Paul-Tyson: A Reality Check?

The event between social media influencer turned aspiring boxer Jake Paul and International Boxing Hall of Famer and two-time World Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was one that stirred much opinion, criticism, and worry for Tyson’s health given that he would be getting back into the ring at fifty-eight years of age, more than twenty years removed from his last competitive fight in 2005 and four years removed from a charity exhibition, which had been the only time he had entered a Boxing ring since retirement. It was also a circumstance that as most events featuring those labeled as “Influencers” going against an athlete or a celebrity in a Boxing ring drew significant interest, particularly among those who are casual sports observers. For better or worse, that was the target demographic of the promotion and not those for whom Boxing is a regular passion.

Part of the draw was of course the appeal of Mike Tyson, a fighter whom in his prime was the primary drawing card of his time in the sport where no matter who he fought, drew significant interest. The interest, which was rooted in the fact that he would often destroy his opponents with a mix of hand speed and punching power that had not been seen before. It was and is this appeal where even many years removed from that athletic prime, there are those who still have the images implanted in their minds of the great fighter Tyson was as well as what he meant to the sport. Perhaps this is the reason why so many people were willing to overlook the logical aspects of what was going to take place when Tyson climbed back into the ring against Paul. Logical aspects such as advanced age and the things that naturally occur in all of us as we get older. In the context of combat sports athletes, this means eroded skills and slowed reflexes as well as more often than not, not being able to have as much flexibility or reaction time as they had in their younger days.

In Tyson’s case, his appeal was and will likely remain strong simply because of what he meant to the sport and the fact that thanks to the advent of streaming, access to his fights where he was in his prime and scoring devastating knockouts is more accessible than ever, which makes it easier for those who were not around during that time to see what he was all about. As one who grew up recording fights and still watches as much Boxing from decades prior to when I came along, and as someone who was around during Tyson’s prime and one who got to cover him from the mid-1990s when I began my career covering combat sports, through his retirement, I concede that technology has certainly evolved and access to fight films both from many years gone by as well as current bouts, has come a long way since the days when I recorded all I could on VHS tapes. Having said that, what access to those classic bouts can do for those who are casual fans is at times provide a false sense of belief that what they might be watching, which can be decades old, would be similar to what they would see if a fighter from that time got back into the ring in the present day, neglecting the passage of time and what happens to someone as they age.

Fighters too often fall into this belief as there is always the mentality among fighters that even years after retirement, they always have one more fight in them. While there will always be debates among Boxing lifers such as this observer as to what might have happened if a great fighter from one era faced a fighter from a more recent time where both were in their prime form, the belief that fighters tend to have about always having one more in them regardless of those logical factors is something that worries yours truly.

In this case, there was evidence that had me voicing concern as many others had for Tyson’s health. As some will recall in previewing this event, I brought up a similar circumstance that occurred three years ago when former Tyson opponent and fellow Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield got back into the ring at the same age Tyson did against Paul fifty-eight, to compete in a bout against former MMA world champion Vitor Belfort. Out of respect for the reader and the fact that discussing what occurred that night in September 2021 still stirs feelings of disgust for what was allowed to go occur that evening and keeping in mind that I already discussed it prior to this event, I will surmise it by saying though Holyfield visually looked to be in immaculate condition for someone approaching sixty years old prior to getting into the ring, the effects of age as well as the punishment he had suffered throughout his long career were impossible to ignore as Holyfield could not maintain his balance or protect himself in what ended up being one of the many black eyes in the Boxing history.

In the lead-up to this fight, frankly, I had feelings similar to those I had in the days before Holyfield-Belfort. A sincere concern and worry for Tyson’s well-being given his age, despite the visual evidence that he looked to be in great condition for a former fighter at an advanced age. Unlike the circumstances with Holyfield, however, I did not get any information prior to this event that suggested to me that Tyson would be compromised as Holyfield was. Nevertheless, as one who has seen an endless number of fighters getting back into the ring at advanced ages with that belief of having at least one more fight in them, often leading to scenes that are difficult to watch, my concern remained. It is, however, important to keep in mind that Tyson was getting into a ring with someone, who was thirty-one years younger, but one who does not have the level of experience of a seasoned boxer, having built his career on facing MMA fighters, with little to no Boxing experience, a former NBA basketball player, fellow influencers, and having a 2-1, with 2 Knockouts record against those with strictly Boxing backgrounds. Based on this, there was at least some question as to what might happen if Tyson were able to land punches effectively, despite the age difference and facing someone who is a good athlete though limited in terms of Boxing experience.

Although the encounter, which took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on November 15th had slight modifications in the rules including two minute rounds and the use of sixteen ounce gloves and not the standard ten ounce gloves, which are used in standard Heavyweight fights, which seemed to at least on the surface benefit Tyson, it did not take long for reality to set in. Tyson appeared to show some flashes of what he once was early, applying pressure on Paul and landing a few hooks to the head. The obvious effects of advanced age appeared almost simultaneously as Tyson quickly found it difficult to use his legs to execute his lateral movement and had some trouble using his head movement to evade Paul’s longer reach and get on the inside where he could do damage. Paul was also able to clip Tyson with a few good punches throughout the scheduled eight round bout that seemed to stagger his legs. 

