DAZN ANNOUNCE STAR-STUDDED TALENT LINE-UP FOR EXCLUSIVE X SERIES 010 LIVE SHOWS

Press Release October 10, 2023 By DAZN -  The biggest night in crossover boxing history lands in Manchester on Saturday, October 14 and features KSI vs Tommy Fury and Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis

 

Credit: DAZN 

DAZN to host Countdown Show followed by the main card live around the world, only on DAZN PPV

 

The biggest night ever seen in crossover boxing will have a heavyweight talent team to match, with stars from the world of sport, music and television all forming a part of DAZN’s exclusive worldwide coverage.

 

A sold-out AO Arena in Manchester plays host to a historic night of action as KSI clashes with Tommy Fury and Logan Paul goes into battle against Dillon Danis, exclusively live on DAZN PPV.

 

And DAZN’s coverage will deliver a knockout punch from the first bell until the last with several big-names involved, including Ariel Helwani, Chris Eubank Junior and Bugzy Malone, all taking to the mic, across two not-to-be-missed shows.

 

Big Zuu will be your larger-than-life host for the DAZN Boxing Countdown Show, which will be broadcast live on DAZN and Youtube in the hours leading up to the unmissable boxing double-header.

 

Zuu will be joined by co-host and reporter Roman Kemp, who will be bringing viewers a host of interviews with celebrities in attendance at this historic evening of crossover boxing action.

 

Zuhair Hassan, better known as Big Zuu, is an award-winning British chef, television personality and musician. A born-and-bred Londoner, Zuu began his career as a grime MC and BBC radio host, and has since become a regular face of the MF&DAZN X Series.

 

Roman Kemp, meanwhile, is one of the UK’s most promising broadcasters, hosting the Capital radio breakfast show, presenting the One Show and having hosted countless star-studded events including the TV Baftas and BRIT Award Red Carpet.

 

Zuu and Roman will be joined by no less than three studio guests on this unmissable Countdown Show.

 

The first is British rap icon, actor and entrepreneur Bugzy Malone, an avid boxer and fan of the sport since childhood. X Series fans will vividly remember Bugzy’s jaw-dropping ring walk with KSI at 007 in May, when ‘The Nightmare’ fought Joe Fournier in front of a packed Wembley Arena.

 

Joining Bugzy is Youtube star and crossover boxer Deji Olatunji who will share with fans a unique insight into how his brother, KSI, has been training for the biggest fight of his career to date.

 

Mike Majlak - best-selling author, YouTube star and co-host of the Impaulsive podcast with Logan Paul – will also make the journey to Manchester, taking viewers backstage inside the locker rooms of the biggest stars set to step foot in the ring on the night.

 

Completing the talent team for DAZN’s biggest Countdown show to date is Nada, host and presenter on Apple Music, and sideline reporter at the recent Sideman charity football match. Nada will be capturing all the red carpet arrivals on the night, and bringing viewers exclusive interviews from behind the scenes.

 

Kicking off at 7pm, the main DAZN PPV card will feature DAZN anchor and X Series fan favourite, Ade Oladipo taking the reins alongside two well-known names, both of whom have enjoyed recent victories inside the ring. 

 

Middleweight boxing star Chris Eubank Junior looks to provide expert analysis on the packed fight card, joining the DAZN broadcast fresh from gaining revenge over Liam Smith in their mammoth Manchester clash. Sparring partner to KSI and recent X Series headliner Idris Virgo will complete the pundit duo on the night, analyzing all the action as this huge night unfolds.

 

Meanwhile, jetting in from the United States will be combat sports legend Ariel Helwani, the star and host of the wildly popular MMA Show. Helwani will be DAZN’s in-ring interviewer, bringing fans those iconic first interviews with fighters, just moments after their bouts end. Helwani will also join the commentary team for key fights during the card.

 

And leading that commentary team will be Todd Grisham, the voice of the X Series, who will once again guide viewers on DAZN PPV through all the action. He will be joined on co-comms by Jonathan “The Coach” Coachman, as the pair reunite to form one of the most respected commentary teams in combat sports entertainment.

