Belated Most Valuable Prospects 13 Results From Orlando, FL

Credit: Joseph Correa/Most Valuable Promotions 

Press Release: June 9, 2025 By Most Valuable Promotions-

ORLANDO, FL – June 7, 2025 – Brazil’s IBF lightweight world champion Beatriz “The Beast” Ferreira (6-0, 2 KOs) defended her title and lived up to her fearsome nickname in a clinical, dominant performance against 28-year-old Buenos Aires challenger Maria Ines “Dinamita” Ferreyra (11-1-1, 6 KOs) in the main event of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 13 Championship Edition, presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy. The 10-round women’s world title bout at 135 lbs aired free globally on DAZN.com, the DAZN app, and Whindersson Nunes’ YouTube channel live from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. From the opening bell, Ferreira overwhelmed Ferreyra with elite footwork, pinpoint accuracy, and relentless pressure, showcasing her class and control over every round. Ferreyra showed heart but struggled to find any consistent rhythm as Ferreira methodically picked her apart en route to a unanimous decision win (99-91 x2, 98-92). After the final bell, Ferreira seized the spotlight by calling out WBA lightweight world champion Stephanie Han, who was seated ringside. Han climbed into the ring, accepted the challenge on the spot, and the two champions squared off in a charged face-to-face moment, setting the stage for a massive unification clash.

In the co-main event, Luan Medeiros (6-0, 4 KOs), the Brazilian national champion, successfully defended his unblemished record against Tony Aguilar (13-2-1, 4 KOs) of Crescent City, Florida, in an 8-round lightweight clash at 135 lbs. Medeiros took control early, pressing the action with heavy, precise shots that kept Aguilar on the back foot. Aguilar showed resilience and composure, hanging tough into the later rounds and trying to mount a comeback. Medeiros was deducted a point in round 6 after repeated warnings, but the penalty didn’t slow his momentum. He continued to dominate exchanges, earning a unanimous decision win (77-74, 78-73 x2). In his post-fight interview with Sibley Scoles, Medeiros proudly spoke about his championship ambitions and representing Brazil on the world stage.

On the main card, Bree “Bam Bam” Howling (8-1, 2 KOs), the WBA’s #5-ranked bantamweight, went toe-to-toe with fellow undefeated prospect Naomy “Kusa” Cardenas (9-0, 2 KOs) in an explosive 8-round bout at 118 lbs. Both fighters came out firing from the opening bell, engaging in a slugfest that had the crowd on its feet as they traded heavy shots in a thrilling first round. Howling stood her ground and looked to dictate the tempo, but Cardenas’ sharper combinations and ring control ultimately gave her the edge. After eight hard-fought rounds, Cardenas remained unbeaten, earning a split decision victory (79-73, 77-75, and 77-75 for Howling).

Opening the main card, Kissimmee’s own Antraveous Ingram (11-0, 5 KOs) thrilled the hometown crowd with a commanding performance against Saint Paul’s Sona Akale (9-3, 4 KOs) in a 6-round super welterweight clash at 154 lbs. The 26-year-old local standout used his 6′1″ frame and reach advantage to dictate the pace from the opening bell, consistently breaking through Akale’s guard and landing the cleaner, more effective shots. Ingram controlled the action from start to finish, earning a unanimous decision victory (60-54 x2, 58-56) to remain unbeaten.

In the preliminary card headliner, undefeated 22-year-old Reina Tellez (12-0-1, 5 KOs) faced off against Saltillo, Mexico’s veteran warrior Maria “Polvorita” Salinas (27-12-6, 7 KOs) in an 8-round super bantamweight bout at 124 lbs. The early rounds were closely contested, with Salinas showing grit as she absorbed heavy combinations from Tellez. But as the fight wore on, Tellez’s relentless pace and sharp offense overwhelmed the seasoned Salinas. After eight rounds of high-tempo action, Tellez earned a clear unanimous decision win (80-72 x2, 79-73), further cementing her status as one of boxing’s most promising young super bantamweight talents.

MVP’s 3x U.S. National Boxing Champion and high-fashion model Alexis “Chop Chop” Chaparro (5-0, 5 KOs) made a commanding return to the Most Valuable Prospects series, delivering another spectacular performance against Davenport, Iowa’s Daijohn Gonzalez (12-7, 6 KOs) in a scheduled 6-round middleweight bout at 163 lbs. From the opening bell, Chaparro controlled the pace with precision and poise, breaking down Gonzalez with sharp combinations and relentless pressure. His dominance culminated in the fourth round, when he unleashed a vicious and explosive barrage of punches that dropped Gonzalez and sealed a highlight-reel KO at 1:39. The statement win underscored Chaparro’s superstar potential and perfect knockout record.

Also on the preliminary card, undefeated 20-year-old middleweight Sebastian Juarez (8-0, 6 KOs) overwhelmed Gadsden, Alabama’s Shaquille Cameron (7-5, 6 KOs) from the opening bell, delivering a relentless early assault that led to a third-round TKO and preserved his perfect record. Kicking off the night, Boxlab Promotions’ unbeaten super bantamweight Chavez Barrientes (11-0, 6 KOs) earned a dominant unanimous decision victory (80-71x2, 79-72) over Saint Louis’ Sharone “Smoke” Carter (14-12-1, 3 KOs) in their 122-pound, 8-round bout.

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP, promoted by MVP and Boxlab Promotions, and distributed globally by DAZN. The 13th event in the series, hosted by the Caribe Royale Resort, will continue the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drinks, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of MVP and the Most Valuable Prospects series. Fansly, TorkLaw and Event Ticket Center have also joined on to sponsor the Most Valuable Prospects series.

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.

About MVP

MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last six global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Perry match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA). We are building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading tech, and multi-platform distribution. DAZN believes that fans from across the globe should be able to watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet, and on one app.

For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.

 Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions / Photo Courtesy of: Joseph Correa/ Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Paul-Chavez PPV Card Now Available For Preorder On DAZN

The June 28 pay-per-view Boxing card headlined by a ten round Cruiserweight bout between social media influencer turned boxer Jake Paul and former WBC Middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. is now available for pre-order on DAZN. The card, which will feature six bouts and will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, will be available globally through the DAZN streaming app and website for $59.99. (*North American Price Only.*) We will have a preview of Paul-Chavez here on The Boxing Truth®️ later in the month of June as we get closer to the date of the event. To order Paul vs. Chavez visit the DAZN streaming app on your favorite streaming device or www.DAZN.com for region-specific pricing in your region of the world. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Veteran Media and Entertainment Executive David Tetreault Named President of Lights Out Productions, Parent Company of BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing and Trigon Combat

Credit: BKB

Press Release: May 23, 2025 By BKB: Bare Knuckle Boxing - MIAMI, FLORIDA – Mike Vazquez, owner of Lights Out Productions, parent company of BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing and its developmental league Trigon Combat, announced today the hiring of David Tetreault, a 30-veteran of the media, sports and entertainment industry, as company President.

Previously, Tetreault held executive positions at Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, FOX, Clear TV, Golden Boy Productions and Triller.  At FOX, he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and developed award-winning campaigns for The Simpson’s, American Idol, 24, The X Files and many others. At Golden Boy, serving as the Chief Business Officer, he struck multimillion dollar network deals with Facebook Watch, ESPN and HBO. Tetreault led and negotiated the $600 million deal with DAZN as it became the exclusive home of Canelo Alverez. Tetreault most recently served as President of Triller Fight Club and Chief Business Officer of Triller-owned Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), where he oversaw content strategy, global television rights deals, and integrated sponsorship and marketing initiatives. He also served as Executive Producer for all live sporting events, televised programming, and short-form digital content. Under his leadership, Triller Fight Club produced the historic exhibition bout between eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao and South Korean martial artist DK Yoo, held on December 11, 2022, at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Seoul.

In addition to his executive leadership in combat sports and media, Tetreault serves as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco and California State University, Los Angeles, where he teaches graduate-level courses in Strategic Management, Sports Business, and Entertainment Marketing. His dual roles in academia and industry reflect a commitment to both innovation and mentorship across the next generation of sports and media professionals.

Said Vazquez, “Lights Out has seen accelerated, strategic growth this past year, with the acquisition of the UK-based BKB to become the largest bare knuckle boxing company in the world, the acquisition of the historic and prestigious Police Gazette Diamond Belt which now serves as the Bare Knuckle Boxing World Championship, securing multiple live television and streaming deals on both sides of the Atlantic, and now the creation of Trigon Combat.

“As we look ahead, having a leader with David at the helm will only make BKB and Trigon Combat better, as we look to go from being the world’s preeminent bare knuckle boxing company to a complete combat sports and entertainment property. From his experience securing massive media rights deals and integrated partnerships, his understanding of ever-evolving media platforms and consumer habits, and his success in live sports, including bare knuckle boxing, our potential in the coming months to redefine the combat sports landscape is exponential and he’s uniquely qualified to lead us on that journey.”