As the bout progressed, Tyson showed less and less movement, less and less ability to land punches, and the only question I had in my mind was whether he would be allowed to finish the contest. Although Jake Paul has been the subject of much criticism including from this observer for seemingly thinking that one can build a legitimate Boxing career and get into position to fight for world championships by facing the types of opposition he has, none of which has come against a serious contender in any division, he did show some class and humility in this encounter by clearly not pressing the issue where he likely would have stopped Tyson and allowing the legend to go the distance in what was an uneventful contest, which though classified as an official fight, which Paul won by margins of eight rounds to zero on one scorecard and seven rounds to one on the other two, should have been designated as an exhibition.

Despite the criticisms of many, including yours truly of Paul for the aforementioned reasons, there is no disputing he has established himself as one of the sport’s rising promoters and he has done good for the sport in giving a platform for young fighters through his Most Valuable Promotions promotional company as well as being a strong advocate for Women’s Boxing, which I do respect. It was his promotional savvy that likely inspired digital streaming subscription entertainment network Netflix to get involved in the sport as the Tyson-Paul event was the first Boxing event ever to be shown by the network. While that also led to significant issues throughout the live broadcast due to the network having issues with their servers, which caused significant outages and buffering issues throughout the world for many trying to access the event, the accomplishment of bringing Boxing to such a massive platform is something that cannot be denied even though it should prepare the network for future live programming in wanting to ensure that their subscribers have as seamless an experience streaming live content as possible. Although by all accounts the event also succeeded in terms of a live gate attraction in reportedly drawing 70,000 spectators to AT&T Stadium, something that also deserves credit where it is due, the question that needs to be asked coming out of this event is should Paul-Tyson be a reality check?

A reality check in the sense that even though it clearly drew a lot of interest, it was still a scenario where an aspiring boxer shared the ring with someone who was many years removed from active competition and one who probably should not have been in the ring at fifty-eight years old. Though such events for better or worse do draw interest, for one who insists he wants to be taken seriously as a professional boxer, who says he wants to be a world champion as Paul does, taking part in events like this does not help his argument. As far as the interest this particular event drew, while nothing can be taken away from it in terms of a successful promotion, the reality is, events like this will only succeed so far as it becomes more and more clear that it is not a competitive situation and while the aim of such events is strictly to draw the interest of the casual observer, such interest will only last so long where it will succeed and if Paul as well as others who have come into Boxing from outside realms, who all want to be taken seriously, do not start facing serious boxers, who are working towards fighting for a world championship, the “Curiosity” factor, which seems to be the aim to draw casual observers, will not be there. 

For now, this observer will congratulate Paul on another successful promotion. More importantly, yours truly is thankful that Mike Tyson did not get seriously hurt and that those of us who cover the sport are not talking about a tragedy or near tragedy occurring as was the case with Holyfield-Belfort. However, I believe that state athletic commissions need to implement common sense where such bouts are not green-lit and allowed to go on. Not only due to the significant age differences, but more importantly due to the obvious dangers that exist as well as what was, and will likely continue to be a significant difference in competition. At some point, those who regulate and sanction the sport need to step up to ensure the integrity of the sport is a priority. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Anthony Joshua Makes A Statement In Knocking Out Ngannou

The Heavyweight fight between two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former UFC Heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou was a spectacle that was right in line with several of what this observer refers to as “Novelty" fights featuring either the top stars of the sports of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or celebrities from other realms that for one reason or another decide to enter Combat Sports. What made this particular encounter different was the fact that Francis Ngannou had proven in his previous foray into Boxing that he had the potential to transition to a career as a professional boxer in October of last year in putting forth an impressive showing against undefeated current WBC Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

Not only did Ngannou score a shocking knockdown of Fury, a two-time world champion, who was expected to outclass Ngannou primarily based on the significant experience gap between the two, but by the time the fight was over, Ngannou had succeeded in turning many skeptics into believers in dropping what was seen as a controversial ten round split decision that many, this observer included, felt he deserved the victory. It was off of that performance that the term “Novelty" was removed regarding Ngannou and the question of how he would do in his next fight in the Boxing ring began to stir and over the ensuing months gained more and more buzz.

Although he would have been justified to seek what some might call lesser opposition, if nothing else, as a means of gaining more experience in what was and is a new sport for him, Ngannou chose to face another proven commodity in the form of former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua on March 8th in the same location as his bout with Fury, The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Even though there was no world title at stake in this fight, the atmosphere was one that some Boxing fans might associate with some of the major Boxing events that have taken place in Las Vegas.

Despite his impressive showing against an under-prepared champion, who underestimated him, Ngannou faced a similar challenge in this fight in going against a two-time world champion, who is still a top contender and one might even say had a higher overall pedigree than Fury. It was also worth noting, despite suffering some setbacks in his career, Anthony Joshua has always been a well-conditioned fighter who was not likely to make a similar error in treating his bout with Ngannou with a seemingly “Kid Gloves" approach as Furry did.

