In honor of the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary celebration last weekend, it is recommended that you sing the headline to this article aloud in Adam Sandler “Opera Man” voice.

This Saturday, though, SNL takes a big-time backseat if you’re a fight fan. On February 22, live, from Riyadh, it’s the sickest top-to-bottom boxing card I’ve seen assembled in my nearly three decades on the beat. In the Eastern U.S. time zone, home to 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 8H and to my couch and my television, all day Saturday, from 11 a.m. until about 7 p.m. if they stay on schedule, boxing fans with access to DAZN Pay-Per-View will be treated to a Riyadh Season super-card so stacked that you can almost forgive the stupidity of calling it “The Last Crescendo.”

The card features seven, count ‘em, seven 12-rounders, each of which could have been a premium-cable boxing main event (back when premium-cable boxing was still a thing). Hopefully, lessons were learned following the six-fight Riyadh Season marathon in L.A. last August, and this Saturday’s festivities will feature no interviews with any chairmen of any entertainment authorities, no Hall of Fame inductions, no live raffles, no rap concerts, no rock concerts, and as few national anthems as possible.

This could be an absolutely otherworldly day of boxing as long as they’re committed to keeping the show moving. And in that spirit, enough preamble. Here’s your fight-by-fight overview of what to expect from “The Last Crescendo.” (A “crescendo,” by the way, is defined as “a gradual increase in volume of a musical passage,” and I don’t know what about this card would make it the last anything, but let’s not question the creative juices flowing from the people with the money. Opera Man, bye-bye!)

Joshua Buatsi vs Callum Smith, light heavyweights

Alleged start time: 7:45 p.m. in Riyadh, 4:45 p.m. in London, 11:45 a.m. in New York, 8:45 a.m. in Los Angeles.

Significance: As noted above, even the least significant bout on this telecast could be a main event on most others — but Buatsi-Smith was undoubtedly the least significant of these seven at time of signing, before any opponents started dropping out. There’s an interim alphabet belt at stake, but more meaningfully, these are two English fighters legitimately ranked among the top 10 in the world at 175lbs, and Buatsi has an undefeated record to defend while the 34-year-old ex-champ Smith is fighting to stay relevant. On a scale of 1-10 for a normal fight card, this is probably a nine in terms of significance. But I can’t give every fight on the show a nine or 10. So, grading on a Last Crescendo curve, let’s call it a two.

Action expectation: Buatsi has been known at times to box carefully behind a jab and leave bloodthirsty fans wanting more, but his last two fights, points wins over Dan Azeez and Willy Hutchinson, have delivered their share of thrills. And Smith, when not dealing with a detached biceps as he was against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, typically keeps his arms churning and is no defensive whiz. Call this a solid seven out of 10 from an expected entertainment perspective.

Competitiveness: According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Buatsi is a -215 favorite and Smith a +164 underdog, putting this squarely in the middle of the seven-fight card. On paper, it’s a step up for Buatsi, and Smith has only ever lost to Canelo and to one of this card’s main eventers, Artur Beterbiev. Graded against typical boxing 12-rounders, in terms of how strongly we can make the case that either man can win, it’s an eight.

Number to know: Four. That’s both how many times in a row Buatsi has gone the distance, and how many times in a row Smith has not. Something has to give. FanDuel odds have this fight -230 to last the full 12 and +176 not to.

Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel, heavyweights

Alleged start time: 8:40 p.m. in Riyadh, 5:40 p.m. in London, 12:40 p.m. in New York, 9:40 a.m. in Los Angeles.

Significance: Once again, let’s all try our best to ignore the interim alphabet belt at stake – in this case, a vacant interim alphabet belt! – in a division that has one true champion (Oleksandr Usyk). In the TBRB rankings, Zhang is the No. 4 contender to Usyk and the unbeaten Kabayel is No. 5, and that effectively communicates the significance here. This won’t make either fighter the heavyweight that the public demands get the next shot at Usyk, but it could move the winner to the on-deck circle behind Daniel Dubois or the Joseph Parker-Martin Bakole winner. On the Last Crescendo curve, Zhang-Kabayel gets a five for significance.

