<ul class="summary-list"><li>Matchroom <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">Boxing</keyword> is ending its 25-year association with Sky in the UK.</li><li>It instead begins a new, five-year deal with DAZN beginning July 31 worth upwards of $100 million.</li><li>Matchroom boss <keyword id="2268473" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Eddie-Hearn">Eddie Hearn</keyword> spoke to Insider ahead of the announcement of the deal.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boxing</a> promoter Eddie Hearn sits in his office at Matchroom HQ, a mansion in a leafy village 30 miles east of London, and looks out to his 15-acre gardens during an interview with Insider.He recalls a landmark series of events he held during a coronavirus-enforced lockdown last year called <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-matchroom-and-eddie-hearn-will-restart-boxing-during-coronavirus-2020-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Fight Camp,"</a> and announces to us that it is happening all over again.Matchroom Boxing held "Fight Camp" on the lawns of an estate which boasts a helipad, a swimming pool, and, on a clear day, views of London's skyline.There were fights, fireworks, and one of the upsets of the year when <a href="https://www.insider.com/watch-povetkin-score-stunning-knockout-of-the-year-contender-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexander Povetkin knocked Dillian Whyte unconscious for several minutes with a thunderous uppercut</a>.On July 31, for three consecutive weekends, "Fight Camp" and all the pyrotechnics that come with it, returns to Hearn's lawns.This time, though, the look of the events will be different. Fans, for one thing, will be present as the UK finalizes the last leg of its roadmap out of lockdown.Perhaps most notably though, the branding will be different.Gone will be hoardings bearing the logo of Sky <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">Sports</keyword>, and in their place will be that of DAZN. On Thursday, Matchroom announced a five-year deal with DAZN in the UK worth at least £100 million.It has been a long time coming. Matchroom and DAZN have pre-existing broadcast partnerships elsewhere, notably in the United States - a market Hearn yearns to break.But the furthering of that relationship in the UK means Matchroom finishes a 25-year relationship it had with Sky. And though the finances on offer at DAZN were substantial, Hearn told Insider that it's not all about the money."We went with the budget that allowed us to build the fight nights and make the fights that we want to for our schedule and our fighters," Hearn told Insider in an interview ahead of the deal's announcement."And that's so important because the growth of fighter purses is moving much more steeply than the growth of rights fees."To make big fights or fight nights we were too reliant on the pay-per-view model [at Sky]. I stand by the fact we delivered value for money on those nights, but we were still arm-wrestling and asking subscribers to put their hands in their pockets."So this deal, this model, gave us the opportunity to change that."Notable features of Matchroom's new deal with DAZN in the UK, according to Hearn:<ul><li>It will last five years, beginning July 31 with a three-event "Fight Camp" residency at Matchroom HQ.</li><li>It is worth at least £100 million ($141 million). The exact figure has not been revealed.</li><li>Matchroom will be contracted to produce a minimum of 16 UK shows annually, in addition to its global offering.</li><li>There is an increased budget for fight nights, and fighters.</li><li>Matchroom Media, the company's in-house production and content business, will control live production, documentaries, and shoulder programming across Matchroom Boxing's events.</li></ul><h2>This is the second significant deal Matchroom has struck with DAZN</h2><div type="image" title="Eddie Hearn, John Skipper, Anthony Joshua DAZN" height="876" width="1250" msid="83205481" hostid="261"></div>Matchroom has already struck big deals with DAZN in the past, signing a <a href="https://media.dazn.com/en-us/press-releases-us/2018/05/matchroom-boxing-perform-group-seal-boxings-first-billion-dollar-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1 billion deal in the US in 2018</a>.In the subsequent years, Hearn grew his global business substantially and <a href="https://www.insider.com/eddie-hearn-plans-to-conquer-world-boxing-2020-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Insider at the start of 2020 he planned to take over world boxing and stage fights with the sport's biggest names</a>.With world heavyweight champion <keyword id="576793" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Anthony-Joshua">Anthony Joshua</keyword> already on his roster, Hearn set his sights on pound-for-pound king Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, and pay-per-view sensation Manny Pacquiao.A deal with Pacquiao has so far failed to materialize. The Filipino fighter has instead booked a Premier Boxing Champions showdown in July against Errol Spence Jr.But Hearn has developed a strong relationship with Alvarez, and appears to be the Mexican fighter's promoter of choice right now.Hearn confirmed to Insider that this month's UK-specific deal with DAZN is in the nine-figure ballpark, but he was unwilling to talk about specifics, citing a potential mistake three years