Said Tetreault, “From the very top down, Lights Out/BKB is one of the most professionally-run, creative and strategic combat sports properties in the world.  It owns all of its intellectual property, is one of two organizations to hold a patent on its ring, and has made substantive moves that have positioned BKB as a breakout platform. It is the next investable format in global combat sports. It has one of the largest fighter rosters in combat sports, has global scalability, event flexibility, and is syndication-ready.  I’m excited to be on the team and look forward to making an immediate impact.”

To learn more about BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing visit bkbbareknuckle.com.  For more information on Trigon Combat, visit trigoncombat.com.

UPCOMING BKB SCHEDULE

Broadcast on VICE TV and TalkSPORT

 

BKB 41: Brawl in Duval II, Jacksonville, FL, May 31

BKB 42: Music City Brawl, Nashville, TN, June 21

BKB 43: Bolton Brawl, Bolton, UK, July 5

BKB 44: Denver Brawl V, Denver, CO, August 16

UPCOMING TRIGON COMBAT SCHEDULE

TRYOUTS: San Antonio, TX, May 31

FIGHT: Myrtle Beach, SC, June 12

TRYOUTS: Fayetteville, NC, July 12

TRYOUTS: San Diego, CA, July 26

Material and Photo Courtesy of: BKB: Bare Knuckle Boxing Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Harper Set To Defend Lightweight Crown Against Zimmermann

On Friday, May 23rd, a world championship bout will occur in the Women's Lightweight division featuring three-division world champion and current holder of the WBO crown against unbeaten former IBF Women's World Jr. Welterweight champion Natalie Zimmermann at Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, England. A world title bout that can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN.

This will be the first defense of the WBO World Lightweight championship for Harper that she won in September of last year with a ten round unanimous decision over Rhiannon Dixon in Sheffield, England. Harper, who has won world titles from the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division has rightfully earned her place as one of the biggest stars in Women's Boxing. Like many female fighters in the sport, Harper has moved up and down the weight scale depending on the fight and opportunity. While that is an indication of a sport that is still very much in its growing stages for women competing in it both in terms of available weight classes and significantly more opportunities than had been the case in decades past, it will be interesting to see whether along with growth of the sport overall if fighters like Harper will choose to prioritize a division where they feel most comfortable competing in, much like their male counterparts or if the emphasis will seemingly continue to remain on what opportunities might be available on a fight by fight basis. With seemingly more women competing than ever before in the sport and more divisions being available to compete in, there may come a point where the potential to move up or down in weight may not be as lucrative or enticing, simply because with more competition in each respective division, there will be more options for fighters to remain in their division of choice if they choose to do so.

Although the sport may not quite be at that point at present time, Harper has been one of those fighters who has shown that she can compete effectively in multiple divisions and it will be interesting to see where she eventually lands. For the moment, the task at hand for the champion, who will enter this bout with a record of 15-2-2, with 6 Knockouts, will be defending her World Lightweight championship.

The challenger Natalie Zimmermann will enter this bout, attempting to become a two-division world champion, unbeaten with a record of 13-0, with 3 Knockouts. In her last bout in September of last year, Zimmermann scored a ten round decision over Katerina Dvorakova in Spain.

What this fight appears to be is an encounter between two boxers who are experienced both in going the distance and outworking their opponents to win decision victories. While the champion has three more knockouts in her career compared to Zimmermann, neither are known for having punching power. Given the Boxing ability each has, it will be interesting to see if one takes a more aggressive approach than would be the norm in an attempt to get an advantage early. 

Although bouts in Women's Boxing have sporadically begun using three minute rounds, the same as in Men's bouts, the majority of bouts for women are still held with two minute rounds. This normally means fights are fought at a quick pace and given the similarities between these two boxers, who both know how to win rounds and compile points in the process, it would not surprise this observer if both fighters are able to find success to see this potentially end in a close decision. Whomever comes out on top here, the question that will likely follow coming out of this fight is whether the winner will look towards competing in a different weight class next depending on what opportunities might be available, or whether or not possible unification of the Lightweight division could be on the table. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Harper vs. Zimmermann takes place on Friday, May 23rd at Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, England. The fight can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 1PM ET/10AM PT. (*U.S. Times Only.*)

(*Card and Start Times Subject To Change.*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Fisher-Allen II: Who Will Take The Next Step Forward?

In December of last year undefeated rising Heavyweight contender Johnny Fisher was given an opportunity that represented a step up in his career. Not only was the unbeaten “Knockout Artist" given a position on a major card headlined by the World Heavyweight championship rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but the fight represented what was seen as a step up in competition for him in the form of longtime veteran Dave Allen.

For most of the early rounds, it appeared as though Fisher would pass this test with flying colors in picking up the World Boxing Association’s Intercontinental Heavyweight title, which while not a major milestone, carries with it the chance to move into the top ten rankings in a given division. As Fisher set a high pace and kept Allen mostly on the defensive, it had the appearance of a fight that was heading towards either a wide decision victory on the scorecards or potentially a late stoppage for a fighter in Fisher, who had knocked out eleven of his previous twelve opponents prior to this bout, then suddenly as tends to be the case in combat sports, just when it appears a fighter is dominating the action, a real test emerges.

In this case, it would come in the fifth round when Allen connected with a flush left hook to the jaw that sent Fisher down to the canvas for the first time in his career. Often, it is a situation that many look to when observing the rise of a rising prospect where they want to see how the fighter deals with adversity. Fisher got up from the knockdown and appeared legitimately hurt, but managed to gradually find his footing and begin returning offense. While the first four rounds saw Fisher build a decent lead for himself on the scorecards, from the point where the knockdown occurred through the remainder of the twelve round bout proved to be a grueling back and forth battle where Fisher was able to edge out a split decision victory.

Although some may have expected the outcome of a win for Fisher going into the fight, the perception of at least some coming out of it was either that Allen had done enough to win the fight or at minimum, the scoring was too close for comfort for a contender on the rise in Fisher. Ideal circumstances to warrant a rematch.

A rematch that will take place on Saturday, May 17th at the Copper Box Arena in London England, which can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. This should be viewed as a good thing for the sport because in all truth and honesty with the reader, return bouts like this do not always happen. It can after all be common to see a prospect after surviving a close call like the one Fisher had against Allen, to see the fighter’s handlers move the fighter in a different direction, not so much due to fear of the opponent, but to give their fighter time to rethink and try to figure out what adjustments need to be made moving forward. 

As refreshing as it is to see a veteran like Dave Allen, who was regarded as little more than an opponent when he fought Fisher, being given another chance without much time in between fights, there is also a risk attached for Fisher. Despite coming out on the losing end in their first encounter, Allen should have all the confidence in the world going into this rematch. He not only dropped a fighter who has built a reputation early in his career for scoring quick knockouts, but the result of it being a close split decision against him should provide the necessary motivation to come into the ring even more determined.

The risk here for Fisher beyond giving his opponent another chance and the obvious risk of his unbeaten record is the potential for the wrong type of exposure. This observer is reminded of another Heavyweight that had a similar rise as Fisher in the professional ranks, who I covered on that rise several years ago. I am referring to David Price, the 2008 Olympian, who turned pro in 2009 and carved out a reputation as a “Knockout Artist" similar to the one that Fisher has established for himself. 

After knocking out thirteen of his first fifteen opponents, the decision was made to match Price with a recent world title challenger in the form of longtime top contender Tony Thompson in an obvious strategy to catapult him towards a potential world title shot. The strategy proved to be disastrous. When the two met in February 2013, Thompson's experience proved to be too much for Price. A right hand to the temple sent Price down in the second round and almost in an instant, Price went from a fast-rising contender looking like a potential World Heavyweight champion, to a question mark as he was stopped by Thompson.

In a questionable move given that the knockout he suffered seemed severe, Price made the decision to rematch with Thompson in his very next fight only five months later. Despite dropping Thompson in the second round of the rematch, the result was the same, this time Thompson stopped Price in five rounds. Two fights ended up exposing Price’s vulnerability in a case where it was too much too soon and he was never the same fighter after that retiring in 2019 with a 25-7, with 20 Knockouts record. Though Price would show a lot of heart in fights he lost, he was unable to fulfill the potential and star quality that he appeared to have that had this observer touting him as a potential world champion for a period of time.

Although there is no similarity between Johnny Fisher and David Price at this point beyond the label of “Knockout Artist" in similar rises to the point where Fisher finds himself at this stage in his career, the possibility of Dave Allen potentially being able to improve on his performance last December and take advantage of any perceived flaws is very real and should not be dismissed. How does Fisher improve on his performance and remove a potential question mark that some may have placed before him? 

When he was able to keep Allen at distance with his longer reach, Fisher was dominating the action where Allen could not get his punches off consistently and only had sporadic success in throwing wide, looping hooks. It was only when Allen was able to close that distance and get in close that the tempo of the combat began to change.Fisher was also caught and dropped while the fight was being fought in close because he left himself open for the left hook.