Action expectation: Zhang is a big, somewhat slow 41-year-old heavyweight with stamina issues. Kabayel is smaller, faster and younger, but still isn’t exactly prime Evander Holyfield. Maybe we’ll be treated to a sensational knockout here. But there’s also the potential for more mauling than brawling and more booing than ooh-ing. Keep action expectations in check. I’ll score this one a four.

Competitiveness: This is damned close to a coin flip according to FanDuel, which favors Kabayel at -158 while pricing Zhang at +124. Zhang’s only losses are narrow decisions to Parker and Filip Hrgovic and he’s fresh off a sensational KO of (a used-up) Deontay Wilder. Kabayel rolls into this off back-to-back stoppage wins over Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez, plus his 2017 majority decision over Derek Chisora has aged nicely. The German showed his body-punching prowess against Sanchez, and Zhang gives him plenty of body to aim for. But Kabayel has never faced a 6ft 6in, 280-plus-lbs southpaw before; anything can happen here. Competitively, this one gets a nine.

Number to know: Forty-two. That number has multiple applications here. Mahkmudov and Sanchez were a combined 42-0 when Kabayel stopped them. And 42 is the age Zhang will turn in a couple of months. Heavyweights usually age better than smaller boxers, but still, there will come a day — perhaps this Saturday — when Zhang’s body suddenly stops doing the things he’s telling it to do.

Vergil Ortiz Jnr vs Israil Madrimov, junior middleweights

Alleged start time: 9:40 p.m. in Riyadh, 6:40 p.m. in London, 1:40 p.m. in New York, 10:40 a.m. in Los Angeles.

Significance: Boy, I’m getting tired of leading these capsules off by noting that there’s some stupid interim alphabet belt on the line, but … whaddya know, another stupid interim alphabet belt is on the line here. What’s really at stake, though? It’s TBRB’s No. 4 junior middleweight, Ortiz, against the No. 5 junior middleweight, Madrimov, in a division that’s about to bust wide open if Terence Crawford departs for greener (and redder) pastures. And Ortiz, at age 26, has a chance to be one of the signature American stars of the next generation if he keeps winning. Though this isn’t for a true championship, or even for a mandate to challenge for a true championship, it’s significant because Ortiz’s involvement makes it significant. Call it a six on the Crescendo curve.

Action expectation: These two have a sparring history, which may be good for fans in that there’s no need for feeling-out rounds, or it may be bad for fans because sometimes sparring partners know each other too well. Ortiz is always offense-minded, a true made-for-TV fighter. Madrimov, on the other hand, is clever and awkward with a herky-jerky style. How exciting this will be depends on which man imposes his will stylistically. I’ll score it an 8, with an understanding that Madrimov may be trying to slice that score in half.

Competitiveness: They don’t book ‘em much closer than this. FanDuel tells us there’s no true underdog here – Ortiz is -124, Madrimov -102. Ortiz vs Serhii Bohachuk proved to be basically dead even, and Madrimov vs Crawford was a two-point fight; if either guy wins this one decisively, that automatically makes a statement. Ten out of 10 for competitiveness here.

Number to know: Until ekeing by Bohachuk in a thriller in which he got off the deck twice, Ortiz had 21 fights, 21 wins, 21 knockouts. Then one opponent takes him the distance, and suddenly there are +360 odds on Ortiz to get back to his KO ways. That’s a number that intrigues me. (And by the way, Ortiz is a whopping +950 to get knocked down and win the fight. Far be it from me to tell anyone what to do with their money, but I’ve crunched some numbers, and it turns out a $2.74 wager at +950 odds would cover the cost of your PPV if it wins.)

Carlos Adames vs Hamzah Sheeraz, middleweights

Alleged start time: 10:35 p.m. in Riyadh, 7:35 p.m. in London, 2:35 p.m. in New York, 11:35 a.m. in Los Angeles.