Joshua made it a definite that this would be a different flight and it took only a short time for him to show that he did take Ngannou seriously and prepared accordingly. The approach Joshua implemented in this fight was one of fundamentals and patience. Upon the opening bell, the former two-time Heavyweight world champion established that he would vary his approach of Ngannou by looking to land jabs to the body as well as changing levels and looking to maintain distance between himself and the former UFC Heavyweight world champion.

As he had done last October in his fight against Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou attempted to land hooks and tried to set up opportunities for himself to counter Joshua. The primary difference between Joshua and Fury however, was one fighter had a lackadaisical approach, was not disciplined, and left opens that frankly made him look amateurish that Ngannou was able to exploit to a certain degree. Joshua's approach meanwhile had discipline at its core, and Ngannou was not able to take advantage of openings because there were not as many opportunities as there were when he fought Fury. Joshua was also defensively responsible in doing what he could to try and avoid the majority of wide hooks thrown by Ngannou, which were mostly blocked or deflected by Joshua's gloves and defensive guard.

The patience Joshua showed in simply biding his time and waiting for an opening came late in the first round when he dropped Ngannou hard with a perfectly timed and beautifully thrown straight right hand down the middle, which hit Ngannou flush on the chin and sent him down to the canvas. Despite being dropped, to his credit, Ngannou was able to get up from the knockdown and did connect with a hook to the head of Joshua before the round was over.

Nevertheless, a point had been proven in the opening round that unlike Fury, the still unbeaten holder of the WBC world championship in the Heavyweight division, Anthony Joshua took his assignment more seriously against Ngannou and was intent on making a statement in this fight. It would not be long before Joshua would accomplish what seemed to be a clear mission to send a message to not only Fury, not only Oleksandr Usuk, who ended his second reign as a world champion and retained his portion of the World Heavyweight championship over Joshua in a hotly contested rematch, but to the whole Heavyweight division.

As he had done in the first round, Joshua maintained his patience at the start of round two and did not recklessly approach Ngannou in trying to force a finish to the fight. A change for Joshua who has been susceptible to being caught when he has gotten overly aggressive in the past. This time, he simply waited for his opportunity. When the opportunity arose, Joshua dropped Ngannou for the second time with a right hook to the jaw. Although he was clearly stunned and had a look on his face that indicated that he did not know what hit him, Ngannou showed his heart by once again getting up from the knockdown. Joshua, one of the most devastating finishers in the sport, quickly walked across the ring and ended matters by decking Ngannou with a brutal straight right hand that momentarily knocked Ngannou out cold. The fight was over.

As brutal and infatic as Joshua's knockout of Francis Ngannou was in only taking a round and a half to end the night for a fighter who may still go on to be a player in the division if he chooses to remain in Boxing, the reality is, this is what Anthony Joshua as a world-class boxer, who is a two-time world champion should have been expected to do against a fighter in Ngannou, who only had one professional fight as a boxer. If one is being honest, they would also say that the same was expected of Tyson Fury, a man who is still atop the division, despite turning in what frankly should be viewed as an embarrassing performance as well as questionable scoring, which allowed him to remain unbeaten when he fought Ngannou.

While this does not take anything away from Francis Ngannou, ultimately, another point was proven in this fight that has been proven several times when Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters step into a Boxing ring against boxers who are primarily trained for Boxing, and when boxers choose to venture into an MMA ring or cage. Not only are Boxing and MMA two different sports and should be viewed as such, despite Boxing being a martial art/discipline, but also regardless of whether it is a Boxing ring or under an MMA format, a fighter venturing into a sport that is not their primary discipline in which they compete. will be at a competitive disadvantage both in terms of experience as well as overall skill compared to an opponent that primarily competes in that sport most of the time.

Francis Ngannou deserves all the credit in the world for rolling the dice and venturing into a different sport in the middle of his competitive prime. It is something that takes guts and one should also not underestimate the learning curve that is involved for a fighter switching sports at an advanced age. While we live in a time where anyone, regardless of background or credibility can share their point of view and are likely voicing opinions that may mock him based on the end result of this fight, the fact is Francis Ngannou has stepped in the ring with two of the best Heavyweight boxers in the world in his two fights as a professional boxer. Although he has yet to score an official victory, credit should be given where it is due. 

While there will also likely be calls for him to return to MMA, Ngannou still has value in Boxing and will likely still be able to secure significant paydays off of his name value. What this knockout loss should show him however, is he needs time to polish and refine his Boxing skills. No different than any other fighter just starting in the sport. If he remains committed to Boxing, gives himself adequate time to learn and is able to face opponents that one would expect to face as they develop, who range from just starting their careers to those fighters with some experience that can serve as helping a fighter in their development/learning process, and if he is able to develop under the guidance of experienced Boxing trainers, Francis Ngannou could still end up being a player in the Heavyweight division.

