Cristiano Ronaldo had a night to forget at the Boulevard Hall stadium, where he sat by the ringside for the Battle of the Baddest. The combat world wasn’t welcoming for the Portuguese superstar, as he was outshone by a boxing world champion.
During the telecast of the fight, TNT Sports panned the camera to Tyson Fury‘s next opponent, Oleksandr Usyk. The heavyweight champion from Ukraine received a loud cheer from fans in the stadium before the camera panned to Al-Nassr’s superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo.
This Usyk to Ronaldo transition! 😂#BattleOfTheBaddest | #FuryNgannou | LIVE NOW on TNT Sports Box Office ▶️ https://t.co/FXWiFF9GtR pic.twitter.com/1oEZM8hxIc
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) October 28, 2023
The cheers turned into boos as the combat fans weren’t happy with the spotlight on Cristiano Ronaldo. The stark comparison in the responses was jokingly addressed by the presenter of TNT Sports, Laura Woods. She went ahead and commented, “He (Ronaldo) didn’t look happy. The director is going to get fired. He is not happy with that“.
The Portuguese superstar was visibly shocked by the reception of the fans at the Boulevard Hall Stadium in Riyadh. Even when Ronaldo looked visibly frustrated as he walked to his ringside seats with his partner, Georgina Rodriguez.
Ronaldo was going through all the motions during that fight. 😂 pic.twitter.com/ClUrRCTfng
— TC (@totalcristiano) October 29, 2023
Ronaldo’s reaction to the jeering and boos told the whole story. The Portuguese superstar wore a stoney look throughout his appearance at the ringside. He must be surprised by the reaction from the fans in Riyadh, as it is the home crowd of his club, Al-Nassr.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk loved being in the limelight throughout the night, as he fully expressed his colorful character whenever the camera panned toward him. The Ukrainian boxer was set to fight Tyson Fury on December 23. However, as per the latest reports, the fight might be in jeopardy after the damage to Fury’s face after his fight with Ngannou.
Cristiano Ronaldo revealed his true feelings for his Saudi Arabian fans
The reaction from fans in Riyadh must be hard for Ronaldo to digest. The Portuguese superstar has been vocal about the support from his fans in Saudi Arabia and the support he has received from Al-Nassr club and its fans.
Recently, one of the biggest fan pages of Cristiano Ronaldo, @CristianoXtra_, revealed on X a leaked conversation of Ronaldo with his friend. In the conversation, Ronaldo expressed his true feelings for his Saudi fans.
🚨Cristiano in a private conversation with his friend at Al-Nassr:
“I love Al-Nassr and its fans more than anyone here, and frankly, I did not expect that. My relationship with everyone here at the club has become exceptional. Al-Nasr has become a big part of my life and I will… pic.twitter.com/hhIanhtj47
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) October 19, 2023
Ronaldo expressed, “I love Al-Nassr and its fans more than anyone here, and frankly, I did not expect that. My relationship with everyone here at the club has become exceptional. Al-Nassr has become a big part of my life and I will never forget it”.
The positive impact of Ronaldo has prompted the Riyadh-based club into action. They are working to offer an extension to the Portuguese superstar. Reports revealed that the Saudi club aims to renew the current deal until 2026. They want to continue building their footprint on the international stage within the sport.
Al-Nassr will try to ensure that this incident doesn’t overshadow a whole year of goodwill with Cristiano Ronaldo. The country has invested a lot in the Portuguese superstar as part of its 2030 vision. They would not want a single incident to ruin their investment.