 

Rounding out the DAZN PPV on-air talent team is Olivia Buzaglo, an exciting young sports news presenter and football host, who has recently made a statement in the world of combat sports, joining DAZN’s boxing and MMA on-air broadcast teams.

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 and order this pay-per-view card please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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

Bellew Says Danis ‘Wouldn’t Make It To The Ring’ If He Insulted His Wife In The Same Way He Is Attacking Agdal

Press Release September 9, 2023 By Liam Solomon/ Bettingsites.co.uk - Logan Paul’s fiancé Nina Agdal is suing Dillon Danis and filing for a restraining order over the abusive trolling Danis is subjecting the Danish model to over social media. Bellew, who is no stranger to trash talk in the build up to a big fight, has condemned Danis for the below-the-belt content the MMA fighter is publishing on social media;

Tony Bellew: “He’s taken it way too far. I’m not going to lie, if someone insults my wife it’s not going to make it to the boxing ring. It would get dealt with literally immediately. It doesn’t matter how many security guards he has with him either, you can’t have someone insulting your wife or fiance. It’s a step too far. I don’t know what prompted him to do that, I have no idea.”

Material Courtesy of; Liam Solomon/ Bettingsites.co.uk Used with permission.

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

LOGAN PAUL TO FACE DILLON DANIS AT X SERIES SPECTACULAR IN MANCHESTER LIVE ON DAZN

Press Release August 9, 2023 By DAZN-

 

Paul vs Danis joins KSI vs Tommy Fury at the top of the bill

 

Tickets for historic X Series event go on General Sale on August 22 – Sign-up for ticket alerts here

Credit: DAZN 

 

Logan Paul and Dillon Danis will meet head-on as part of the double main event at an extra special X Series event in Manchester, live and exclusive on DAZN.

 

 

The AO Arena plays host to a colossal night of crossover boxing on Saturday, October 14 with confirmation of KSI’s monstrous clash with Tommy Fury creating a frenzy among fight fans.

 

But the headline-grabbing news that Paul is to fight Danis, on the other side of the double main event, will take the excitement levels to new heights.

 

Worldwide superstar Paul, who fought Floyd Mayweather in 2021, has made a huge impact in WWE but will return to the boxing ring this autumn to take on MMA bad boy Danis on The Prime Card in Manchester.

 

There is no love lost between the warring rivals and so the build-up promises to be tense, and the fight is guaranteed to deliver drama by the bucket load.

 

Logan Paul said: “Almost two years after fighting the greatest boxer of all time, I am so pumped to return to the boxing ring on October 14, for this monster Misfits show.

 

"Manchester, I hope you are ready for a night you will never forget, because The Prime Card is delivering in a big way, with KSI and I on either side of a double main event.

 

"The world has seen the energy, athleticism and showmanship I've brought to WWE, but this October I plan on reminding everyone that I can bring it to boxing too."

 

Dillon Danis said: "I couldn't care less what Logan Paul has done in the WWE, because when he is in the boxing ring, he is in a completely different world.  It's a world of pain, a world where he doesn't have control and it's my world, not his.  On October 14, in Manchester, Logan Paul is getting beat down.”

 

Mams Taylor, Co-President of Misfits Boxing said: “After we announced that KSI would be taking on the toughest challenge in crossover boxing, by facing Tommy Fury, I told you to watch this space – and now you know why!  The Prime Card is bringing you, the fans, a double main event the likes of which has never been seen before.  Having KSI against Fury, and Logan Paul against Dillon Danis, on the same card is truly incredible, it’s history in the making and I cannot wait until October 14.”

 

Kalle Sauerland, Co-President of Misfits Boxing said: “What was already the biggest night ever in crossover boxing, has just got even bigger with this announcement!  If KSI against Tommy Fury wasn’t huge enough, then the X Series is also bringing you a massive showdown between Logan Paul and Dillon Dannis – all on the same sensational evening in Manchester.  This is going to be a night that makes history.”