ago."I'd love to tell you how much it was because I'm very proud of it," Hearn said."When we went into America and signed that billion dollar deal, I felt like we needed to make that noise. Whether that was a mistake or not, I don't know. But when you need to break a market, when nobody knows who you are, you need to make a splash."Here in UK boxing, we have an extremely dominant position within the marketplace, and we just need to go about our business. Yes, it's a huge deal financially that will mean our fighters are extremely well-rewarded for that fact, but it also enables us to make the big fights."We've been arm-wrestling with fans over pay-per-view for the last few years. Is pay-per-view worth £20 ($28), or is it not worth £20. And a lot of fights that you saw across that model will now sit as part of your DAZN subscription (currently £1.99 / $2.82 per month)."In terms of value for money for fight fans, this is a complete no-brainer. For us, it was a decision that made sense."The DAZN deal is for Matchroom's boxing events only. Its deal with the Professional Darts Corporation remains intact, with elite darts staying on Sky Sports.Hearn said he could have retained his boxing schedule with Sky, as he says he has a good relationship with many executives there, and is comfortable. But the sheer size of the DAZN contract prised him from that comfort zone."Comfort is not something that sits well with me," he said. "And that's why we took this huge opportunity."<h2>Matchroom and DAZN begin their UK boxing business July 31</h2><div type="image" title="Fight Camp, Matchroom boxing, Eddie Hearn" height="750" width="1000" msid="83205482" hostid="261"></div>"Fight Camp was just the most incredible project last year," Hearn said of a four-event run that helped restart boxing in the UK after a coronavirus-enforced hiatus."We've just been nominated for a couple of awards, which was great. And I've just been looking at the garden in front of me which was where the ring was, there were no fans, but this year there will be fans."The cards will be incredibly souped-up, and that will kick-off our UK offering for DAZN with those three weeks starting July 31."It is a good flagship event to get underway and then there'll be huge events for the rest of the year."An Insider source with knowledge of the situation told us that Anthony Joshua has one fight remaining on his separate broadcast contract with Sky, so the heavyweight champion will fight his next opponent on Sky Box Office in the UK.But other athletes like Whyte, who had otherwise been on Sky Box Office, will now fight on DAZN.With more money available for fights and fighters, Insider asked whether we could see standalone, non-Matchroom matches compete on Matchroom shows under the DAZN banner, something that has happened before.Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis competed in the World Boxing Super Series final at a Matchroom show in London two years ago, for example.Hearn even bid for the Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos Jr. bout when it went to auction. He lost out, with American streaming platform Triller landing the rights to that match with an industry-shattering $6,180,000 bid."When we went to America there was always a fascination to sign as many fighters as you can," said Hearn."You get a huge pool of fighters. Some you realize don't deliver subscribers, and some do. On another hand you can have a purse bid scenario where you bring a fight to your platform on an individual basis. So there's going to be a lot of that."The key focus for us is our existing fighters, and also the ability to bring major fights to the platform."As a market-disrupting streaming service, DAZN has been criticized by broadcasting and boxing executives in the US for putting its shows online, rather than showing them on TV as is traditional. Execs have accused Matchroom and Hearn of hiding fights by putting them on the streaming serviceInsider asked Hearn about these criticisms, and if they have merit."I'd look at the numbers DAZN has now in the US, and even the numbers in the UK, across three really big fight nights," he said, citing Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders' separate bouts with 'Canelo' Alvarez, and Ryan Garcia against Luke Campbell."And in America we recently had Devin Haney against Jorge Linares and the numbers there are outperforming other outlets that are airing boxing. Historic outlets that have been doing so for years and years."Hearn told us viewing habits have changed, and are continuing to change. "The way people are digesting content is changing, and moving much more aggressively towards streaming."In terms of content we've got to make the right partnerships with other outlets as well that perhaps a traditional broadcaster would be too scared to do, or too institutionalized to do. DAZN are really clever about what they do," Hearn said, pointing toward a documentary about Alvarez which aired on the BBC before his May fight with Saunders."That's a great example of how to be clever and creative with content to drive subscribers. These people [at DAZN] are at the absolute cutting edge of what they do."