Boxing At The Pyramids Shows Egypt's Big-Ticket Tourism Push

For decades, though, the lack of infrastructure, logistics and limited marketing under state management meant the pyramids attracted relatively few major events, according to the executive chairman of OPE, Gazarin.

When world boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk squared off against Rico Verhoeven in a much-hyped Egyptian bout, everyone could agree on one thing: the setting was a knockout.

The ancient pyramids formed the backdrop as the Ukrainian unified heavyweight battled the Dutch one-time kickboxer in a temporary outdoor arena on the Giza plateau early Sunday. Verhoeven put up a fierce fight, only to be defeated with a 11th-round technical KO.

Part of a series of bouts dubbed "Glory in Giza," the rumble in the shadow of the more than 4,000-year-old monuments marked the latest high-profile attempt to channel the grandeur of the Pharaonic tombs into a prime spot for live entertainment.

Concerts at the pyramids are nothing new - the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Grateful Dead played there in the late 1970s, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2019. But there's a renewed push to court big sports and music names, as Egypt seeks to attract 30 million annual tourists over the next decade and billionaire Naguib Sawiris' Orascom Pyramids Entertainment streamlines the experience of visiting the once-chaotic site.

"The pyramids are the most important and valuable backdrop in the world," said Amr Gazarin, executive chairman of OPE, which has a concession to lease five venues on the plateau to event promoters.

“Any artist, athlete or politician would hope to perform with the pyramids being the background.”

Hosting big-ticket events is the latest flex for the Middle East's most populous nation, where visitors to ancient sites and coastal resorts are a major foreign-currency earner. Egypt saw a record 19 million tourists last year, with the sector proving resilient even as war raged elsewhere in the Middle East.

For decades, though, the lack of infrastructure, logistics and limited marketing under state management meant the pyramids attracted relatively few major events, according to Gazarin.

OPE debuted a $30 million revamp of the site last year, bringing in regular bus services and cracking down on touts. The refresh came in tandem with the opening of the much-awaited $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum nearby, where Canadian rocker Bryan Adams played an open-air set in February.

"We've studied all important venues around the world," including the Taj Mahal and Niagara Falls, "and learned something from each," Gazarin said of OPE's plans. The largest area it manages can hold as many as 15,000 people; DJ Anyma played a set there in October.

The company currently relies on organizers to bring in celebrities, but plans to start dedicating its own resources to luring more big names, possibly by next year, Gazarin said.

The US-Israeli war on Iran that broke out in late February has been a partial dampener, even with Egypt untouched by the violence. A concert by Colombian pop diva Shakira scheduled for April as part of a wider Middle Eastern tour was pushed back to November. A half-dozen other corporate events and gala dinners have been canceled.

OPE expects its revenue from hosting events at the pyramids this year to be as much as 150 million Egyptian pounds ($2.8 million). That would be an almost 20% annual increase, although slightly less than initially anticipated due to the Iran war.

A football-mad country, Egypt rarely hosts major boxing matches. Its last significant attempt came three decades ago, when English pugilist and former World Boxing Organization super-middleweight champion Chris Eubank Sr. took on Argentinian Luis Barrera in a little-remembered bout billed as "Style on the Nile."

Instead it's been Saudi Arabia that's taken the lead in staging fights in recent years, part of efforts to establish the once austere kingdom as an entertainment hub. Sela, owned by the kingdom's Public Investment Fund, was among the organizers of Usyk's bout in Giza.

Other regional destinations have been ramping up their entertainment infrastructure, with a version of Las Vegas' successful Sphere venue being planned for Abu Dhabi.

The undefeated Usyk, 39, has carved out a name as one of boxing's the all-time greats. Recent years have seen the Ukrainian beat heavyweight contenders Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua twice apiece.

While a kickboxing legend, Verhoeven, 37, stepped into the ring as the underdog. He went toe-to-toe with Usyk until the champion knocked him down and prompted a stoppage with a following combination.

"We're at the pyramids, guys," Verhoeven said in a post-fight interview as spectators cheered. "Tonight we all wrote history."