While it is easier said than done, Fisher needs to have a disciplined Boxing approach here. This means look to keep Allen at the end of his punches and mix his offense to the body as well as the head, a strategy that worked well for him in the early rounds of the first fight. The key here will be whether he will be able to maintain that approach, if he implements it, if he has success including possibly knocking Allen down. Fisher must not be overly aggressive even if he finds success and might have an opportunity to stop Allen. The possibility of leaving himself open while attempting to finish an opponent definitely exists here so he needs to proceed with caution should it get to that point because it has already been established that Allen does have the punching power to drop him. 

If Allen manages to close the distance, Fisher should hold on the inside and not give Allen an opening to potentially catch him as he was able to do in the first fight. If he has trouble keeping his hands up or bringing his hands back up after throwing punches on the inside, a problem some fighters have that can only be corrected in the gym, Fisher will need to tie him up on the inside and force the referee to separate them to re-establish distance. Often such an approach may not be the most entertaining to watch, but it is effective when executed properly.

For Dave Allen, a veteran of thirty-two professional fights, he needs to find a way to get inside of Fisher’s longer arms and force the fight on the inside. He must tighten his punches and try to avoid throwing wide looping punches, particularly with hooks. Allen must find a way to get inside and avoid taking the type of punishment he had taken in the early rounds when Fisher was able to keep him on the end of his punches and land to the body and head. Attempting to utilize a jab as he comes forward and using head and upper body movement to try and deflect or at least minimize Fisher’s punches could be an effective approach to get in close. 

For Fisher, who is currently rated number thirteen in the WBA Heavyweight ratings, should he win this fight, he could be in a position to try to break into the top ten later this year. If Allen can get the win some feel free deserved in the first fight, this time around, it will obviously put him into a similar position as Fisher currently finds himself in. A high stakes confrontation in the Heavyweight division. We will see who will be able to take the next step forward in their careers.

“And That's The Boxing Truth."

Fisher vs. Allen 2 takes place on Saturday, May 17th at Copper Box Arena in London, England. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 11:45 AM ET/8:45AM PT with Before the Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts, which will be followed by the main card that will begin at 2PM ET/11AM PT. (*U.S. Times Only.*)

(*Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Belated Most Valuable Prospects 12 Results From Orlando, FL

Credit: Harry Aaron/Most Valuable Promotions 

Press Release: May 12, 2025  By Most Valuable Promotions - ORLANDO, FL – Friday, May 9, 2025 – Undefeated Cuban Olympian Dainier “The Fear” Pero (11-0, 8 KOs) retained his WBA Continental USA heavyweight title with a hard-earned unanimous decision win (96-92 x3) over Mexico’s Cesar “Chaka” Navarro (13-3, 11 KOs) in the main event of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 12 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The 10-round bout aired live and free globally on DAZN.com and the DAZN app. Navarro started fast, setting the tone early with sharp uppercuts and relentless pressure. In a dramatic third round, Navarro knocked Pero down twice—first with a clean overhand right and then again with a right uppercut. Pero, showing incredible heart and composure under pressure, rose both times and managed to survive the round. From that point forward, the 25-year-old Cuban took control of the fight, using his size, conditioning, and bodywork to dictate the pace and wear Navarro down over the final seven rounds. All three judges scored the contest 96-92 in favor of Pero, who overcame adversity to remain undefeated and continue establishing himself as a legitimate contender in the heavyweight division. 

In the co-main event, Orlando’s undefeated Corey “2Smoove” Marksman (11-0-1, 8 KOs) delivered a commanding performance against fellow rising contender Tayden “The Butcher” Beltran (10-1-1, 5 KOs) of Huntington Beach, California, in a scheduled 8-round lightweight showdown packed with nonstop action. From the opening bell, Marksman controlled the pace, dazzling the crowd with his trademark flair, unloading crisp, powerful combinations that repeatedly backed Beltran into the ropes. Beltran impressively absorbed Marksman’s shots and answered back with some of his own explosive exchanges, briefly gaining momentum in the later rounds. But Marksman’s pressure proved overwhelming, culminating in a seventh-round barrage that forced the referee to step in. The bout was waved off to thunderous applause from the hometown fans, as Marksman celebrated a well-earned TKO victory and continued his ascent in the lightweight ranks. 

On the main card, 19-year-old 18x national champion Kaipo Gallegos (9-0-1, 7 KOs) faced 23-year-old Chihuahua, Mexico native Pedro Castaneda  (8-1-1, 5 KOs) in a scheduled 8-round lightweight bout. Las Vegas native Gallegos opened the bout with a showcase of patience, power, and precision, employing his right jab to pick apart Castaneda’s defense across the early rounds. Castaneda made a strong showing in the fifth round but ultimately was outmatched until he retired, and Gallegos extended his undefeated record with a win by technical knockout. 

Opening the main card, MVP’s 23-year-old standout Nat “No Love” Dove (5-0-1, 1 KO) took on El Paso, Texas native Nayeli Rodriguez (4-0-1), becoming MVP’s latest women’s athlete to make a statement for equality by fighting in a 4-round super flyweight bout with equal rules to men, three-minute rounds. Dove, a 15x national amateur champion, displayed composure in the opening rounds, setting up powerful combos, while Rodriguez continued to work through Dove’s defense with her powerful jab. The bout went the distance over four evenly matched rounds and ended in a draw (38-38x3).  

In the preliminary card headliner, Tampa, Florida’s undefeated Ariel “The Golden Hulk” Perez (7-0, 4 KOs) made his highly-anticipated series return to face Michoacan, Mexico’s 26-year-old Mario Bedolla (4-4, 3 KOs) in a 6-round light heavyweight bout. “The Golden Hulk” took control early, hammering Bedolla with punishing body shots and maintaining pressure throughout the fight. Despite Perez’s dominance, Bedolla showed toughness and refused to go down, exchanging heavy blows as the bout wore on. Perez closed strong with a commanding sixth round, earning a decisive unanimous decision victory (60-54 x3).

Also in the preliminary rounds, 24-year-old Jeremy Adorno (10-1, 6 KOs) from Kissimmee, Florida by way of San Juan, Puerto Rico dominated Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Jonathan Pachado (6-2, 2 KOs), securing two first-round knockdowns before being awarded a TKO victory at 2:58 in round one. Carolina, Puerto Rico’s 19-year-old Elise Soto (7-0, 7 KOs) battled Pittsburgh’s Colleen Davis (4-2-1, 1 KO) in a blood-soaked war. Soto appeared to establish early dominance, but the bout was declared a no contest after the second round as an accidental head butt left Davis with an open head wound. Kicking off the preliminary card, 21-year-old Quincey Williams (5-0, 5 KOs) defeated Uruguay’s Jose Perdomo (6-7, 3 KOs) by fourth-round knockout. 

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP. Boxlab Promotions served as the official licensed promoter of Most Valuable Prospects 12. The 12th event in the series continued the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2025. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of MVP and the Most Valuable Prospects series. TorkLaw, Event Tickets Center, and Fansly have also joined on to sponsor the Most Valuable Prospects series.

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.

About MVP

MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last six global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Perry match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA). We are building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading tech, and multi-platform distribution. DAZN believes that fans from across the globe should be able to watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet, and on one app.

For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.

Material and Trailers Courtesy of:  Most Valuable Promotions/Photo Courtesy of: Harry Aaron Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

Cinco De Mayo Weekend Boxing Marathon 2025 Thoughts

One of the biggest events on the Boxing calendar year to year is Cinco De Mayo weekend. Traditionally, this period is reserved for a marquee event in the sport as a launching point of sorts into the second half of a calendar year. 2025, however, saw three marquee events spread over three straight days as opposed to one major event that usually occurs over the weekend. 

The 2025 edition of Cinco De Mayo weekend in Boxing kicked off on Friday, May 2nd with a tripleheader featuring three of the sport’s biggest stars in New York City, NY. Normally when a marquee event takes place in New York City, it is a given that the venue will be the legendary Madison Square Garden. This time, however, the sport broke new ground as this event was held outdoors in the middle of Times Square, known worldwide as the epicenter of the city. As a born and bred New Yorker, this observer was looking forward to this event. Not only because of the history attached to it in being the first sporting event to ever be held in Times Square, not only because the event saw the long awaited return of Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley after an eight year absence following HBO’s exit from the sport in 2018, but the fights themselves looked intriguing on paper.

With such a unique atmosphere in something that had never been attempted before in place and offering spectacular visuals, the first encounter of this tripleheader, which was seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View saw two-division world champion Teofimo Lopez defend his WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship against undefeated WBO number one rated contender Arnold Barboza. Despite looking as though it would be the most competitive and potentially entertaining fight of the entire card, Lopez showed his intelligence in Boxing his way to a wide twelve round unanimous decision to retain his world title in a fight that did not have much in the way of highlights.

In similar fashion, two-division world champion Devin Haney scored a forgettable twelve round unanimous decision over former unified Jr. Welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez in a Welterweight bout. This led to the main event of the first sporting event ever to be staged in Times Square as Ryan Garcia met Rolando Romero in a fight also scheduled for twelve rounds and also in the Welterweight division. 

