Paul-Silva: Another Novelty Or A Legitimate Test?

 

Ever since the influx of social media celebrities led largely by brothers Logan and Jake Paul began to enter the sport of Boxing one persistent question has continued to be asked, are they legitimate fighters or are they strictly appealing to a segment of the population for whom Boxing is a casual interest at best, a novelty? Although Jake Paul has compiled a record of 5-0, with 4 Knockouts in Boxing’s Cruiserweight division, he has yet to face someone with legitimate Boxing experience with his wins coming against a fellow social media influencer, a former NBA player, and two former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world champions, one of whom Paul fought twice. The second of those bouts against Tyron Woodley came as a result of a planned bout against unbeaten Cruiserweight prospect Tommy Fury, a boxer falling through due to Fury coming down with an illness and injury.  

 

As most know, Paul attempted to reschedule the bout with Fury to take place in the month of August in Madison Square Garden, but for the second time, Fury was unable to hold up his end to bring the fight to fruition this time due to travel restrictions preventing him from traveling from the United Kingdom to the United States for the bout. Although this should not be viewed as something of Paul’s doing, the fact that a fight against a fighter with a Boxing background fell through twice followed by replacement opponent Hasim Rahman Jr. being disqualified from the bout by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) due to difficulties cutting weight in an attempt to move down from the Heavyweight division to face Paul, criticism of Paul and questions regarding whether he should be taken seriously as a boxer remain. 

 

Following the fall through of both a second attempt to fight Tommy Fury and a planned substitution being KO’d by the NYSAC, Paul will go back to the well once again, this time against another former MMA world champion in the form of former longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight world champion and future Hall of Famer Anderson Silva. A fight that will take place on October 29th at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, AZ and will headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View card here in the United States. On the surface, this seems like, yet another novelty bout based largely on the fact that Silva is forty-seven years old and is several years removed from his competitive prime in combat sports. 

 

The irony however, despite Silva’s Hall of Fame career in the sport of MMA is he actually began his combat sports career as a professional boxer and boasts a record of 3-1, with 2 Knockouts to his credit, which in an odd way presents something akin to what Paul would see if he took the conventional route to begin his Boxing career. Although Silva’s Boxing resume is not a long one, he did score an eight round split decision win in June of last year over former WBC Middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.  

 

Silva’s last bout in a Boxing ring was a first round knockout over fellow UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz in September of last year on the undercard of the highly controversial bout between Boxing Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield and UFC Hall of Famer Vitor Belfort. Although that entire event is something that should be viewed as a bad moment in the history of the sport for several reasons, Silva nonetheless did show that he still had punching power at an advantaged age as he quickly took Ortiz out in eighty-one seconds.  The obvious criticism of that particular fight even though Silva did produce a devastating knockout is he was facing someone in Ortiz, who did not have Boxing experience.  

 

The question that should be asked as this scheduled eight round Cruiserweight bout approaches is whether Silva still has enough in him to hopefully provide a bit of a test of the twenty-five year old Paul. While Paul has scored knockouts of MMA world champions Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley in his aspiring career, both of those men had wrestling backgrounds before entering the Boxing ring to face Paul. If there is a difference for this fight even though he will again be facing someone who’s primary sport is not Boxing is, at his best, Anderson Silva was a devastating fighter that could hit opponents with both his hands and feet, resulting in several brutal knockouts in his Hall of Fame career.  

 

Even though Paul has not taken the conventional route into Boxing, it should be pointed out that he is still very much a work in progress and if Silva has any semblance of his hand speed and punching power that he had during his prime years in the sport of MMA, this could prove to be a test that some including Paul himself may not expect. This observer believes that the answer to what Anderson Silva will bring into this fight will be answered very early as Silva has always been a slick fighter that looks to bait his opponents into making mistakes and attacking suddenly. Even with limited Boxing experience, Silva does hold a significant edge in overall combat sports experience compared to Jake Paul who is still a novice learning the sport. As such and keeping in mind the skills Silva has displayed both in MMA fights as well as in the Boxing ring, it is crucial that he use every bit of his experience to test Paul and make him uncomfortable. Jake Paul meanwhile has shown a solid right hand in his previous five bouts and it is logical to think that he will be looking to land what has proven to be a primary offensive weapon for him in this fight. 