 

“We are delighted to have KSI and Logan Paul fighting again on the same card-four years on from their historic fight live on DAZN,” said Joe Markowski, CEO of DAZN North America. “What a night this promises be for cross-over boxing fans worldwide with four huge names in the space creating history. Do not miss this night of toe-to-toe action. Watch it live worldwide on DAZN and DAZN PPV."

 

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.

Does “Celebrity Boxing” Hurt Or Benefit The Sport?

 

Since the latest influx of celebrity bouts began to find its way into the sport of Boxing a couple of years ago, one question that I have been asked more than once is do these bouts, which nowadays usually consist of social media influencers help Boxing overall or does it actually hurt the sport? Obviously, it is a question that can be viewed and answered in a variety of ways. 

 

The most obvious argument in favor of these bouts occurring on a regular basis is that it brings in a segment of the population that the sport of Boxing for whatever reason struggles to attract on an ongoing basis. This observer is referring to the casual fan. Normally when discussing the struggle Boxing faces in procuring the interest of a casual fan, yours truly will often use the term “Casual Sports fan.” A distinction of fan that can be defined as one with a general interest in sports, but not a thorough follower of any particular sport. In this case however, the term should be reduced slightly to “Casual fan” as a means of describing one who may be a fan of a certain celebrity or influencer, but may not watch sports on even a casual basis, much less Boxing.  

 

While one should not dismiss the viability of a casual fan as the aim for any sport should be to draw as many eyes as possible to it, do “Celebrity Boxing” bouts succeed in drawing the interest of those casual fans beyond the celebrity involvement? To be honest with the reader, I think the answer is a bit mixed and cannot be answered simply with a “Yes” or, a “No.” The reason for this is simply because the answer depends both on who you ask as well as the extent of the “Celebrity” involvement. 

 

To provide some context, let me take the reader back a few decades. In the early 2000’s the Fox television network here in the United States produced a series of specials titled “Fox Celebrity Boxing.” While the fights if you want to call them that, that occurred on these shows were not necessarily aimed at being taken seriously as a legitimate sporting endeavor, the bouts, which were held in front of a live studio audience did for a time generate interest amongst the public and as a result, the network did a handful of shows with the “Fox Celebrity Boxing” branding over a limited period of time. As someone who viewed these shows when they took place, but did not cover them, I understood that it was more than likely a ratings initiative by the network as the cards were held during the summer months, which usually was not the best time for a network to produce consistently good ratings outside of sports programming as many weekly scripted television programs were not in season during the summer months. I also understood not to take things too seriously as the way the show was presented was such that it was meant for entertainment rather than to be taken as necessarily legitimate Boxing contests. 

 

The reason why I cannot reminisce too much about the series is simple, it did not last long and it is questionable as to whether or not beyond mere curiosity that it had any impact whatsoever on the actual sport of Boxing whether it be positively or negatively. In more present times, the influx of “Celebrity Boxing” has been in the form of those who have achieved notoriety as either social media influencers or YouTube stars that have ventured into the sport. 

 

Readers may recall when this trend started, I stated that anyone who entered the sport from an outside realm would get a fair shake from me so long as the sport of Boxing was treated with respect and taken seriously as it should be for the reason being that it is a combat sport and as such those who participate in the sport are risking their lives each and every time they enter the ring. It is therefore important to me as someone who truly cares about the sport and wants to see it thrive, that it is not treated by those entering it from the outside as a joke, because reality is, it is anything but. 

 

In fairness, those like the Paul brothers and KSI (Real name Olajide Olatunji, who have had actual professional bouts on their respective Boxing resumes, at least on the surface appear to be treating the sport with some level of respect. The criticism that all three as well as others have faced, despite their pleas to be taken seriously as fighters is they have not yet competed against anyone with Boxing experience unless you count Logan Paul’s exhibition with Floyd Mayweather as a legitimate Boxing contest, which it was not, thus the exhibition distinction. 