This fight started out looking as though it would be competitive, but following the one highlight of the bout, Romero scoring a knockdown of Garcia with a counter double left hook to the head in the second round, the bout resembled the previous two bouts on the card. A formulaic type of experience void of highlights and competitive drama, as Garcia seemed unwilling to engage following getting up from the knockdown, as Romero outworked and out maneuvered him the rest of the way to an easy twelve round unanimous decision victory.

Ultimately, what looked as an intriguing set of bouts on paper, did not live up to the occasion and atmosphere of such a unique event. Whether it was a case of the atmosphere somehow getting to the fighters or not being used to competing outdoors in New York City,  the feeling coming out of this event was one that was underwhelming,  but having seen Boxing successfully staged in Times Square,  I openly wonder when the next event will be and who might participate next time around. 

The second event of the weekend brought the Boxing spotlight to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 3rd where Super-Middleweight world champions Saul “Canelo“ Alvarez and William Scull met to determine the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world.  An attraction, which was also shown globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View, offered Alvarez, the division's previous undisputed champion an opportunity to reclaim that status following being stripped of the IBF world championship when a conflict saw Alvarez choose to face the WBO's number one contender Edgar Berlanga than the IBF's mandatory challenger Scull, which then saw the unbeaten Scull win the vacant IBF crown. 

While Scull's victory over Vladimir Shishkin in October of last year,  made this fight with Alvarez more interesting in the sense of reunifying the division than had Alvarez faced Scull as a mandatory challenger, it is a reflection of the flaws of the politics that be in the sport in full display in that Alvarez was not allowed to defend against Berlanga and Scull in succession without losing one of the championships that made up the undisputed championship.  Whether it was a case of bad timing or perhaps a more cynical approach by the IBF to build more interest in the fight between Alvarez and Scull is something the reader can decide for themselves. 

What cannot be debated, however,  is in a scenario quite similar to what had taken place on the other side of the world in New York City the previous evening,  the unification bout between Alvarez and Scull was one that was formulaic. It was also a contest that saw one consistent pattern from start to finish. Alvarez coming forward, trying to bring the fight to Scull, landing body punches, Scull a technical boxer constantly looking to evade Alvarez with his lateral movement and landing sporadic counter punches.

While Scull, a Germany-based boxer is originally from Cuba and was raised in the sport with the Cuban amateur style, which at times has more emphasis on technique and defense rather than consistent offense,  there are times where that style, as effective and dominant as it has proven to be in amateur competition, does not always translate to consistent success in the professional ranks, nor is it the most entertaining style to watch.

In this case, though he clearly succeeded in frustrating Alvarez and did manage to win rounds by limiting Alvarez’ activity,  he was not aggressive and that choice to not let his hands go ultimately proved to be his demise as Alvarez became a two-time Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion by convincing twelve round unanimous decision. Although not the most exciting performance,  Alvarez simply did what he needed to do and this victory will ultimately lead to a much anticipated encounter between Alvarez and current WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion and a former two-division undisputed world champion Terence Crawford in September in Las Vegas. 

While much like the previous evening,  Alvarez-Scull left an underwhelming feeling for this observer, it would be the traditional Cinco De Mayo location of Las Vegas where the 2025 edition would come to a close with another undisputed world championship bout.  This observer is referring to the Undisputed Jr. Featherweight world championship bout between undefeated champion Naoya Inoue and WBA number one contender Ramon Cardenas, which took place on May 4th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

On the surface, this fight, which was broadcast by digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ here in the United States, represented little more than the Japanese superstar Inoue's return to the United States for the first time in nearly five years when the then unified Bantamweight world champion scored a seventh round knockout of Jason Moloney behind closed doors in the convention center of the MGM Grand during the global COVID-19 epidemic where fans were not permitted to attend. 

As the years have gone on Inoue has evolved into one of the biggest stars in the sport albeit away from the United States where his fights thanks to ESPN+ have been made accessible here stateside, but have taken place in the early morning hours as he has opted to compete in his native Japan, where he not only routinely draws massive crowds, but can also get top dollar whenever he competes. While this fight represented a return to America, few gave it more thought than an appearance by one of the biggest stars in the sport, who has consistently been at or near the top of Boxing's mythical pound for pound debates as he has continued going through divisions and becoming a multi-division undisputed world champion in the process. 

Despite entering the fight with a 26-1, with 14 Knockouts record and being ranked number one by the World Boxing Association, not much was known about Roman Cardenas and even though he had been unbeaten since 2017 as well as never being stopped his career, few regarded him as a legitimate threat to Inoue. This perception would prove to be an example of why an opponent should never be underestimated.  

In the second round, Cardenas made himself known by suddenly dropping the champion with a flush counter left hook to the jaw that sent Inoue down to the canvas for only the second time in his career. A scenario that looked eerily similar to the one Inoue found himself in against Luis Nery in May of last year where also in the second round,  he was dropped by a counter left hook after he had thrown a punch and dropped his arm leaving an opening for the left,  this time the fighter known as “The Monster” appeared legitimately stunned. 

To his credit, Cardenas proceeded with caution and did not recklessly approach Inoue, a fighter who had twenty-six knockouts in twenty-nine professional fights coming into this title defense, but nevertheless stood his ground by continuing to apply pressure, continuing to land hard shots when given the opportunity and appearing to hurt the champion whenever he landed punches to the body. Although after four rounds the momentum appeared to clearly be in favor of the challenger, Inoue would show once again why he is regarded as not only one of the best fighters in the entire sport, but a future Hall of Famer. 

In showing the ability to adapt under fire from his opposition, Inoue gradually worked his way back into the fight and by round six had started to turn the ebb and flow his way as his own power punches began to affect Cardenas. The accumulation of blows from Inoue eventually broke the challenger down in scoring a knockdown of Cardenas late in the round. While this knockdown was from the accumulation of punches Inoue was dishing out, the pace of the fight also seemed to show on the challenger, who despite getting up from the knockdown and surviving the round, looked utterly exhausted. 

Sensing that the tide had turned and his opponent was compromised, Inoue forced the issue in round eight pressing forward and unleashing a barrage of unanswered punches with Cardenas pressed up against the ropes to force the fight to be stopped. While the result was what many had expected in Inoue getting a victory to retain his undisputed crown in the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight division,  few expected this to be the thrilling back and forth battle that it turned out to be.  It turned out to not only be a great fight,  but from an entertainment standpoint,  it also turned out that the fight that was treated with little regard amongst all the marquee bouts that were staged over Cinco De Mayo weekend, ended up being both the most competitive and entertaining of them all and arguably turned what had been an underwhelming stretch of events to a memorable night that will be remembered along with many other great fights that have taken place during Cinco De Mayo throughout Boxing history. 

While the 2025 edition of Cinco De Mayo weekend in Boxing was a mixed variety,  overall it should be viewed as successful for all the promoters who took part in it and the two networks who broadcast all the events. With the possibility of more Boxing being staged in Times Square as well as continuing to be staged in Boxing hotbeds of Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas,  this observer openly wonders what's next?  It would not be a bad idea if a rematch between Naoya Inoue and Ramon Cardenas were part of those future plans.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Jake Paul-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Set For June 28th On DAZN PPV

Press Release: April 18, 2025  By DAZN and Most Valuable Promotions - Golden Boy’s Mexican WBO and WBA unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez vs. Cuba’s former IBF and WBA cruiserweight world champion and WBA mandatory challenger Yuniel Dorticós join Paul vs. Chávez Jr. in the co-main event

 

Fans can sign up for presale for Paul vs. Chávez Jr. HERE

 

ATLANTA, GA – April 18, 2025 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced that boxing’s biggest disruptor, international superstar Jake “El Gallo” Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) takes his next step towards world champion against Mexico’s former champion Julio César Chávez Jr. (54-6-1, 34 KOs) on Saturday, June 28, at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Paul vs. Chávez Jr. will be a standard 10-round men’s professional bout with three-minute rounds and 10oz gloves, contested at 200lbs. The historic fight, an MVP Event, will air live globally on DAZN pay-per-view and is presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy. Golden Boy Promotions will serve as the official licensed promoter. Fans can sign up for presale HERE. The event will also feature an array of high-end VIP packages, including the return of the one-of-a-kind MVP Owner’s Experience. 

 

In the co-main event, Golden Boy’s 33-year-old WBO cruiserweight world champion and WBA Cruiserweight Super Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs)—ESPN’s #2 cruiserweight in the world—will make a title defense against Cuba’s former WBA and IBF Cruiserweight World Champion, one of the best punchers in boxing and current WBA mandatory challenger Yuniel Dorticós (27-2, 25 KOs) in a men’s world championship bout contested at 200lbs with 12, three-minute rounds.