 

 Although criticism will likely remain of Jake Paul as well as the concept of what has been dubbed “Influencer Boxing” regardless of the outcome of this fight, if Paul wins those advising him should say that it is time to focus on facing fighters with a primary Boxing background exclusively, if indeed he wants to be taken seriously as a boxer. For all his boasts, which like it or not does draw attention about how he wants to be taken seriously and hopes to become a world champion down the road, without focusing on facing boxers, and to be specific, fighters that will not only help him develop, but also if successful help him move up the ranks, same as any boxer attempts to do, he should not talk about facing anything resembling the top stars in the sport of Boxing, because frankly even though he has proven to be a good promoter, there will come a point where the novelty and curiosity of Paul will wear off. For the time being, it remains to be seen if Silva will be able to provide the unbeaten Paul a test. 

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

 

Paul vs. Silva takes place on Saturday, October 29th at Gila River Arena in Glendale, AZ. The fight can be seen on Showtime Pay-Per-View in the United States for $59.99. The event will be available through the Showtime app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs as well as through digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT. Paul vs. Silva will also be available through traditional cable/satellite providers. Contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information.  

 

To order and stream on the Showtime app, download the Showtime app on your streaming device of choice or visit www.SHO.com/PPV to order and for instructions on how to download the Showtime app. 

 

To order on FITE, download the FITE app on your streaming device of choice or visit https://www.fite.tv/watch/paul-vs-silva/2pbx1/ to order and for instructions on how to download the FITE app. 

 

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

 

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison  

DAZN & MISFITS BOXING ANNOUNCE MF & DAZN: X SERIES 002 For October 15TH In Sheffield, England

 

Press Release: August 30, 2022 By DAZN – Following a series premiere this past weekend that saw tremendous viewership around the globe, DAZN Group, the global sports entertainment company, today unveils the second installment of its groundbreaking crossover MF & DAZN: X SERIES in partnership with social media megastar KSI and his promotional company Misfits Boxing, and in association with the Sauerland brothers, Wasserman Boxing and Proper Loud.

Credit: DAZN

 

 

 

MF & DAZN: X SERIES 002, powered by Misfits Boxing, will take place on 15 October at Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England, and feature a thrilling main event between Hasim Rahman and Vitor Belfort with the co-main event freaturing British YouTuber Jamie Michael “Jay” Swingler and American actor and YouTuber Cherdleys. 

 

 

 

The 15 October fight night will be available both live and on demand to all subscribers around the world on DAZN. Tickets details will be released soon. Visit MisfitsBoxing.com for more info. 

 

 

 

Rahman Jr. started his professional debut in 2017. Hasim Rahman Jr has gone on to compete in over 100 amateur fights. After a blistering start to his professional career, producing TKO’s and not losing for four straight years, he set his eyes on Jake Paul. Now, he takes on a proven dangerman in combat sports and will look to produce a statement win. The son of the former two-time heavyweight champion, Hasim Rahman, who unified the IBF, IBO, WBC and lineal titles before reclaiming his WBC World Heavyweight title five years later. After the disappointment from not being able to compete on a previous card, there will be no doubt that “Gold Blooded” Rahman Jr will be coming to shock the world and show his worth in the fight game.

 

Belfort is the former Brazilian MMA star who held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship whilst producing stunning highlight-reel finishes throughout 20 years in the organisation. Alongside his reputation as a finisher, that saw 18 out of 26 wins come via stoppage, he is also undefeated as a professional boxer. He returned to the ring in September 2021 when he stopped Evander Holyfield in the first round of their exhibition fight. Having fought at both Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight, Belfort has beaten some of MMA’s greatest athletes including Randy Couture, Michael Bisping, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson and Luke Rockhold. He sits amongst some of the greatest finishers the UFC has seen with his 12 knockout wins. 

 

 

Swingler first made his boxing debut on the undercard of KSI vs. Logal Paul in 2018, where he battled against AnEsonGib inside a sold-out Manchester Arena. On 15 October, he is determined to walk away with his first pro win and proof that his future in boxing remains bright. Outside of the ring, Swingler is known for making challenge, comedy, and prank videos on the channel TGFbro with Uncle Romell, as well as his own eponymous channel, collectively reaching 8 million subscribers worldwide across the two. He began his YouTube career when he was just 12-years-old, and while he briefly attended Halesowen College to study photography and film, he ultimately quit to pursue his cretaor career full-time.