Significance: Good news, everyone! No interim title here. Just a regular ol’ alphabet belt. As it happens, the middleweight division is among the weakest in the sport right now, so the winner of Adames-Sheeraz will have a strong case for being the top dog at 160. That makes a significance rating somewhat tricky. Within the sport overall, this is among the least impactful fights on this mega-card. Within its weight class, this is monumentally important. I’ll give it a four (again, on the unfair Last Crescendo curve).

Action expectation: I like this fight, like, more than a friend. OK, I’ll just come out and say it: I love this fight. It’s flying under the radar a bit, but it has serious show-stealing potential. Sheeraz is on a 15-fight KO streak; he comes to bang. Adames has 18 KOs among his 24 wins and is usually willing to take one to give one. I’m expecting these guys to slug it out. Let’s score it a nine.

Competitiveness: FanDuel has challenger Sheeraz a -290 favorite and beltholder Adames a +215 underdog, the second widest spread on the show, but those numbers feel a bit unfair to Adames. The Las Vegas-based Dominican is more proven, with wins over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Julian Williams, and Terrell Gausha. Sheeraz looked like a beast stopping Austin “Ammo” Williams, but you won’t find any other serious contenders on his resume. This is close to a coin flip, even if the odds say otherwise. I’m giving it a nine.

Number to know: I’ll give you two related numbers – seven and three. Those are the respective numbers of fights Sheeraz and Adames have had from 2022 to present. The 30-year-old Adames is fighting once a year, the 25-year-old Sheeraz is competing regularly. We’ll see if that’s a determining factor on Saturday.

Shakur Stevenson vs Josh Padley, lightweights

Alleged start time: 11:35 p.m. in Riyadh, 8:35 p.m. in London, 3:35 p.m. in New York, 12:35 p.m. in Los Angeles

Significance: No question about it, this would have been a more significant, intriguing and marketable showdown if original opponent Floyd Schofield – a highly touted, albeit in-way-over-his-head prospect – hadn’t withdrawn Tuesday with an illness. Stevenson, one of the most skilled boxers on the planet, against Padley, an anonymous British club fighter until he upset Mark Chamberlain last September, lacks luster. But, hey, was Creed-Balboa I not still a fight of some significance going in? Stevenson’s involvement, in his first fight with his new promoter, makes this a fairly big deal. I’ll give it a Crescendo-adjusted five.

Action expectation: Never expect to be entertained by a Shakur fight and you can’t be disappointed. The hope is that he feels so comfortable and confident against late sub Padley that he takes more chances than usual and opens up. But you’d be a fool to count on that. I’ll be generous and score this a two.

Competitiveness: Sometimes a late replacement opponent steps up and delivers. Think Andy Ruiz against Anthony Joshua, Manny Pacquiao against Lehlo Ledwaba or Vitali Klitschko against Lennox Lewis. But with all due respect to Padley, this doesn’t feel like the next entry in that sequence. Stevenson was -1600 against Schofield. He’s -4500 to beat Padley. Not pointing any fingers, there’s only so much you can do on four days’ notice when you need an on-weight opponent and you have to get him to Riyadh. But this is a mismatch. Gotta score it a one.

Number to know: Two. That’s how many fights are on Stevenson’s new promotional deal with Matchroom. He doesn’t have a ton of runway. A stinker resembling his 2023 bout against Edwin De Los Santos would probably leave him looking for a new promoter again soon.

Joseph Parker vs Martin Bakole, heavyweights

Alleged start time: 12:40 a.m. in Riyadh, 9:40 p.m. in London, 4:40 p.m. in New York, 1:40 p.m. in Los Angeles

Significance: If you subscribe to that cliché, “as the heavyweights go, so goes boxing,” then this gets high significance scores all around. It’s hugely important in the heavyweight division – Parker is the No. 2 contender to lineal champ Usyk in the TBRB rankings, and Bakole is No. 6. That’s not quite on par with the No. 1-versus-No. 2 matchup that was cooking with Parker vs Dubois, but, for a late opponent change, Turki Alalshikh pulled off an absolute miracle here. Bakole ain’t no Josh Padley. This replacement fight still has enormous implications for the future of the heavyweight division, and so in turn it’s hugely important to the entire sport. This is an eight out of 10, even on the Last Crescendo scale.