 

The American pride of Puerto Rico, Jake “El Gallo de Dorado” Paul (11-1, 7 KOs), has shown tremendous growth as a boxer on his path to becoming a world champion, and now will look to prove he has what it takes against a former world champion in Julio César Chávez Jr. In just five years since turning pro, Paul has made his impact in the ring, earning high-profile victories over names like Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz. His viral knockouts and headline-grabbing performances have breathed new life into boxing, drawing millions of fans and setting records. In his latest blockbuster fight in November 2024, Jake Paul defeated the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson in a heavyweight bout in the first-ever live professional sporting event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Paul has collected multiple accolades for his commitment to the sport of boxing, including ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of the Year, Sports Illustrated’s 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year, and was the cover of Sports Illustrated’s “The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports” issue, awarded specifically for his groundbreaking work to revolutionize the sport through equitable pay, providing a platform for young fighters, and his support of female boxers. Paul also partnered with USA Boxing ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, continuing his mission to elevate the sport and its future champions. 

 

“Five years ago, I stepped into the ring for my pro debut after a single amateur fight, and every fight since has been a step towards becoming world champion. I just defeated the baddest man on the planet, and now I’m going against a former champion who conman Canelo couldn’t finish,” said Jake Paul. “Chávez Jr. is Mexican, but I, El Gallo De Dorado, have the will and heart of the great Mexican fighters. On Saturday, June 28, live on DAZN pay-per-view, I will knock out Julio and make Chávez Sr. proud in ways Jr. never has. Another massive event from Most Valuable Promotions, with some Oscar De La Hoya seasoning added to the show. Viva La Puerto Rico.”

 

Julio César Chávez Jr. (54-6-1, 34 KOs) is a Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico native and son of former three-division world boxing champion Julio César Chávez, “El Gran Campeón Mexicano,” the greatest Mexican fighter of all time. Chávez Jr. began his professional career with an impressive undefeated streak across his first 47 fights. Chávez Jr. climbed the rankings and became the WBC middleweight world champion in 2011, before being defeated by Sergio Martinez in Chávez’s fourth title defense in 2012. Chávez Jr. went on to reclaim regional titles and later won the WBC Continental Americas Super Middleweight title, recently fighting in his hometown of Culiacan to a UD win over David Zegarra. In June 2021, Chávez squared off with MMA star Anderson Silva, suffering a narrow split decision defeat. He most recently returned to the ring to defeat MMA icon Uriah Hall by unanimous decision on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry in July 2024. Now, Chávez Jr. will have the opportunity to grow his legacy further within the cruiserweight division as he faces Jake Paul on Saturday, June 28. 

 

“First of all, I will show what I can do now that everything is in the right place in my life—mentally and physically,” said Julio César Chávez Jr. “I feel rejuvenated and 10 years younger. Second, I want to thank MVP for taking the risk of fighting me. Unfortunately for their Problem Child, they’re going to have a big problem this June—one they won’t know how to resolve. Hopefully when I beat him, people won’t underestimate this win.”

 

“Saturday, June 28 marks a defining moment in Jake Paul’s ascent to the top of the boxing world as he aims to show the 125 million people that watched him fight Mike Tyson that he is a real contender in the sport,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “Julio César Chávez Jr., a former world champion and the heir to Mexico’s most iconic boxing legacy, will be looking to cement his legacy by definitively defeating Jake, something no opponent has been able to do. Add to that the co-main event, which has the return of Mexican Zurdo Ramirez, the WBA and WBO champion, defending his titles against the dangerous Cuban Yuniel Dorticós, and you have the ingredients for a night full of fireworks. Most Valuable Promotions is honored to present this momentous card in partnership with Golden Boy Promotions, live from Honda Center in Anaheim, and we are proud to continue delivering groundbreaking moments for the sport on DAZN pay-per-view.”

 

Golden Boy’s Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) has over a decade of experience under his belt, debuting as a professional in 2009 and embarking on a career that would see him make boxing history multiple times. In 2016, Ramirez won the WBO Super Middleweight title, defeating “King” Arthur Abraham by unanimous decision in a dominant performance. This victory cemented his status as one of the top fighters, and he became the first Mexican-born fighter to win a world title in the division. Ramirez successfully defended his belt multiple times, defeating tough opponents such as Jesse “Hard Work” Hart and Roamer Alexis Angulo. After five defenses of his title, Ramirez moved up to light heavyweight, where he went on a five-fight winning streak before facing Dmitry Bivol in a unification bout in November 2022. Although Ramirez’s undefeated streak ended in this contest, the fight showcased his resilience, heart, and determination to the sport. Turning that loss into a lesson, Ramirez returned to the ring 11 months later as a cruiserweight this time around. In November 2024, Ramirez made boxing history once again, becoming the first Mexican-born unified cruiserweight champion in an all-action-packed war against Chris Billam-Smith in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ramirez’s legacy as one of the most skilled and dangerous fighters of his era continues to grow, and he is widely regarded as one of Mexico’s best current champions.

 

“I’m excited to step back into the ring this June to defend my WBA and WBO titles. This fight marks my WBA mandatory, and I know I need to get past this opponent to stay on track in my journey toward greatness—and ultimately, to become the undisputed champion,” said Zurdo Ramirez. “I’ve been training non-stop and feel sharper than ever as I continue to grow and mature in the sport. The goal hasn’t changed. I’m locked in, and I’m proud to be featured on this card alongside Jake Paul and my good friend Julio César Chávez Jr. A big thank you to my team, Golden Boy Promotions, MVP, the WBA, the WBO, and all my fans. I can’t wait to put on a show you won’t forget.”

 

WBA mandatory challenger Yuniel Dorticós (27-2, 25 KOs), known as "The KO Doctor," is a Cuban professional boxer renowned for his explosive punching power and success in the cruiserweight division. Born on March 11, 1986, in Cienfuegos, Cuba, he enjoyed a strong amateur career, finishing as a national runner-up multiple times and competing in the Boxing World Cup before defecting to the United States in 2009. Turning professional the same year, Dorticós quickly gained attention by winning his first 17 fights by knockout. He captured the WBA interim cruiserweight title in 2016 and went on to become the WBA (Regular) champion in 2017, defending the title until a loss to Murat Gassiev in 2018. In 2019, he claimed the vacant IBF cruiserweight title with a knockout victory over Andrew Tabiti during the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS), ultimately reaching the WBSS final, where he lost a close decision to Mairis Briedis. Known for his aggressive style and knockout power—evidenced by a record of 27 wins (25 by KO) and just 2 losses—Dorticós remains a respected force in the ring. He resides in Miami, Florida, where he continues to train and represent the proud tradition of Cuban boxing.

 

“I want to thank MVP, my promoters and Golden Boy for this opportunity,” said Yuniel Dorticós. “My goal is to become a three-time world champion, and now by fighting Zurdo Ramirez I have been granted the chance to accomplish my goals on Saturday, June 28.”

 

“Once again, Golden Boy is proving that we’re willing to work with anyone to deliver the biggest and most exciting events in boxing. We’re thrilled to partner with Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, Most Valuable Promotions, and DAZN to bring this blockbuster night to fans around the world," said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. "Now the WBA and WBO Unified Cruiserweight Champion, Zurdo has made history not once, but twice—first as the first Mexican-born fighter to become a super middleweight world champion, and now as the first-ever Mexican to claim a cruiserweight world title, holding championships in both divisions. Ramirez is ready to light up the ring once again—this time against the dangerous Yuniel Dorticós, who’s coming in with everything he’s got to steal the spotlight in this mandatory matchup. But make no mistake: Zurdo is built for moments like this. It’s going to be an unforgettable night celebrating the best of Mexican boxing!”

 

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Jake Paul back to DAZN against a championship-caliber opponent in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.” said Jared Kass, SVP North America, DAZN. “We are grateful to our partners at MVP and Golden Boy for delivering an unmissable night of action from start to finish. So tune in Saturday, June 28, only on DAZN.”

 

Paul vs. Chávez Jr. is produced and marketed by Most Valuable Promotions, with Golden Boy Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter, and is distributed by DAZN pay-per-view. The event is presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, also sponsored by Fansly and Event Ticket Center. Additional information, including additional bouts, will be announced in the coming weeks. 

 

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions, @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions, @goldenboy, and @daznboxing.

 

 

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

MVP was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last six global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Perry match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. MVP made history again in November 2024 with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2, the first-ever live professional sports event on Netflix. MVP’s Paul vs. Tyson streamed live globally on Netflix and shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event ever with 108 million live viewers globally. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of Paul vs. Tyson and the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

 

About DAZN

DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA). We are building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading tech, and multi-platform distribution. DAZN believes that fans from across the globe should be able to watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app.

 

For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.

