From the Rumble in the Jungle to the Thrilla in Manila, boxing has a long history of holding bouts in previously unheralded locations, which go on to become iconic. In something of a twist to this tried-and-tested formula, Glory in Giza brought world heavyweight boxing to one of the world’s best-known historical sites, as Giza Plateau staged its first ever professional boxing card, with the Pyramids forming a remarkable backdrop. Promoted by Matchroom with The Ring, Riyadh Season, the General Entertainment Authority, and Sela, the event saw undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk defend his WBC heavyweight title against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in the main event, with the ceremonial King of the Nile belt on the line.
Given the monumental task of hosting a world-class, globally broadcast pay-per-view event directly against the backdrop of the Giza Pyramids, HiLights Group was appointed as the master technical production partner, charged with the end-to-end technical execution across audio, lighting, and video. “Because the venue is an ancient heritage site rather than a standard arena, we had to deploy highly sophisticated, non-invasive, and robust outdoor setups to meet elite sports broadcasting standards,” stated Hamed and Ahmed Arafa, cofounders of HiLights Group.
Photos: HiLights Group