<h2>What this deal means for boxing's best-known faces</h2><div type="image" title="Saul Canelo Alvarez boxing Billy Joe Saunders" height="1022" width="1500" msid="83205483" hostid="261"></div>Joshua has one more fight remaining on his deal with Sky. That bout will be shown on Sky Box Office, the company's pay-per-view platform.But Matchroom has deals and relationships with boxing stars all around the world including Olympic gold medallist Katie Taylor, Japanese star Hiroto Kyoguchi, and of course, Alvarez - boxing's No.1 attraction."These are four fighters with different nationalities, and that's a real indication of where we want to go," Hearn said."A.J. is by far the biggest star in the UK, and arguably the biggest name in boxing globally. Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is the biggest name in America, and arguably the biggest name globally. Katie Taylor is the biggest female fighter in the sport of boxing. And Kyoguchi is a huge star in Japan."We've got so many fighters from different nationalities and we are truly a global promotional business. It's very important for us to pick up those key names in important markets."Having conclusively beaten Callum Smith and Saunders in recent super middleweight world championship unification bouts, there will come a time when Alvarez has exhausted Matchroom's stable of fighters at 168-pounds.There is already a clamor for Alvarez to begin competing against the best Premier Boxing Champions athletes in and around that weight, with Jermall Charlo, David Benavidez, and Caleb Plant all capable of offering different tests for him.But those PBC boxers have separate broadcasting relationships with Showtime Sports and Fox Sports in the US.So could we see an agreement where all broadcasters are happy? To make a September 18 bout involving Alvarez and Plant, would Fox get the rights to air the fight in the US, with DAZN securing the global and UK rights?"Of course, it's always important for DAZN to have the global rights for the shows," Hearn told us. "But there will be situations where a fight will take place, whether that's a purse bid or because it couldn't be made elsewhere with a broadcaster in one market. DAZN are the only global broadcaster for boxing in the world. That makes them unique."It looks like Canelo's next fight will be against Caleb Plant, and that will be for the undisputed super middleweight championship. And hopefully we can land that on DAZN."Since I've been promoting [Canelo], we've done three fights now on DAZN and they've all been huge successes that have delivered huge subscription numbers, and we'll be doing what we can to bring that undisputed fight on DAZN in September."<h2>Hearn had a chip on his shoulder to be as successful as he could be</h2><div type="image" title="Saul Alvarez, Eddie Hearn, and Billy Joe Saunders" height="828" width="1250" msid="83205484" hostid="261"></div>Matchroom's unique selling point when it comes to boxing includes an ability to host stadium fights around the world (the UK, Saudi Arabia, and the US), entering multiple territories internationally, and securing landmark broadcasting deals.It is a leveling up of where Matchroom's boxing business had been prior to when Hearn took the helm, and he told us it's because he had a chip on his shoulder.Matchroom had long been his father Barry's business, playing a key part in British boxing in the 1990s. As soon as he entered the family trade, Eddie always wanted to one-up his dad and be a success in his own right."The only way I can only be successful in my own right is to do outrageous things," he said."With what we've done in boxing over the last 10 years, I think I've achieved that. And I've done a lot more than he achieved. Breaking America was something he never did, and didn't put much focus on that."And, in the UK, the size of this DAZN deal, making our own decisions. It's a very difficult decision with us with DAZN. We've been with Sky for 25 years for boxing, and they've been a tremendous partner but an opportunity arose for our business, our fighters, and our fans that we could not turn down."It gives us an opportunity to completely re-build and grow the sport in this country to another level - the product, the noise, the production. Everything. And, with DAZN's growth globally of the boxing product it aligns so well with us when it comes to new markets. You've seen it with the US, Italy, Spain. We're about to announce a move into another new market in the next few days."There are three major players in the sport of boxing - Premier Boxing Champions, Top Rank, and Matchroom, and Hearn said Matchroom will strategize ways it can become "the dominant global force in boxing.""They're tremendous promotional companies," Hearn said of PBC and Top Rank, but said that "none operate globally apart from Matchroom.""In America, I agree it's a three-horse race between Matchroom, ESPN [Top Rank], and PBC. And we've still got a lot of work to do. But, globally, you can't compare the three organizations."We are consistently delivering events in key markets. They're great companies, as well, but I feel we're head and shoulders above those two globally. And we continue to battle away with them in America."Finishing, Hearn said: "DAZN is a streaming giant when it comes to sport but for us, in boxing, to have one platform where we can talk consistently to fans about how this is the destination where you can see our events and our fighters - that is so unique."Normally you'd sell individual rights to 30, 40 different territories to different broadcasters. Here, all our messaging can be so simple and it's a really unique offering for fight fans - I'm super excited."

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn leaves Sky, signs a DAZN deal worth over $100 million, and reaffirms vow to be the sport's global leader

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="2199400" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Logan-Paul">Logan Paul</keyword> and his younger brother, <keyword id="6130340" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jake-Paul">Jake Paul</keyword>, seem keen to fight each other for our entertainment.</li><li>The YouTube creators have been dabbling in combat <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> and are taking part in big events.</li><li><keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">Boxing</keyword> has seen brothers compete, but never against each other. That could soon change.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/logan-paul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Logan Paul</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/jake-paul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Paul</a> are teasing an actual fight, saying brothers have never before beaten each other up on camera in <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> and they want to blaze that trail.<a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNRingside/status/1392508174335242244" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The ESPN talk-show host Max Kellerman</a> interviewed Logan Paul this week and asked him whether he or his younger brother was the better fighter.After being asked the question, Logan Paul called his brother over to answer. The younger Paul initially seemed to raise his hand to say he was the better boxer, before replying: "They're going to have to figure that out when we do a pay-per-view event against each other."Seemingly surprised, the elder Paul said: "You're going to fight me?"Answering, his brother said: "I mean, why not?"This seemed to confound Kellerman, who replied: "OK, wait a minute ... you two?"<h2>The Pauls join many boxing brothers in arms</h2><div type="image" title="Klitschko brothers" height="1266" width="2000" msid="82603187" hostid="261"></div>Boxing is used to seeing siblings compete in the sport - but never against each other.The heavyweight division was previously ruled by the iconic Klitschko brothers. Wladimir Klitschko reigned as the WBA, WBO, and IBF champion, while his older brother, Vitali Klitschko, held the WBC title.Some in boxing clamored to see them fight, including Wladimir Klitschko's legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, who once asked his student why he wouldn't fight his brother."We sparred with each other, and those sparring sessions were not fun. It was very bloody, emotional," <a href="https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/12057833/wladimir-klitschko-sparring-secrets-anthony-joshua-tyson-fury-and-deontay-wilder-passed-through-brutal-training-camps">the younger brother once said in an interview</a>, ruling out ever doing it again.For the Klitschkos, a fight between them would only have disappointed their family. "We promised our mom not to fight each other," <a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/10/22/141604895/klitschko-brothers-and-boxers-who-fight-hard-but-never-each-other?t=1620898914307">Wladimir Klitschko told NPR in 2011</a>.<div type="image" title="Charlo brothers Jermell and Jermall" height="517" width="1035" msid="82603191" hostid="261"></div>More recently, there are the charismatic Charlo brothers: Jermell and Jermall.Jermell Charlo is the unified, three-belt boxing champion at super welterweight, while Jermall Charlo holds the WBC title one division higher at middleweight."I know the Klitschkos said they'd never do it," Logan Paul said regarding a brother-versus-brother fight."But I think Jake and I pride ourselves on being trailblazers, and, again, at the end of the day we're entertainers, showmen, doing things nobody's ever done and, more importantly, nobody can ever repeat as successfully."Kellerman interrupted to say the Paul brothers were "both nuts by the way.""Who would box their brother?" he asked."Because we've never sparred or had actual physical combat against each other. We're the same size, same weight, we're loved, hated. There's no bigger brother fight ever," Logan Paul said."I don't think me being the big brother would have anything to do with who wins the fight. Jake's my little brother, but little bro got big. He's huge now - a massive human being."Watch the clip here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1392508174335242244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2021</a></blockquote>Jake Paul, who is 3-0 as a pro boxer, has been clamoring for boxing matches against MMA fighters.His brother, meanwhile, is set to take part in one of the year's biggest fight spectacles, taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a June 6 exhibition.The Mayweather-Paul showbiz boxing bout will be broadcast on Showtime pay-per-view.