 

About Honda Center  

Located in the heart of Orange County, Honda Center has remained a premier entertainment and sports venue since its opening in 1993. Home to the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, the arena hosts a variety of events, including sold-out concerts, family entertainment, and thrilling sports competitions. Over the past three decades, Honda Center has remained an iconic and beloved destination for live entertainment in Southern California with over 4,500 events and 45 million guests, paving the way for an even more exciting future. It will anchor the innovative OCVIBE, a 100-acre one-of-a-kind, immersive district designed to bring people together through shared experiences.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN and Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

Follow-Up: DAZN's Three Upcoming Pay-Per-View Cards Now Available For Purchase

In a follow-up to the recent column discussing DAZN’s upcoming three pay-per-view Boxing cards, which will take place within a seven day period. All three events are now available to purchase on DAZN’s website. The first event, which will take place on Saturday, April 26th will be headlined by a long-awaited grudge match between sons of Hall of Fame rivals Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, Sr., two-division world champion Chris Eubank, Jr. and Conor Benn, which will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England is available here in the United States for $24.99. This will be followed by back-to-back events on May 2nd and 3rd. First on May 2nd a tripleheader will take place outdoors in Times Square in New York City, NY featuring Ryan Garcia facing Rolando Romero, former two-division world champion Devin Haney facing former Jr. Welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez, and current WBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez defending his title against number one WBO contender Arnold Barboza for $59.99. On May 3rd, Super-Middleweight world champions Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and William Scull will meet in Saudi Arabia for the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world, which is also priced at $59.99. DAZN, however, is offering an option for both the May 2nd and 3rd events by offering consumers the option to either purchase both events separately at the aforementioned $59.99 per event or as a bundle for $89.99. All three events are available for purchase at DAZN.com We will have coverage of all three events in the coming weeks here on Stay tuned.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, to subscribe, and for region-specific pricing for select pay-per-view events please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Will DAZN's Three PPV Gamble Be Too Much For Boxing Fans?

Longtime readers know that one of the most consistent topics this observer has discussed over the many years that I have covered the sport of Boxing has been the pay-per-view model and more specifically, the increasing need for the sport, those who promote it, and networks that televise it to move away from a model that no longer benefits the sport and rarely offers value to consumers who support it. While I have at times been criticized for my stance that Boxing would be much better off in the long-term picture by adapting a reasonably priced subscription-based approach like what has already been established by digital streaming networks DAZN and ESPN+, my motivation has always been what will benefit the sport and help it grow and be more accessible to anyone who wants to see it regardless of economic scenarios one might find themselves in rather than any vested interests as I do not write or otherwise work for any other outlet or network outside of the one I own and operate here at The Boxing Truth®.

Even as my stance seems to have been increasingly validated as years have gone on as networks that have relied on the pay-per-view model have exited the sport since 2018, coincidentally the same year ESPN+ launched here in the United States and DAZN also entered the U.S. market, despite the sport being in the midst of a transition to being almost exclusively available via streaming, both in response to consumers looking to move away from traditional cable/satellite pay television, as well as general decline continuing in regard to pay-per-view buys, the model still remains more of an issue for the sport rather than a beneficial solution both for Boxing as well as consumers. Although I have been supportive of both DAZN and ESPN+ for each’s introduction of subscription-based alternatives to the model, I would not be objective if I said I have not also criticized both when they have ventured into pay-per-view, despite the evidence that it is not a profitable strategy for either in the now largely streaming-based era.

Many likely remember that when DAZN entered the U.S. market, the main pitch to consumers was pay-per-view quality Boxing events “Without The Pain of Pay-Per-View!" Their reasoning for eventually venturing into pay-per-view starting in 2022 was as a means to attract fighters and promoters who have insisted on the model to the negotiating table. It should also not be overlooked that at the time, much like many others businesses globally, DAZN was in the process of recovering from the effects of the global COVID-19 epidemic, so the move to what they insist is a “Selective/Sporadic" use of pay-per-view may have been seen and justified by some as a necessity.

As the pay-per-view model has continued to decline with the latest casualty being pay-per-view distributor InDemand preparing to cease operations by the end of 2025 ending 40 years as a primary pay-per-view distributor across cable/satellite providers in the United States and in recent years streaming via it's PPV.com platform, even as DAZN and platforms like Prime Video have continued doing periodic pay-per-view events, despite the evidence that it is not being embraced by consumers, one may be tempted to ask when will common sense enter the equation? More specifically, when will it no longer be ignored that things need to change as no doubt such stubbornness has to negatively impact the bottom line.

Perhaps the next example that will be used to illustrate the need to change will come in the coming weeks as DAZN will present three pay-per-view events in a span of one week.  First, on April 26, DAZN will air the highly anticipated grudge match between sons of Boxing legends Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, two-time world champion Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn, which will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, which will be available for $24.99 here in the United States.

While that price point on it's own is certainly budget-friendly and a throwback to a time where most Boxing pay-per-view cards were priced under $30 and were less frequent throughout the 1980’s and part of the 1990’s, one might wonder how consumer-friendly the price might be when one considers that on May 2nd and 3rd back to back pay-per-view cards will be held also on DAZN.

First on May 2nd, a card headlined by a triple header featuring Ryan Garcia facing Rolando Romero, Devin Haney facing Jose Ramirez, and WBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez defending his title against Arnold Barboza will take place outdoors in Times Square in New York City. This will be followed on May 3rd when Unified WBO/WBA/WBC Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez will be attempting to become a two-time Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion when he faces undefeated IBF world champion William Scull in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Beyond the latter being the first time Alvarez has fought in the increasing hotbed of Boxing in Saudi Arabia and a significant shift in Alvarez not fighting on Cinco De Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, and the Times Square event bringing the overdue return of Hall of Fame broadcaster and longtime HBO play by play voice Jim Lampley to calling Boxing for the first time since HBO exited the sport in 2018, one would be justified in questioning if one or both of these events will be priced consumer-friendly considering that there will be a pay-per-view card just days before.

Although it should be pointed out that like any sporting event, some events will draw more eyes than others, the question here is will this gamble for DAZN be too much for Boxing fans given the state of economic conditions and whether these events will fit into one's budget. While it needs to be noted that all three of these cards are being promoted in part by the Riyadh Season group that has largely established Boxing’s footprint in Saudi Arabia and who has generally began to price their pay-per-view cards in a more consumer-friendly approach, the question that needs to be asked is how much is too much?

How much is too much not only in regard to the frequency of when these cards take place, how closely they are placed on the schedule to each other, and finally the price points to not only draw in the interest of the hardcore Boxing enthusiasts, but also the casual sports fan? For DAZN, the question should also be whether the value of a monthly or annual subscription to their network is going to be diminished by not only doing pay-per-view a bit more frequently than the pledge of “Selective/Sporadic?" Furthermore, is it a disservice to their network that is still growing to not include these events as part of a subscription to the network for existing subscribers? 

While price points for the May 3rd and 4th events have not been announced as of this writing, I do believe that if pay-per-view is going to continue to be used by networks/platforms that already have established subscription-based models that it should be used as a way to draw in consumers who may not be subscribed to try these networks. For existing subscribers, it should be either included with their subscriptions, which would be the more common sense approach, or should be offered to subscribers at a reduced price that should not exceed $30 regardless of who might be on the card. 

Under circumstances like this with three cards occuring within a week’s time, perhaps selling the three events as a package bundle with a budget-friendly price with a cap of under $60 should be something DAZN should consider. Unfortunately, numbers will continue to generally decline only with rare exceptions without adapting to the changing landscape. This includes folks who get on social media platforms and boast about how they will look for not so legal walk-arounds to access events that either do not fit within their budget or they simply have no interest in paying for.

Although I discourage such practices and pay the same fees as the average consumer to ply my trade, though I do sympathize with those who feel they have no other options to watch the sport they love, the way to reach those folks is not by continuing to rely on a model that consumers continue to reject and perhaps in spite of evidence continuing to resist change, which whether networks or promoters want to admit it or not will ultimately benefit them and the sport. Unfortunately until such realization occurs with networks having left the sport largely due to their over reliance on pay-per-view, with one network in ESPN perhaps either nearing an exit itself or a significant revamp in terms of their commitment to the spot by the end of 2025, it will be up to DAZN, who despite their growth, will have to make the decision as to how long they want to walk a tightrope by using a model that they were insisting on changing at the risk of alienating their subscribers not just here in the United States, but globally. At the risk of being unpopular, that is a gamble that may not be worth taking.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth." 

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DAZN LAUNCHES POWERHOUSE SPRING SCHEDULE FEATURING 15 MARQUEE EVENTS IN 9 WEEKS

Press Release: March 26, 2025 By DAZN - Blockbuster, back-to-back nights of boxing exclusively on DAZN during Cinco de Mayo Weekend with superstars Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia headlining separate cards brought to you by Riyad Season and Ring Magazine respectively

From April 2025, content featuring Queensberry Promotions’ star-studded stable of fighters will be broadcast exclusively on DAZN to fans worldwide 

For the very first time Frank Warren’s Queensberry and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing will be united on the same broadcaster

UK fight fans can sign up now to access DAZN’s unrivalled boxing coverage and save 30% on annual subscriptions before April 7 at DAZN.com/boxing

LONDON, 25 March 2025 – DAZN Group, the global sports entertainment company and leading destination for boxing fans worldwide, today unveiled a blockbuster run of 15 major events across nine weeks cementing its place as the global home of boxing. The schedule includes back-to-back fight nights over Cinco de Mayo weekend, featuring Mexican superstars Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez on a Riyad Season card and “King” Ryan Garcia, as well as two-division champions Devin “The Dream” Haney and Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez, all in separate bouts on a Ring Magazine card. These events will be available exclusively on DAZN.

