Riyadh airport due to reopen today – Canelo vs Mbilli holds its 31 October date
Two weeks before Canelo's title fight, King Khalid airport, closed since the attack, is due to reopen from Saturday evening, according to reports. The fight remains scheduled.
Photo: liton islam / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Video: YouTube · DAZN Boxing · youtube.com
Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, closed since the missile attack on 10 October, was to stay shut until the evening of Saturday 17 October and then reopen, according to the Saudi aviation authorities, Ringside News and Boxing Insider reported.
While several major events in Saudi Arabia were postponed within days – including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition and a golf tournament – Canelo Álvarez against Christian Mbilli remains on the calendar for 31 October. The card, with four world title fights, is headlined by a 3am local-time main event to reach prime time in Mexico and the US.
Criticism continues: according to The Manila Times, calls to move or postpone the fight are growing louder, and the US has urged citizens to reconsider travel to Riyadh. Mbilli himself appears "primed and prepared" for Canelo in a DAZN video from 13 October.