 

 

 

Cherdleys is a professional funny-man who has worked with the likes of Comedy Central, Funny Or Die, and Adult swim. In his own words, “His own mother might be ashamed of him, but Cherdleys doesn’t care” – no topic is off limits, and he’s had success bringing the comedy heat. Now, he’s ready to put it all on the line to stand up for two things: America and Mustaches. When he steps into the ring against Jay Swingler, he’s going to bring the heat in another way. He thinks Swingler doesn’t stand a chance against Cherdley’s A-game.  And even if he did, Cherdleys is going to bring his A, B, C and D …but mostly his C game…because he’s Cherdleys.

 

“We are thrilled to announce the second installment in the MF & DAZN: X Series; this series has spectacular growth potential in a thriving new category in the sport, and has already kicked off with a premiere event this past weekend featuring KSI in a doubleheader that well exceeded live worldwide viewership expectations on DAZN,” said Joseph Markowski, EVP at DAZN Group. “We are ready to further excite and entice a growing new generation of fight fans with the premium live sports action and best-in-class production synonymous with DAZN. This is a long-term and limitless endeavor with our partners that’s only just begun.”

 

 

 

Rahman said: “I’m really looking forward to fighting Mr.Belfort on Oct 15th. I’m extremely grateful to Misfits Boxing for giving me the opportunity and I look to make the most of it. I’m 100% focused on making a lasting impression on all the fans in England and those watching at home. Now the world gets to see why Fake Paul and his sister want absolutely nothing to do with getting in a ring with me!”

 

 

 

Belfort said: “I’m excited to showcase my skills on October 15 in Sheffield, live on DAZN! I have been waiting for a fight for a while, and now is my time. I’m always in the gym staying ready. Rahman is a perfect opponent for me, so expect fireworks in the return of the Phenom.”

 

 

 

President of Misfits Boxing and CEO of Proper Loud, Mams Taylor said: “We couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to proceedings than that huge event in the capital. It sets us up for another massive night, where the world will be watching Vitor Belfort and Hasim Rahman go at it. Misfits Boxing has landed, and we’re here to keep giving the fans what they deserve.”

 

 

 

“I’ve had the pleasure of promoting some huge fight nights, but our premiere event at the for Misfits Boxing was absolutely mind-blowing at the sold out O2,” said Kalle Sauerland, Head of Global Boxing at Wasserman Boxing. “We’re not standing still, we’re not stopping, we go again. We have a former UFC champion going up against a man who has boxing running through his veins. Belfort vs. Rahman Jr, plus another unbelievably stacked card heading your way; expect fireworks in Sheffield people!” 

 

 

Material and Photo 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 Networks Look At Recent Cancellations As A Sign To Change?

 

One of the many frustrations that unfortunately comes with the territory of not just Boxing, but all of combat sports are the potential for postponements/cancellations to occur that can put a halt to the plans of not just the fighters involved, not just the promoters, but more specifically the platforms, which broadcast the bouts. Recently, two events that were scheduled to take place during the month of August were cancelled both due to failure of conditions stipulated in a contract to be met by one fighter in a bout and an injury forcing the cancellation of another bout. 

 

This observer is referring to two Boxing events that were to be headlined by two separate YouTube celebrities in separate bouts. The first bout that saw the ax of cancellation come down upon it was the scheduled August 6th bout between undefeated Cruiserweight/ YouTube star Jake Paul who was scheduled to face Heavyweight prospect Hasim Rahman Jr. in a catchweight bout that stipulated that Rahman could not weigh more than 200lbs. prior to the bout. As most Boxing fans know, the bout was cancelled as it was deemed by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) that Rahman would be unable to make the weight in a safe manner resulting in the bout, which was due to headline a pay-per-view card broadcast on Showtime Pay-Per-View from New York’s Madison Square Garden being cancelled.  

