LONDON: Even though the winds of change have blown across Saudi Arabia due to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s new social policies, flesh-flashing ring girls may be just a little too much for the kingdom, writes world media.
Ahead of the big fight between World Boxing Association middleweight champion George Groves and undefeated fellow Brit, Callum Smith, in Saudi Arabia, Sara Beverley Jones, the founder of the UK-based model and promotional management agency, SBJ Management, has tweeted that ring girls would not appear at the King Abdullah Sports Stadium on Friday out of “cultural respect.” Sara wrote “I’ve had a few people asking about Groves-Smith. Due to cultural respect we won’t be attending this fight event in Saudi.
Although I will be shouting at the tv at home like the rest of you”. As Groves went toe-to-toe with Chris Eubank Jr for the World Boxing Super Series semi-final in February, the spotlight was on six ring girls, who squeezed into black skirts and crop tops, bringing glamour to the occasion.
As the year 2018 kicked off, Prince Mohammad bin Salman announced that it was up to Saudi women to decide whether they want to wear the abaya “cloak” – a Muslim robe-like dress.