 

While Logan Paul’s bother Jake, has tried twice thus far to get into a ring in a competitive Boxing match with a person with a Boxing background, as of yet, has been unsuccessful in getting a fight in the ring. Now, KSI following the withdrawal of scheduled opponent Alex Wassabi, who were scheduled to meet in a Boxing match that would headline a card broadcast on DAZN Pay-Per-View in some countries and part of a standard monthly or annual subscription on DAZN in others. With his desire to keep his scheduled August 27th date, KSI will now face two men on the card in the same night. 

 

While this is an obvious attempt by both KSI and the network to salvage the event, which will take place at the O2 Arena in London, England and be available through DAZN Pay-Per-View for an economically reasonable price of $9.99, and it does appear to be a gimmick by someone facing two opponents in the same evening, there is actually a precedent for such an event. Depending on one’s age, some may remember an event that took place in Toronto, CN in April 1975 where after losing the World Heavyweight championship to Muhammad Ali in October of 1974, George Foreman returned to the ring in an event classified as an exhibition where he faced five overmatched opponents in one night.  

 

Although such an event was designed as both a way for Foreman to get back into the ring following what would ultimately become the only knockout loss of his career, and as a publicity stunt in an attempt to re-establish Foreman’s scary aura as one of the sport’s feared “Knockout Artists,” the event was universally held in little regard due in part to the lack of quality opposition that Foreman faced on that evening.   

 

In this case, there is no such aura of intimidation or feared knockout power for KSI to establish, but competing in two exhibition bouts in one evening may appeal to some on the surface because it is something that is rarely done, even by seasoned professional boxers. Despite his limited professional Boxing experience, unlike his YouTube counterparts in the Paul brothers, KSI will facing at least one man with professional Boxing experience in facing a man by the name of Swarmz, who is known as a Rap artist. Swarmz, has never been in a Boxing ring before. KSI will however, begin the evening by facing Luis Pineda. 

 

 Both fights are not official professional bouts, but in regard to the Pineda bout, KSI will face a fighter with seven professional bouts, but one with a record of 2-5, with 0 Knockouts. It should also not be overlooked that Pineda, is a Jr. Middleweight, which has a weight limit of 154lbs. In his one professional bout in a rematch from an amateur bout against Logan Paul, KSI fought as a 190lb. Cruiserweight.  

 

While original opponent Alex Wassabi had to withdraw due to suffering a severe concussion while training for the bout with KSI, one should wonder just how successful this event will be both in terms of a live gate attraction and as well as an event for digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, who has vowed to only dip their toes into the pay-per-view realm on a sporadic basis. Even though the card featuring the two exhibition bouts is being sold in some countries including here in the United States and Canada at a more reasonable price of $9.99 compared to virtually all Boxing cards sold through pay-per-view, it is a fair question to ask how successful this event will be when all is said and done. 

 

What cannot be overlooked is networks like DAZN and the Paramount-owned Showtime have welcomed these social media influencers/ YouTube celebrities with open arms. While it cannot be discounted that there is a method to the networks madness in trying to get their network in front of demographics of fans that may not of otherwise given either much of a look, so far, the jury is still out as to whether or not it will have much long-term benefit to the sport of Boxing long-term, particularly in regard to Showtime who has willingly signed a multi-fight contract with Jake Paul to showcase him exclusively on the pay-per-view model, which thus far has produced mixed results. 

 

Although yours truly will be tuning into this exhibition event both for curiosity and as a Boxing scribe in the endless search for his next story/column, I feel it important both as a Boxing lifer, as someone with the best interest of the sport at heart, and as someone who listens to the criticism of the sport from everyone ranging from those involved in Boxing to those who are “Casual Sports fans” on a daily basis, to simply offer this caution to anyone watching this event. “No Expectations, No Disappointments.”  

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

 

KSI vs. Swarmz /KSI vs. Pineda takes place on Saturday, August 27th at the O2 Arena in London, England. The event can be seen in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on DAZN Pay-Per-View beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT (*U.S. Times and Pricing.) The card will be available outside of those markets as part of a standard monthly or annual subscription to DAZN’s streaming network.  

 

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, how to access this event in your region, 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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