 

The second was a scheduled bout to take place between YouTube stars KSI and Alex Wassabi, that was scheduled to take place on August 27th in the United Kingdom was cancelled due to Wassabi suffering what was deemed a serious injury in training. Much like the Paul-Rahman bout, this bout was due to headline a Boxing card from the United Kingdom broadcast by DAZN Pay-Per-View in several countries including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  

 

Out of respect for the reader, I will not go into the various grandstanding that has taken place in regard to both bouts prior to and since each respective cancellation because the fact is, it does little to change the fact that both bouts were cancelled and simply yours truly feels it would be a waste of both my and the reader’s time to rehash such grandstanding. What this observer will go into however, is what should be viewed as an opportunity for both networks Showtime and DAZN to view these cancellations as both a blessing in that they will not lose money on those events, but also an opportunity to change course. 

 

While this observer has frankly made a name for himself over many years in pointing out the flaws of the pay-per-view model, which in regard to the United States and Canada in 2022 has seen price points get out of control where it no longer is of value to the consumer and does little if anything to benefit and grow the sport of Boxing, in this case, we had two pay-per-view attractions mainly aimed at attracting the casual sports fan. Although that should be the aim of any network or promoter to increase the exposure of the sport, the fact that it was aimed for the outdated and often overpriced model of pay-per-view as opposed to more reasonable subscription-based streaming options exposes the flaw of those making decisions as to what qualifies as a pay-per-view attraction. 

 

Now longtime readers should know that I can and will when appropriate call out the flaws of the pay-per-view model and will do so until such a model either changes significantly or is done away with in favor of a model that serves not only to benefit the sport better, but also the consumer in the process. In most cases particularly when this observer was growing up in the 1980’s and even through most of the 1990’s when I began covering the sport of Boxing as well as combat sports as a whole where the pay-per-view concept was reserved for the legitimate major Boxing events, which normally saw the best fighters in the sport pitted against each other, that standard no longer exists and has done little to benefit the sport in the process. 

 

At this point in this column I feel it important to point out to those who may not remember or those who are reading this observer’s work for the first time that when the influx of social media/YouTube celebrity began to enter the sport of Boxing, I did say that those who entered the sport from those mediums would get a fair shake from me so long as they treated the sport with the respect it deserves. After all, Boxing is a combat sport, and I should not have to explain the inherent dangers that come with stepping into the ring. As someone who has covered more career ending injuries and unfortunately more deaths related to fights inside the ring than I would like to admit in my career covering the sport, it is important to me as one who does have Boxing’s best interest at heart that the sport be taken seriously by all and not treated as a joke by those who come into the sport from other mediums and more specifically the critics of Boxing that all too often have way too much ammunition given to them by way of decisions that are made, flaws in the sport’s regulation, and other aspects that continue to keep the sport from reaching its full potential.  

 

Although such criticism more often than not is justified, the sport for whatever reason continues to get in it’s own way as far as progress to increase exposure and grow. For the purposes of this column, the obvious flaw is a continued reliance on the pay-per-view model, despite continued underwhelming returns in the form of buys. In this case, while folks like Jake Paul and other YouTube celebrities have served a role in drawing attention to the sport amongst those who may not have been attracted to Boxing otherwise, we have yet to see one of these fighters compete against someone with a legitimate Boxing background and the fact that such bouts featuring such celebrities are continued to be pushed as pay-per-view attractions rather than fighters at the beginning stages of their careers as any other fighter at similar stages in their careers are regarded, is an indication that something needs to change. While it is important to point out that Jake Paul was scheduled to face a boxer in Hasim Rahman Jr., and that the cancellation should not be viewed as his doing, the cancellation does not serve him well as one who wants to be taken seriously as a boxer and unfortunately for him, the label of a novelty as well as one who is known primarily as a YouTube celebrity will follow him until such time as he boxes those with legitimate Boxing experience and proves that he can be viewed as a serious boxer even if his entry into the sport was in a word unconventional. 

 

What I am referring to when I say something needs to change is a broader subject regarding the pay-per-view model and more specifically, what networks like Showtime and DAZN should be focusing on. It should be no secret to longtime readers that yours truly has been supportive of digital streaming networks like DAZN and ESPN+ primarily for offering a viable alternative to the pay-per-view model with subscription-based options. Despite this, both have dipped their toes into the pay-per-view model, with DAZN insisting that their use of the model would be sparingly and would not dilute the value of a monthly or annual subscription to their network in insisting that it would be only used for legitimate big events that they could not make possible without the aspect of pay-per-view.  