The spring calendar shows DAZN’s deep commitment to unifying the sport in one place with one subscription. It includes a wide range of content and strong partnerships with top boxing promoters such as Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, and Misfits Boxing.

In total, 19 current and former world champions will feature, with events running every week through to the end of May.

DAZN now delivers more than 185 premium fight nights per year. Subscribers also get access to major pay-per-view events, exclusive shows, behind-the-scenes content, and free highlights across social media. DAZN’s partnerships with Queensberry and Matchroom ensure a packed few months of world-class action across multiple weight divisions in the UK.

“DAZN consistently delivers an unrivaled schedule of non stop boxing action to subscribers and fight fans all around the world” said Pete Oliver, CEO of Market Growth at DAZN. “And now with Queensberry and Matchroom united under the same banner – alongside our other world leading promoters Golden Boy and Misfits – and 30% off our annual subscriptions, there is no better time to sign up to DAZN.”

DAZN’s new global deal with Queensberry Promotions kicks off on Saturday 5 April. The card includes Joe Joyce MBE vs Filip Hrgovic, and David Adeleye vs Jeamie TKV for the British Heavyweight Title. From April, Queensberry events will air exclusively on DAZN worldwide. DAZN will use its global scale, innovative tech, and marketing strength to boost the reach and profile of the promoter and its fighters.

The partnership continues in May with Anthony Cacace vs Leigh Wood for the IBO Super Featherweight Title (Saturday 10 May), and Josh Taylor’s return against Ekow Essuman (Saturday 24 May).

Matchroom Boxing adds further firepower to DAZN’s line-up. On Saturday 12 April, Jaron “Boots” Ennis faces Eimantas Stanionis in a welterweight unification bout. It follows a strong start to 2025 from Matchroom, with stand-out performances from Diego Pacheco, Andy Cruz, and Dalton Smith.

Then on Saturday 26 April, Chris Eubank Jr. takes on Conor Benn in a long-awaited Ring Magazine event powered by Fatal Fury City of the Wolves. The undercard also features former world champions Liam Smith and Chris Billam-Smith.

On Friday 2 May, Times Square hosts a star-studded event headlined by Ryan Garcia vs Rolando “Rolly” Romero for the WBA Welterweight Title. Devin Haney will face Jose Carlos Ramirez, while Teofimo Lopez meets Arnold Barboza Jr. in a clash of unbeaten super lightweights. This historic “FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves” card is the first-ever Ring Magazine event in the US. It is presented in partnership with SNK Corporation, Golden Boy Promotions, and Matchroom Boxing.

On Saturday 3 May, Canelo Álvarez returns to the ring in Riyadh. He faces undefeated IBF Super Middleweight Champion William Scull at the Anb Arena, as part of Riyadh Season and powered by Fatal Fury City of the Wolves.. The fight marks his debut as a Riyadh Season ambassador.

To celebrate, DAZN is offering 30% off annual plans in the UK and US from 31 March. The offer includes access to fights featuring Joyce, Taylor, Cacace, Wood, Dalton Smith, and more — all as part of your subscription. Offer ends 7 April. Visit DAZN.com/boxing to sign up.

 

Key upcoming boxing dates on DAZN include:

March 29 Poliforum Benito Juarez in Cancún, Mexico

William "El Camarón" Zepeda (31-0, 26 KOs) vs Tevin "2X" Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) - 12 round WBC Interim Lightweight Championship Bout

April 5 Co-op Live Arena, Manchester, U.K. – Queensberry Promotions

Joe Joyce (16-3, 15 KOs) vs. Filip Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KOs)—10-round Heavyweight Bout

David Adeleye (13-1, 12 KOs) vs Jeamie Tshikeva (8-1, 5 KOs) – 10-round vacant English Heavyweight Title

April 12 Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J.  – Matchroom Boxing

Jaron “Boots” Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) vs Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) – 12-round IBF & WBA Welterweight Championship

Raymond Ford (16-1-1, 8 KOs) vs Thomas Mattice (22-4-1, 17 KOs) – 12-round WBA Continental North America Super Featherweight Bout

Arturo Cardenas (15-0-1, 8 KOs) vs Christian Carto (23-1, 16 KOs) – 12-round WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight Bout

Shakhram Giyasov (opponent TBA) – 10-round Welterweight Bout

April 12 X Series 22 – MFB Pro

Idris Virgo (4-0, 2 KOs) vs Ty Mitchell (1-0, 1 KOs) MFB Pro Light Heavyweight World Title

April 18 Boxlab Promotions

Dainier Peró (10-0, 8 KOs) vs TBC - Heavyweight Bout

April 19 Park Community Arena, Sheffield, UK – Matchroom Boxing

Dalton Smith (17-0, 13 KOs) vs Mathieu Germain (26-2-1, 11 KOs) – 12-round Super Lightweight Bout

Ishmael Davis (13-2, 6 KOs) vs Ryan Kelly (19-5-1, 8 KOs) – 12-round Super Welterweight Bout

April 26 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Tottenham, London – Matchroom Boxing

Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 KOs) vs. Conor Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) – 12-round Middleweight Bout

Anthony Yarde (26-3, 24 KOs) vs. Lyndon Arthur (24-2, 16 KOs) – 12-round Light Heavyweight Bout

Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) vs. Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) – 10-round Middleweight Bout

Chris Billam-Smith (20-2, 13 KOs) vs. Brandon Glanton (20-2, 17 KOs) – 12-round Cruiserweight Bout

Viddal Riley (12-0, 7 KOs) vs. Cheavon Clarke (10-1, 7 KOs) – 10-round Cruiserweight bout

April 26 Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 

Chris Camozzi (3-1, 3 KOs) vs Lorenzo Hunt (11-2, 9 KOs) - Cruiserweight Bout

May 1 Sunbet Arena, South Africa – Legacy Boxing Promotions

Kevin Lerena (30-3, 14 KOs) vs Serhiy Radchenko (11-7, 5 KOs) – 12-round Heavyweight Bout

May 2 Times Square, NYC – Golben Boy Promotions & Matchroom Boxing

Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) vs Rolly Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) – 12-round Welterweight Bout

Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) vs Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) – 12-round Super Lightweight Bout

Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) vs Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KOs) – 12-round WBO Super Lightweight Championship 

May 3 Anb Arena, Saudi Arabia – SELA

Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) vs William Scull (23-0, 9 KOs) – 12-round Undisputed Super Middleweight Championship 

Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) vs Ryan Rozicki (20-1-1, 19 KOs) – 12-round WBC Cruiserweight Championship

Jamie Munguia (44-2, 35 KOs) vs Bruno Surace (26-0, 5 KOs) – Super Middleweight Bout

Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) vs Efe Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs) – Heavyweight Bout

Brayan Leon (6-0, 6 KOs) vs Aaron Rocha Guerrero (11-3-1, 7 KOs) – Light Heavyweight Bout

Marco Verde (Pro debut) vs Michel Galvan Polina (4-5-3, 2 KOs) – Middleweight Bout

May 3 Nottingham Arena, Nottingham, UK – Queensberry Promotions

Anthony Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs) vs Leigh Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) – 12-round IBO World Super Featherweight Championship

May 17 Copper Box Arena, London, UK – Matchroom Boxing

Johnny Fisher (13-0, 11 KOs) vs Dave Allen (23-7-2, 18 KOs) II – Heavyweight Bout

May 23 Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, Yorkshire, UK – GBM Boxing

Terri Harper (15-2-2, 6 KOs) vs Natalie Zimmerman (13-0, 3 KOs) – 10-round Women’s WBO World Lightweight Championship

May 24 The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, UK – Queensberry Promotions

Josh Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs) vs Ekow Essuman (21-1, 8 KOs) –12-round Welterweight Bout

 

For additional information, please visit DAZN.com/boxing.

 

Material Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission. 

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

Should Boxing Have A Price Cap If The PPV Model Is Going To Continue?

One of the themes that this observer has become known for over the many years I have covered Boxing has been my long-standing criticism regarding the pay-per-view model, both here on The Boxing Truth® ️ as well as numerous outlets both online and in print through the years. The primary reason behind the criticism is in two aspects, the overuse of the model in that cards that in years gone by that would have been featured on a sports centric network or as a Friday or Saturday night attraction on a premium cable network like HBO or Showtime, have instead been reserved for pay-per-view, rather than bouts of significant public interest that were heavily promoted and treated and viewed amongst Boxing fans as special events or occasions, which leads to the second aspect. The price points, which regardless of the perceived quality of a card or the main events have only gone up as time has gone on, which has led to declining buy numbers for most pay-per-view attractions. 

This in addition to now in an era dominated by subscription-based streaming at reasonable prices for consumers, has only continued to fuel my criticism and belief that Boxing needs to adapt to the changing landscape of media, in this case, how television is transitioning away from previous methods of distribution and embrace something that will be more budget-friendly for consumers. While I have long advocated for the sport to move away from the pay-per-view model, something which I still strongly believe in, one aspect I have touched on occasion in previous writings could be worth exploring and debating once again as we have entered the spring of 2025.

