. Others have said similar things, undermining sanctioning bodies and centralizing matchmaking under Saudi-backed entities.<\/p>\n We live in the golden age of incredibly wealthy people who feel they are above any kind of criticism or accountability. The irony is that true accountability will probably never come Al-Sheikh\u2019s way, which is what must make The Athletic\u2019s report so infuriating.<\/p>\n And the fact that he doesn\u2019t want anyone to read it makes it all the more important and worthwhile that you do so<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t