As is being learned by the various YouTubers/Influencers and others that venture into Boxing from other realms, very seldom is one able to start their career at the very top and succeed. Some may choose to try and take shortcuts, but ultimately the process of learning the fundamentals of the sport, polishing and refining one’s skills, which will always be a work in progress even for those at the very top of the sport, as well as a fundamental understanding of how the sport is structured, needs to be respected. Francis Ngannou has nothing to be ashamed of. If he is truly committed to Boxing and is willing to take the time required to go through the aforementioned learning process that the sport demands, his knockout at the hands of Anthony Joshua will be a chapter of his career as a boxer, not the end of the story.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Will Ngannou Continue To Turn Heads Against Joshua?

In October of last year in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, former UFC World Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou shocked many in the Boxing world when in the latest novelty event featuring Mixed Martial Arts fighters stepping into the Boxing ring to face a star of the sweet science, he not only decked undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury with a left hook in the third round of the scheduled ten round bout, but, despite coming out on the losing end of a controversial split decision, emerged as the winner in the view of many where, Fury, the current WBC world champion in the Heavyweight division put in a lackluster performance against a fighter with no previous professional Boxing experience. When one considers that the bout between Ngannou and Fury was thought to be at minimum a curiosity and at most was expected to be a mismatch due to the difference in experience between Fury one of two current world champions in the Heavyweight division, and Ngannou, who recently parted ways with the UFC and was never defeated for his world title in the sport of MMA, Ngannou’s performance was one that certainly turned heads. Not only was it an unexpected performance in the eyes of many, but it was impressive to such degree that it brought Ngannou’s future into question as in whether he would continue to compete in Boxing, or if he would return to MMA where he had recently signed a multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) promotion.

It was not just that he scored a knockdown of a current Heavyweight world champion, but it was also the fact that he had Fury missing wildly throughout the fight, unable to keep his balance, and hurt periodically after the knockdown, which gave the impression that Ngannou may indeed have a future as a Heavyweight boxer. While this observer felt that Ngannou deserved the decision against Fury, who appeared to clearly take him lightly, I came away from that fight openly wondering when Ngannou would enter the Boxing ring again as well as calling for a rematch with Fury, who had a scheduled bout with undefeated unified WBO/IBF/WBA/IBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk for what will be the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world prior to the bout with Ngannou, a fight that still has yet to take place as of this writing.

Although the fact that the fight between Fury and Usyk was signed prior to his non-title bout against Ngannou taking place left the impression of some that perhaps the scoring of the bout was perhaps influenced with the knowledge of that undisputed championship fight being in the pipeline, and perhaps not wanting to give a victory, which appeared clear, to a fighter with no experience over a current Heavyweight world champion, Ngannou still emerged looking as though he might have a bright future as a boxer. It was not long before Ngannou’s next potential opponent was being discussed when it became clear that Fury was going towards at least in theory, a showdown with Usyk. Enter Anthony Joshua.

Joshua, a former two-time Heavyweight world champion and current top contender will be the next to test Ngannou’s Boxing skills when the two meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a bout that can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View. This fight seems as though it may be more favorable to Ngannou at least in terms of style. Joshua is known for his punching power and likes to come forward compared to Fury, who is a fighter with an awkward Boxing style with an emphasis on counter punching. Joshua has fought three times since losing a bid to become a three-time world champion in a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022. Of those three bouts, Joshua has scored knockouts in two of them including a stoppage of Otto Wallin in December of last year.

While much like Ngannou’s bout with Fury, there remains a curiosity, this fight may be viewed as more legitimate because now there is at least some evidence as to what Francis Ngannou can do in the Boxing ring. What may be different this time is Joshua has been more active than Fury had been prior to when he fought Ngannou and Joshua has always been a well conditioned fighter, whereas Fury has gone through periods where he has looked good, but has also allowed his weight to balloon where his performances have not been as impressive as when he appears to be in shape. Whether or not Joshua’s activity will make a difference going into this fight remains to be seen. 

What one should keep in mind as this fight approaches is a fight can end at any point with one punch and this especially holds true for the Heavyweight division. Despite being more experienced than his opponent, Anthony Joshua has been caught before and knocked down in his career as well as suffering one knockout loss at the hands of Andy Ruiz, when Joshua’s first reign as a world champion ended in June 2019. Although we do not know what will happen if Francis Ngannou gets hurt in a Boxing ring as of yet, he did show in his fight against Fury that his punching power, regarded as among the best in MMA, did carry over to Boxing and it will be interesting to see if he will be able to land solidly on Joshua, who is also a former Olympic Gold medalist. 

While it’s been more than a decade since Joshua won Olympic Gold in the 2012 Summer Olympics, the fact that he does have an Olympic background underscores the experience disadvantage Ngannou faces here in addition to Joshua’s professional accolades. The former two-time Heavyweight world champion, also having seen what Ngannou can do, will likely not be approaching this fight with a kid gloves mindset. Joshua is also taking a significant risk here in this fight in terms of his standing currently in hoping to secure another opportunity to become world champion. A loss to Francis Ngannou will likely not be a career ender for Joshua, but it will likely remove him from potentially being in line to fight for a world title in the near future. A win for Ngannou will catapult him into a list of contenders and will likely cement that his future may be in the Boxing ring and not in MMA.