 

It is understandable however, despite what the network claims, as to how consumers may be jaded by having to shell out pay-per-view fees on top of their subscription options, particularly because prior to the COVID-19 global epidemic, DAZN had been marketed as having more value providing competitive pay-per-view quality Boxing cards “Without The Pain of Pay-Per View” prices. While such marketing was legitimate and did succeed in showing that Boxing could succeed under a subscription-based model, the effects of the ongoing epidemic and likely the demands of fighters who have been conditioned to believe that the only way they can make significant money is via the pay-per-view model, despite continued evidence that it is the opposite, DAZN has for the time being been forced into using the pay-per-view model.  

 

Although I am on record in saying that I hope that their use of the model will be temporary and have even suggested that if returns are underwhelming in terms of pay-per-view buys that they need to show the fighters that insist on the model that it is not viable both for the network and for them to continue using pay-per-view, I will admit I was surprised when the KSI-Alex Wassabi bout was announced as a DAZN Pay-Per-View attraction. In no disrespect intended to either fighter and keeping in mind that the event prior to cancellation was actually priced at a reasonable $9.99 price point, it did not strike me as an event that would be seen as a “Big Fight” that necessitated the use of the pay-per-view model that DAZN has stated that they would only use when needed to make those “Big Events.” When one considers that the upcoming third fight between Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and two-time Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin, which will take place on September 17th will be a DAZN Pay-Per-View attraction at a $64.99 price point for current subscribers and a $89.99 price point for non-subscribers, the decision to put a card featuring YouTube celebrities on what they insist will be a selective model at any price point, it should not be hard to understand how an existing subscriber could have cause for concern. 

 

Even though DAZN’s entry into the pay-per-view model can be attributed to the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, there will come a point where they will need to make a decision as to what master they want to serve. The master of what has been proven to be a more economically reasonable model for consumers, or a master of a dying model that many involved with the sport refuse to acknowledge that needs to change. As supportive as I have been and will continue to be of a reasonably priced subscription-based model, I would be lying to the reader if I said that a network in DAZN’s position currently was not walking on eggshells because one decision that proves to be costly in a negative way can obviously affect their existing subscription model.  

 

While the ills/flaws of the pay-per-view model will take some time to solve, a question is should networks look at these recent cancellations as an opportunity to change and if so, how? In thinking about how those fighters who came to Boxing from establishing themselves as YouTube celebrities, I thought of the possibility that networks like Showtime and DAZN as well as others could use the YouTube platform as well as other social media platforms to stage these fights. Although some have used YouTube as a pay-per-view platform, perhaps what they should do is put one of these bouts that in honesty probably would not do well on pay-per-view on their respective YouTube and social media pages and use advertising as a vehicle to make up for hoped for pay-per-view revenue.  

 

Not only will this allow more eyes to be attracted to the sport that may not have viewed Boxing otherwise, but it would also draw in more viewers without the price tag that comes with pay-per-view. Although in regard to Showtime, I have said for a while that they and their parent company Paramount should consider using their parent company’s existing streaming network Paramount+ to do a Showtime Boxing on Paramount+ concept that would be an alternative to the network and parent company losing money on the pay-per-view model, using a fighter like Jake Paul to market a card streamed via Showtime’s YouTube channel and social media platforms could be used as a way to test the waters not only in terms of seeing how viewership across those platforms might do, but also as a way to see how advertising/sponsorship revenue can be monetized towards a potential use of the Paramount+ network to replace their use of the pay-per-view model. When one considers that Paramount has invested significantly in sports rights for Paramount+ including UEFA Soccer leagues as well as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) programming from the Combate Global MMA promotion, the potential exists to move those Boxing events that have been showcased on Showtime Pay-Per-View could be transitioned to Paramount+. Such potential is likely increased by increasing subscriptions to Paramount+ as more consumers move away from cable/satellite pay television. 

 

While these remain only suggestions by this observer again with the best interest of Boxing at heart, it is clear as I have said in other writings discussing the pay-per-view model over the years that something needs to change. Although some may not view cancellations featuring YouTube celebrities as a catalyst that could lead to meaningful change for the sport on a much bigger scale, the opportunity to use the cancellations as potential opportunity by the networks involved to turn negatives into positives is certainly there. The question is whether network executives recognize the opportunity and will seize it or if they will allow Boxing to continue to be limited to a paywall structure that unfortunately will continue to limit the sport’s growth. 

 

 
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

 

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

 

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison