Saudi boxer Ragad Al-Naimi shattering stereotypes in sweet science

With less than 10 amateur fights, 28-year-old Saudi boxer Ragad Al-Naimi took a giant leap into history when she agreed to fight on “The Truth” undercard in Diriyah on Feb. 26, 2023.

The event, which saw British boxer Tommy Fury defeat American social media millionaire-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the headline bout, saw nearly 775,000 pay-per-view sales and generated internet buzz around the globe.

The spotlight could not have been any brighter for Al-Naimi, who also debuted as the first-ever Saudi female professional boxer, in front of her home crowd.

Unfazed by the occasion, she completed the job by defeating Perpetual Okaidah on points.

“I felt a lot of pressure, yes, a lot of pressure. I knew that I had to win this fight no matter what,” said Al-Naimi. “I also knew that I shouldn’t think that way and put even more pressure on myself, so I really tried to stay as relaxed as possible.’

It is not easy carrying the hopes of a nation into the ring, but Al-Naimi made it look easy.

“The moment I got into the ring and we touched gloves, it was like a switch went on, and I just did what I love, I boxed,” she said. “I had my coach with me, and my sister, I felt comfortable and I just tried to enjoy it all.”

“Looking back now, I don’t know how I got through it,” Al-Naimi said. “It felt good with getting the win and the high of that moment. But during the fight, from beginning to end I don’t know what I was feeling. It took a good week before I understood what I had just done. I can hardly put the feeling into words, I can only say, it was a good feeling.”

The event was the latest major success for boxing in the Kingdom. In addition, it was not just about big-name fighters from abroad. Al-Naimi’s turn showed aspiring Saudi