A fight that is a curiosity, but one with potentially high stakes for both fighters. There truly is nothing like a Heavyweight fight where both fighters are capable of ending matters at any time with either hand. If this turns out to be as competitive as Fury-Ngannou turned out to be, it will no longer be a curiosity, it will be simply who is the better fighter.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Joshua vs. Ngannou takes place on Friday, March 8th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $38.99 beginning at 11AM ET/8AM PT. 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, to subscribe and order this special pay-per-view event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Fury-Ngannou Boxing's Latest Spectacle

In August 2017, the Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) worlds were consumed by a fight that was a legitimate mega event in terms of interest. This observer is referring to the encounter between Boxing Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather and two-division UFC world champion Connor McGregor, which took place in Las Vegas, NV and was one of the last successful pay-per-view attractions to draw a significant buyrate of over four million buys. The action in the ring that August evening favored the experienced boxer Mayweather, who stopped a very "Game" McGregor in ten rounds.

The Mayweather-McGregor fight followed a familiar pattern in the realm of combat sports. In that when a fighter from one combat sport ventures into another combat sport where they do not have experience in terms of that sport being their primary discipline, the results often are not favorable for that fighter and more often than not, such bouts tend to be regarded as mismatches when all is said and done. This has been seen in both spectrums in boxers venturing into MMA as future Hall of Famer James Toney did when he faced UFC Hall of Famer and two-division world champion Randy Couture and was quickly taken down to the canvas and submitted, and the aforementioned encounter between McGregor and Mayweather, held in Mayweather's realm, the Boxing ring. Although unlike Toney, McGregor was able to hold his own for a period of time in that fight, the results of both bouts were similar, the inexperienced fighter, who ventured into a different sport, ultimately being out classed and stopped by a fighter who's primary combat discipline was the format in which the fight was held. 

Despite those two clear and indisputable results, there still remains a fascination in "Boxing vs. MMA" bouts in both sports. Such an event will take place on Saturday, October 28th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, current holder of the WBC World Heavyweight championship, will face former UFC Heavyweight world champion Frances Ngannou in a bout that can be seen on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View in the United States. The scheduled ten round bout, is either an exhibition or an official bout depending on who one asks. One thing that can be confirmed is the WBC's version of the World Heavyweight championship will not be on the line in this bout. If this will indeed be an official professional bout, as Mayweather-McGregor was, it will mark Ngannou's debut as a professional boxer.

Obviously, the main selling point of this fight as almost all "Boxing vs. MMA" bouts can be summed up in one word, "Curiosity.* No matter how many times these types of bouts take place, no matter how lopsided the fights might be in favor of one fighter, there will always be the element of both "Curiosity" and "What If's" that will surround it. Despite the aforementioned examples of lopsided or one-sided outcomes in fights like this that have taken place in the past, there are also notable exceptions, which probably contribute in some way to the "Curiosity" and "What If's" prior to a fight such as this. 

Many will recall former WBO World Heavyweight champion Ray Mercer, who after a long and successful career as a boxer, ventured into the sport of MMA and scored a one punch knockout of former UFC Heavyweight world champion Tim Sylvia in 2009. Others are likely familiar with the careers of former Boxing world champions Troy Dorsey and Chris Algieri, two fighters who prior to their respective careers in professional Boxing, had won world championships as professional Kickboxers. While rare, a fighter being able to have success in more than one combat sport has been done before.

Will Frances Ngannou be able to add his name to that select list. One thing the former UFC Heavyweight world champion has going for him is in his MMA career, he has shown that he is extremely heavy-handed and has scored knockouts in ten of his seventeen career wins, most via punches. The question here is whether or not he will be able to use that punching power against a world-class boxer who just happens to be one of two fighters who has a legitimate claim to the World Heavyweight championship. While many MMA fighters do train in Boxing in preparation for their bouts as Boxing is after all a martial art, there is a difference between the two sports and even though nothing can be taken away from what Ngannou has been able to accomplish in his MMA career, this will be his first fight in a Boxing ring with a pair of Boxing gloves on and not the open-handed one ounce MMA gloves, which for all intents and purposes is one step away from fighting under Bareknuckle rules. It is indisputable that Ngannou has power in both hands, but the difference in skill level in terms of Boxing between his previous MMA opponents and a seasoned professional boxer as well as wearing eight ounce Boxing gloves are likely to play a factor here.