Action expectation: As we learned in his fight against Jared Anderson, watching Bakole dish out a beating as a slight underdog can be a thrill. So even if he happens to walk through Parker – basically, if this is a heavyweight version of the Pacquiao-Ledwaba late-sub example cited above – it figures to be exciting. And on the flip side, if Parker is having success and piling up points, there will still be edge-of-the-seat anticipation as the near-300lbs Bakole stalks him. I suppose “intrigue expectation” and “action expectation” aren’t the same thing. The intrigue is off the charts here. For action? Seven out of 10.

Competitiveness: The instant Bakole was announced as Dubois’ replacement, FanDuel opened Parker as a -215 favorite and Bakole a +165 underdog. Within 15 minutes, the public let the sportsbook know that was off-base and bet the fight down to -190/+148. This is an outrageously scary last-second switch for Parker (even if he’s much more proven than Bakole is). I trust that the Saudis turned on their endless spigot of cash to convince Parker to accept this risk, because, damn, this is close to a 50/50 fight. Frankly, it may be harder to identify the favorite here than it was with Dubois vs Parker. Competitively, I give it a nine.

Number to know: I’ll let you know after the weigh-in. The number at which Bakole steps on the scale will tell us a lot about how close he was to being in fighting shape when he got the call. He weighed 251.5 for a 2020 fight. He scaled 299.5 for a 2023 fight. Usually, he fights at about 280. If he’s much above that, Parker’s strategy should become obvious: Box, box, box some more, work the body, and hope that Bakole isn’t in shape to go 12 rounds.

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol, world light heavyweight championship

Alleged start time: 2 a.m. in Riyadh, 11 p.m. in London, 6 p.m. in New York, 3 p.m. in Los Angeles

Significance: This is a rematch for the one, true 175lbs championship, and if it doesn’t set up a rubber match, it instead sets up a showdown for the winner against one of the top rising stars in the sport, David Benavidez. It’s not a crescendo. It’s not the last of anything. It’s an absolutely massive fight that sets the stage for the next absolutely massive fight. A score of 10, on any scale or curve.

Action expectation: The first fight was very good, but not quite great. Bivol is and always has been a boxer first, using a busy jab, trying to maintain distance, and he did that as best he could for as long as he could against Beterbiev. It built in intensity, it had moments of fierce action, it was close all the way – but there was always a tactical element that prevented a donnybrook from breaking out. Could the rematch be better? Could Bivol, knowing the judges didn’t reward him in a close bout the first time, decide he needs to fight differently this time? In theory, yes. But in practice, Bivol doesn’t seem the type to deviate much from the style that got him here. Their first fight was an eight on action, so I’ll project the same for this one.

Competitiveness: Neither man established real superiority at the end of their first 12 rounds – the judges gave it to Beterbiev by majority decision – and FanDuel odds suggest there’s still not much separating them. The champ is a -134 favorite. Bivol is a +106 underdog. It’s hard to envision a scenario where either fighter runs away with this. If Beterbiev vs Bivol doesn’t warrant a 10 for competitiveness, nothing does.

Number to know: One hundred thirty-three. That’s how many days it will have been since their first fight, a quick turnaround for any modern championship-level fighter, but especially so for Beterbiev, whose previous two layoffs were nine months and 12 months, and who hasn’t had two fights this close together since 2015 – in other words, not in 10 years. He also turned 40 in the interim. What bearing any of that will have on the outcome of the fight is just one more layer of intrigue at the tail end of what should be a sensational – and, fingers crossed, crisply paced – day of pugilism.

Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with more than 25 years of experience covering the sport for such outlets as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, and The Ring (where he served as managing editor for seven years). He also co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Theory. He has won three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Outside boxing, he is the senior editor of CasinoReports and the author of 2014’s The Moneymaker Effect. He can be reached on X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn, or via email at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.