What aspect am I referring to dear reader? The subject of a price cap structure if the pay-per-view model is to continue. Before I delve into things further, I feel it important to state that I feel just as strongly that under a price cap structure, the issue and frankly danger of potential over use by promoters and networks would still exist and it would therefore be something that would need to be addressed.

Now, what exactly does this observer mean by implementing a price cap structure? In simple terms, putting a cap on how much a pay-per-view card could be priced regardless of what a main event might be. While some might laugh at such an idea, it is actually not a new concept and variations of a structure have been used before throughout the world with varying degrees of success. The most prominent example at least currently would be the pricing structure for pay-per-view events in the United Kingdom that are not priced above £25 (a little over $32 in U.S. dollars). By law, prices are kept at usually between £19.99-£21.99, but do not exceed that £25 mark, or at least I have never seen it done in various advertising materials I have observed that have circulated throughout the United Kingdom for various cards/events that were distributed via pay-per-view. While the United Kingdom did not get into the pay-per-view model until the 1990’s, such a pricing structure has proven to be successful in that it is not uncommon to see a card distributed via pay-per-view there do a million buys if not more there on a regular basis, which can be directly attributed to the affordable price points.

Here in the United States, there is no set price cap structure, but there have been times where the concept has at least been flirted with. Those of us of a certain age might remember a time where advertising and marketing for pay-per-view Boxing cards would not only promote an event heavily in the days and weeks prior to it, but depending on the cable/satellite provider and pay-per-view distributor, there would be a reduced price offered to customers if one chose to order an event prior to the day it was scheduled to take place. Throughout the 1980’s and much of the 1990’s, most price points, regardless of when an event was ordered, did not exceed $40.

During the mid-1990’s, a period of time when this observer was in his teenage years, but also the period of time I began my career as a writer covering Boxing as well as other combat sports, I spent time living in the New York area, and one thing about that time that sticks in my mind even over thirty years later, was the cable provider I had access to at the time did a few experimental things with regard to their Boxing pay-per-view offerings that should have been groundbreaking and somewhat of what I think could be achieved under a price cap structure if implemented properly.

At the time, Mike Tyson was in the midst of his comeback and seemingly after every Tyson card, which were often full top to bottom with competitive fights, there would inevitably be complaints that the fight did not last long enough to justify what was then seen as an expensive price point. (Between $34.95-$44.95 depending on cable provider/pay-per-view distributor.) Where I was at the time, my family and I had access to one of the numerous variations of cable providers that did business under the Cablevision banner. Both due to the length of time between back then and when this column is being penned by yours truly, I am unclear as to whether this was the main Cablevision provider in the New York area or an affiliate of that provider. I point this out for accuracy purposes. 

The concept that Cablevision came up with was a $9.95 per round idea. Before anyone misunderstands this idea, what it was, was one where say if a pay-per-view card was priced at $50, what they would do is have the concept that if the main event ended before round six, there would be a reduced price for the event. Meaning, if the main event ended in the first round the cost to those who ordered it would be $9.95. If it went five full rounds then they would pay the full $50 price, but it would be capped at that price point meaning that if a fight went six rounds or beyond, the price did not exceed $50. Cablevision was also the first cable provider in my recollection to experiment with the idea of packaging for pay-per-view events. For context, some may not remember that back in the mid to late 1990’s, both Showtime and HBO through their respective pay-per-view divisions Showtime Event Television (SET Pay-Per-View) and TVKO (Later renamed HBO Pay-Per-View) did cards on a seemingly rotating basis. If not every one to two months, it seemed as though they would at minimum rotate fiscal quarters where one would stage a pay-per-view card followed by the other in the next either month, bi-month, or fiscal quarter. 

In an attempt to follow up on their $9.95 per round concept for a time, Cablevision decided to offer pay-per-view Boxing events as a package. Say for example there were four separate pay-per-view cards on the calendar for the upcoming months. The cable provider would offer those events as a package for one price, while also giving the customer the option if they did not want to purchase the package to purchase them separately at each event’s respective full price. While I am not certain as to how long this concept lasted as I was in the process of moving at the time, it should show that there was at least the idea of offering value to the consumer for a single set price even as far back as thirty years ago long before the concept of streaming became mainstream. 

With that trip for this observer down memory lane concluded, the question is should a pricing cap structure be implemented here in the global streaming era as consumers move away from traditional cable/satellite television and towards subscription-based streaming and with pay-per-view distributors like InDemand (Formerly Viewer’s Choice) preparing to cease operations if pay-per-view is to continue to exist beyond 2025. The main hurdle obviously would be for promoters and networks to if not so much to agree to such a structure, but also to do so regardless of who might be on the card in order to put an emphasis on value for the consumer. While one would think the evidence of declining buy numbers and the issue of one aspect everyone including those of us who cover the sport do not like discussing, piracy, would be enough to bring all the above to the table both for their benefit as well as the overall health of the sport, it is a difficult task if nothing else because of each network’s and respective promoters vested interest. 

Recently, however, those behind the Riyadh Season-promoted Boxing cards staged in Saudi Arabia and throughout the world have seemed to gradually start implementing if not a price cap structure of it’s pay-per-view cards, at least a budget-friendly one for it’s pay-per-view cards with prices being under $30 in most cases. Although this is not a set structure as of this writing, at minimum, it shows that at least one promoter or brand is seeing the need to adapt. Adaptation, however, does not always mean that cards will be overwhelmingly successful even at a reduced/budget-friendly price point and should like everything else be viewed on a case-by-case basis. 

The recent pay-per-view card headlined by the rematch for the Undisputed World Light-Heavyweight championship between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, which was priced at $26.99 on DAZN Pay-Per-View here in the United States reportedly did 45,000 total buys. While not a reflection or either fighter’s standing in the sport, it is important to keep in mind that their first encounter in October of last year was offered free in the United States via ESPN+, while the undercard was offered as a $19.99 pay-per-view on DAZN. Whether the fact that the first fight being offered free as part of an ESPN+ subscription negatively impacted buys for the rematch, despite the full card being available on one platform globally rather than split between two platforms with a combination of included with subscription and paid add-on, is subject to debate. 

This observer feels it is more an indication that the number of cards offered on pay-per-view needs to be reduced if not outright done away with, which the latter I maintain would be better both for the sport and consumers in the long run. The problem then becomes both how would the number of cards be reduced and would promoters and networks be willing to keep the remaining slate of cards on subscription-based models like the one DAZN has, regardless of who might be on the top of those cards in order to keep pay-per-view offerings to a minimum where the concept can be both budget-friendly and viewed as special occasions in the sport where folks might be more willing to pay for those events legally. 

Unfortunately, regardless of how budget-friendly events are priced there will always be those who will look for free access to events. Although I am not one who supports the mentality of looking for not so legal workarounds to access events, I do sympathize with those who feel Boxing pay-per-views has become to expensive, which is one reason why I am in favor of replacing pay-per-view with reasonably priced subscription-based alternatives, which offer more content and value for the price rather than a pay-per-view on a per event basis model. As far as how things can be reduced, I believe that those who insist on the pay-per-view model should look back at how things were done in the 1980’s and for part of the 1990’s where the vast majority of Boxing events were split between either free over the air broadcast television on networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, and for a time Fox, and premium cable networks like HBO, Showtime, and basic cable networks like USA Network and ESPN. Those that were reserved for pay-per-view were considered major events, to the point where if one of the aforementioned networks did not produce those events and have a prearranged agreement in place, saw lucrative deals for rebroadcast/replay rights, were reasonably priced and were not frequently used so the value to the consumer remained.

Even now in a digital streaming era, it is important to keep value to the consumer as the main priority. Perhaps what should happen would amount to a reset of the model back to what it was in the aforementioned period, but with the difference being it taking place on streaming networks/platforms rather than free over the air television or premium/basic cable networks. Whether that means pay-per-view being used four times a year, which would amount to once per fiscal quarter or maybe between six or eight times a year, subscription-based models should be seen as the main selling point where pay-per-view is used strictly for special occasions even though they will be hosted on the same platforms. It will come down to whether those in the sport can for lack of a better term, get out of their own way and realize that things need to change, if they can set their respective egos aside, they should also realize that it will benefit themselves, the sport, and the fighters that compete in it in the long run. In the meantime, I would like to see most of the Boxing pay-per-view offerings capped under $40 regardless of whether it is offered via DAZN, ESPN+, or Prime Video.

Although that $40 figure is only a suggestion from someone who truly cares about the sport and wants to see it grow and thrive, and obviously in the case of DAZN and Prime Video, would vary by country given that they are global network platforms, I believe if pay-per-view is not used too often and is capped at $40 and not used as a starting price point, but the cap that it will not exceed,, at minimum things might improve, despite subscription-based models, which already exist offering better value and will only benefit those networks in the long term.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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