One must also keep in mind that Tyson Fury is a very elusive and awkward fighter that has deceptive punching power in both hands. Fury has also shown more than once they he can get up from being knocked down under circumstances where other fighters likely would not have gotten up, something that Ngannou has obviously yet to prove in terms of in a Boxing ring. Ngannou does have what could turn out to be an asset in his corner in the form of former two-time Heavyweight world champion and Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, the man who Tyson Fury was named after, as his trainer. Although some may feel the addition of Mike Tyson might be more for show, Tyson was groomed to be a fighter by the legendary late great Cus D'Amato,who taught him a style with an emphasis on head movement, hand speed, and punching power. With this being the first time that Tyson has been in the capacity of a trainer, it will be interesting to see what he has taught Ngannou in terms of implementing a Boxing style that might be effective. It is also worth noting that a major element of Tyson's Boxing education under D'Amato was significant film study sessions that also molded Tyson into one of the sport's noted historians. What makes this potentially noteworthy is that by learning through film study as well as other methods taught by D'Amato, Tyson was also exposed to a variety of styles in addition to the one that he was trained by D'Amato to use. Therefore, if Tyson has indeed been training Ngannou and this is not a mere publicity tactic to generate interest in this fight, one should not necessarily expect an attempt of implementing a style similar to what Tyson used in his prime. Tyson nevertheless is very knowledgeable on just about every known Boxing style and it would be wise for Ngannou to at minimum seek his advice.

As for Tyson Fury, it is questionable just how seriously he is taking this fight whether it is an exhibition or not. Why would there be questions regarding that? As some know, Fury recently signed a contract for a fight with undefeated WBO/IBF/WBA/IBO Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk for what would be for the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world. A fight that could be scheduled as soon as this coming December depending on both the outcome of this fight as well as any potential injuries that Fury might sustain. It might be possible based on the fact that Fury signed the contract before this fight takes place that he might be treating it lightly.

Whatever the case might be, whether this is an exhibition or not, the eyes of the combat sports world will nevertheless be focused on this event. It would be nice for a change considering that Boxing is a consistent target of ridicule if there was not anything negative that emerged from this fight. To go a step further, it would also be nice if we also saw a competitive contest, which is something that many are not expecting.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Fury vs. Ngannou takes place on Saturday, October 28th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight as well as its undercard can be seen in the United States on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View  beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT for $79.99. The card will also be available through traditional cable/satellite Telco providers. Contact your local cable/satellite provider for ordering information.

ESPN+ and select ESPN+ Pay-Per-View events are available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. To order this pay-per-view event through ESPN+ to watch on the device of your choice, download the ESPN app, find Fury vs. Ngannou in the Boxing section of upcoming programming and follow the instructions to order within the app or Click Here for both ordering information and for instructions on how to download the ESPN app on your streaming device of choice.

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Slaveski Wins World Welterweight Championship At BKFC 49

Undefeated Welterweight Gorjan Slaveski successfully went from contender to world champion by scoring a hard fought five round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Jake Lindsey to win the vacant Bareknuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) Welterweight world championship on Friday night at the Miami-Dade Fairgrounds in Miami, FL. The main event of BKFC 49 turned out to be an ugly, grueling, and great fight all in one. 

A fight that began almost exclusively with both fighters trying to tee off on each other on the inside including trying to fight and grapple in the clinch, similar to what you would see in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), but not something that is legal in Boxing including Bareknuckle Boxing. As the bout went on however, both fighters had their share of moments in what became a seesaw battle in terms of momentum as both fighters landed hard, thudding punches to the head that frankly would have dropped many of fighters. Despite suffering an injury to his right hand as the fight was entering the latter rounds where his knuckles were bleeding heavily, Lindsey managed to seemingly keep the fight close, but it was the harder punches of Slaveski that ultimately prevailed in a grueling back and forth contest as he would win the fight and the world championship via unanimous decision.Official scores were: 49-46, and 48-47 (On two scorecards)  in favor of Slaveski.

Gorjan Slaveski advances to 6-0, with 4 Knockouts. Jake Lindsey falls to 4-1, with 4 Knockouts. 

Also on this card:

Unbeaten Lightweight Bryce Henry scored a first round knockout of  Tom Shoaff. A right hook followed by a barrage of punches put Shoaff down. Shoaff signaled to Referee Sam Burgos as he was counting that he did not want to continue. Official time of the stoppage was 1:29 of round one. Bryce Henry advances to 3-0, with 3 KO’s. Tom Shoaff falls to 4-5, with 4 Knockouts.

Undefeated Featherweight Bryan Duran scored a first round knockout of Dakota Highpine. A fight where both fighters threw punches with knockout intentions, a perfectly timed counter right hook that landed on the forehead of Highpine sent him down and out on the canvas. Official time of the stoppage was :48 of round one. Bryan Duran advances to 5-0, with 5 Knockouts. Dakota Highpine falls to 1-2, with 0 Knockouts.  

In a battle of unbeaten Bantamweights, Justin Sanchez scored a five round unanimous decision over Quinton Foye. A closely fought bout from the opening bell, Sanchez landed more punches, particularly to the body of Foye down the stretch to earn a unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 48-47, 49-46, and 48-47 in favor of Sanchez. Justin Sancez advances to 2-0, with 0 Knockouts. Quinton Foye falls to 1-1, with 0 Knockouts.

Also in the Bantamweight division, unbeaten Alberto Rodriguez scored a first round knockout of a debuting Jaoa Guerra. A right hand, left hook combination quickly dropped Guerra. Rodriguez closed the show with a follow up combination, which sent Guerra down for a second time. Although Guerra got up, he took his mouthpiece out and shook his head as the ten count was reached. Official time of the stoppage was :51 of round one. Alberto Rodriguez advances to 3-0, with 3 Knockouts. Jaoa Guerra falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockout.

Featherweight Howard Davis scored a first round knockout of Jeff Chiffens. Davis opened a gash on the left side of Chiffens’ head with a right hook immediately upon the fight starting. A right uppercut to the face sent Chiffens down. As Chiffens was being counted out, he was shaking his head, which resulted in the bout being stopped before the count was completed.  Official time of the stoppage was 1:12 of round one. Howard Davis advances to 6-1-1, with 5 Knockouts. Jeff Chiffens falls to 4-6, with 1 Knockout.

Lightweight Joshua Alvarez scored a first round knockout of a debuting Aaron Sutterfield. A left uppercut to the head sent Sutterfield down on his hands and knees in the middle of the ring. Sutterfield was very “Game” and tried to get up, but was unable to beat the count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:29 of round one. Joshua Alvarez advances to 4-3, with 3 Knockouts. Aaron Sutterfield falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts. 

Women’s Strawweight Laddy Mejia pounded out a five round split decision over Sarah Click to successfully make her professional Bareknuckle Boxing debut. A competitive fight that was fought at a surprising tactical pace for a Bareknuckle fight, Mejia was able to land the harder punches over the final three rounds to earn the decision victory.  Official scores were: 48-47 (Click), and 49-46, 48-47 for Laddy Mejia. Laddy Meija advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Sarah Click falls to 0-3, with 0 Knockouts. 

Undefeated Bantamweight Matthew Russo scored a first round knockout of a debuting  Jaymes Hyder. An overhand right to the head staggered Hyder, which Russo followed by a right hook to the jaw that sent Hyder down on his back for the ten count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:16 of round one. Matthew Russo advances to 2-0, with 2 Knockouts Jaymes Hyder falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts. 

In a Featherweight rematch from April of this year, Freddy Masabo avenged his only loss by scoring a five round unanimous decision over Bovar Khanakov. The story of this fight was the movement and combination punching of Masabo as he frequently beat Khanakov to the punch. Khanakov suffered two severe cuts over his right eye and on the bridge of his nose in the first round and he was unable to get the ebb and flow of the combat to shift in his favor.  Official scores were: 48-47 (On all three scorecards) in favor of Masabo. Freddy Masabo advances to 3-1, with 2 Knockouts. Bovar Khanakov falls to 3-2, with 0 Knockouts.

Cruiserweight action began the evening as John Escoboza scored a hard fought five round majority decision over previously undefeated Esteban Rodriguez. A high pace slugfest from the opening bell, Escoboza’s cleaner punches, particularly in landing his right hand to the head of Rodriguez, which opened a bad cut over his left eye in the first round ultimately gave him the edge. Escoboza scored a knockdown of Rodriguez with a right hand that appeared to land on the side of the head in the second round. Official scores were: 47-47, (Even) 48-46 (On two scorecards) in favor of Escoboza. John Escoboza advances to 8-1, with 4 Knockouts. Esteban Rodriguez falls to 2-1, with 2 Knockouts.

BKFC 49 brought to a close two nights of Bareknuckle Boxing cards promoted by the Bareknuckle Fighting Championship and its founder David Feldman. A modernized form of Bareknuckle Boxing that is still growing, as the promotion prepares for its fiftieth numbered card next month, a successful debut of its prospects series on August 24th, and continued international expansion including in Bulgaria later this year, the BKFC has laid out what this observer believes is a successful blueprint for other Bareknuckle promoters to try and follow including, but not limited to the adaption of a universal rules standard as approved by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC). 

In many ways, the rate at which the Bareknuckle portion of the sport of Boxing has been able to grow has in some ways not faced as much opposition and resistance as the sport of MMA did for many years after it's inception here in the United States in organized form in the early 1990's. It is something that should be seen as a positive in a sport that is always the subject of ridicule for its negatives. Especially, if not only safety standards continue to be followed and improve, but also if it continues to provide more options to fighters across all combat sports. 

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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Paul-Fury: What We Learned

The question that this observer asked in the days prior to the scheduled Cruiserweight encounter between unbeaten hopefuls Jake Paul and Tommy Fury was whether the third attempt to get the two to face off in the ring would finally result in an actual fight between the two. While I did little to hide my cynicism in asking that question, it was fair to ask after two previous cancellations and a lot of grandstanding between the two and their respective teams that can be described in a single word. “Nonsense.” After those cancellations and endless verbal exchanges between the two, it finally culminated in two men, each very much trying to prove themselves as boxers meeting in a Boxing ring in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the skepticism and cynicism of yours truly prior to the scheduled bout on February 26th, what resulted when it was time for the two men to do battle turned out to be a pleasant surprise. What was surprising? After all the “Nonsense,” the Boxing world was actually treated to a competitive fight. Although if one is objective they would say that both Paul and Fury were at a similar stage in their respective forays in the sport in neither having faced a prospect going into the bout, the difference in experience was apparent from the opening bell in that Tommy Fury’s background in Boxing as a primary discipline showed itself almost immediately.

One thing that stood out that Fury was able to do that previous opponents Jake Paul had faced, who predominantly came from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), was he used his jab as a primary weapon. Fury’s jab accomplished two things. The first was obviously being able to hit Paul with it as well as being able to use it to both control distance and set up other offensive opportunities and combinations. Secondly, Fury’s use of the jab allowed him to both set the tempo of the combat as well as to be first with his punches. The combination of these aspects did not allow Paul to get into a rhythm and also exposed inexperience in terms of knowing how to deal with a crafty boxer.

Although Paul had established punching power in his previous fights, particularly with his right hand, he appeared dependent on landing it in this fight, appeared to telegraph his punches, and did not appear to know how to set up his offense from a technical as well as tactical standpoint. An additional aspect that was missing from Paul’s approach that can be attributed to inexperience is he also did not seem to know how to try and cut the ring off from Fury, which may have limited Fury’s ability to move. Despite the bout being fought in an eighteen foot ring, smaller than a traditional 20x20 ring, which seemed to favor Paul as the power puncher, Fury did not seem bothered by the smaller ring and continued to get his punches off first. What also added to the difficulty for Paul from a defensive standpoint is he did not move his head as Fury threw his jabs and eventual combinations. This resulted in Paul being hit much more frequently than had been the case in his previous fights.

To Paul’s credit however, he took the punches Fury dished out and kept coming forward, which if one is objective you should respect it as he proved he can take a punch and that is something that all boxers regardless of how they enter the sport eventually have to prove. Despite his inexperience, Paul did hang in there and did manage to land power punches as the fight progressed even though he could not take control of the tempo of the combat. As Tommy Fury also had questions regarding his ability to take a punch, he was also able to show an ability to take punches when Paul was able to connect.

Although I felt that Fury was ahead as the fight progressed due largely to his ability to out box Paul, both fighters would be penalized a point for rough housing while in clinches and Paul was able to connect with a short jab at the beginning of the eighth and final round, which knocked Fury to the canvas. While this was the definition of what is often referred to in the sport as a  “Flash Knockdown” in that Fury was caught off balance and subsequently went down, despite not appearing to be hurt, his gloves nevertheless did touch the canvas and it was thus a clean knockdown.

The two point deductions, plus the knockdown against Fury in the final round did complicate things slightly in terms of the scoring of the fight at the conclusion of the eight round bout. Unofficially, I arrived at a score of 76-73 in favor of Fury having scored the eighth round 10-9 in favor of Paul. While rounds in which a knockdown is scored is usually scored 10-8 in favor of the fighter that scored the knockdown, there are instances where a round can be scored 10-9. This was such an instance where the knockdown of Fury occurred in the early seconds of the final round and he was able to get up and arguably win the remainder of the round, thus resulting in a 10-9 score from yours truly, but it is subjective and often boils down to a judge’s discretion. Coincidentally, my final score of 76-73 in favor of Fury ended up being the same as two of the three official judges, which resulted in Fury winning a split decision.

Although I am curious to know how the three judges scored that eighth round, which due to each fighter previously being penalized a point, turned out to be crucial in terms of the scoring of this fight, I felt Fury simply did too much over the course of the fight to not get the decision. Paul did seem to land the harder punches when he was able to land on Fury, and this in addition to the knockdown he was able to score is what likely resulted in one official judges giving him the nod by a single point 75-74. From my perspective, Paul was not able to do enough over the course of the fight and that is ultimately what led to how I saw the fight in terms of scoring.

As for what will come from this fight, Tommy Fury will supposedly earn a ranking in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Cruiserweight ratings. Where exactly Fury will be placed is not known, but there is also a possibility of a rematch between he and Paul as Paul does have a rematch clause. For Jake Paul, if he were to exercise that clause, he will need to go back and not only study this fight thoroughly, but he will also need to make adjustments particularly with regard to learning head movement and defense if he wants to be successful in a potential rematch.

Ultimately, what we learned from this fight is that both Jake Paul and Tommy Fury were indeed serious and it turned out to be a better fight than many had expected. What should also be learned here is if one truly wants to be a boxer, they will need experience against those who have backgrounds in the sport if they want to succeed and there is only so far one will go by choosing to face those who do not have backgrounds in Boxing. While what is now referred to as “Crossover Boxing,” or “Influencer Boxing” where those who come into the sport from other realms will face fellow celebrities and or other combat sports veterans with either limited or no Boxing experience will likely continue as long as it appeals to the casual fan, at the end of the day, the standard of the sport of Boxing needs to be respected as well as the obvious dangers the sport also poses to one’s health. It is not something that can be treated with kid gloves.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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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