Logan Paul and Jake Paul are teasing a fight, saying brothers have never beaten each other up on camera before

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">Boxing</keyword> returns to <keyword id="268411" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Showtime">Showtime</keyword> <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">Sports</keyword> on Saturday, and the broadcaster has a slate of events for summer.</li><li>President <keyword id="2761838" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stephen-Espinoza">Stephen Espinoza</keyword> talked Insider through viewership tribulations of the pandemic, and more.</li><li>He also highlighted their event this weekend - which has <keyword id="9994694" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="brandon-figueroa">Brandon Figueroa</keyword> and <keyword id="4931278" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="luis-nery">Luis Nery</keyword> headlining.</li></ul>Young American boxer Brandon Figueroa is a stress test who preys on his opponent's weaknesses, the president of Showtime Sports, Stephen Espinoza, told Insider this week.The premium US broadcaster kickstarts its summer slate of <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> events Saturday at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, with a six-bout fight card organized in conjunction with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).A super bantamweight world title unification bout between Luis Nery and Figueroa tops an event supported with fights involving <a href="https://www.insider.com/xavier-martinez-embodies-floyd-mayweathers-dogpound-culture-and-style-2021-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xavier Martinez against Juan Carlos Burgos</a>, and Daniel Roman against Ricardo Espinoza Franco."I'm a huge Nery fan," Espinoza told us, adding that the unbeaten Mexican's last bout, against Aaron Alameda in 2020, was "not the most exciting performance than that we typically see from him."Espinoza said it is sometimes hard to truly understand why a fighter's performance level may wane - whether that's getting used to a new trainer, or the weight."But if he's not at his peak, then a guy like Brandon Figueroa will make him pay for it," Espinoza said."This is the really intriguing fight given Luis Nery's style and skills against Figueroa who is full-out, aggressive, and with great conditioning."Figueroa is a truth-teller. He'll find a weakness," Espinoza said. "If your weakness is conditioning, he'll find that out. If it's defense, he'll find that out."When you're going through that all-out pressure assault from Brandon Figueroa, if there are flaws, there'll be apparent. Figueroa is a one-man stress test. We'll find out exactly where Luis Nery where he is in his career."<div type="image" title="Luis Nery boxing" height="1428" width="1903" msid="82645945" hostid="261"></div>Supporting the card is the Mayweather Promotions fighter Martinez, who returns to the ring having survived two knockdowns in the eighth round of his last fight, before gutting out an eventual, comfortable, decision win.Espinoza said if the purpose of early fights for a rising 23-year-old contender like Martinez is to provide an education, then his fight against Claudio Marrero late, last year, "was Havard," Espinoza said."He experienced it all in that fight - adversity, almost being stopped, against a really skilled veteran and a crafty opponent."It's the type of experience that can go one of two ways. There are fighters who have packed it up, stayed on the stool, and never been the same since. And there's fighters like Xavier who really got to prove their mettle."Martinez fights Juan Carlos Burgos in his 17th match, and should the super featherweight maintain his unbeaten start to his pro career, then he'll only enhance his reputation as one to watch in the 130-pound division.<h2>Making top fights will cure many of boxing's ills, according to Espinoza</h2><div type="image" title="Stephen Espinoza, Floyd Mayweather, and Leonard Ellerbe" height="661" width="882" msid="82645947" hostid="261"></div>In the decade that Espinoza has led Showtime Sports, having joined the broadcaster after providing counsel to Oscar de la Hoya's promotional vehicle Golden Boy Promotions, he has enjoyed many successes.The 51-year-old struck a landmark six-fight, multi-year deal with <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/floyd-mayweather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Floyd Mayweather</a> in 2012, oversaw the three highest-grossing events in TV history at that time with Mayweather's fights against <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/saul-alvarez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saul Alvarez</a>, Manny Pacquiao, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/conor-mcgregor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conor McGregor</a>, and continues to push boxing as a focus at Showtime today.Boxing, like many other sports, suffered during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Viewership figures retreated, and though Showtime did not restart its own schedule until August 1, Espinoza conceded that the metrics he saw internally were "a mixed bag."The broadcaster collaborated with PBC, just like it has for its upcoming schedule, and had stand-out events like the twin Charlo bill in September - which Insider dubbed at the time as <a href="https://www.insider.com/when-is-charlo-doubleheader-how-to-watch-showtime-boxing-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the greatest boxing event of the pandemic</a> up until that point - and the October bout between <a href="https://www.insider.com/watch-gervonta-davis-score-starbuilding-ko-over-leo-santa-cruz-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gervonta Davis and Leo Santa Cruz which resulted in a thunderous uppercut KO</a> for "Tank."Espinoza said: "We were all very happy to get together and figure out a way to come back and, ultimately, a way to come back relatively safely with pretty heavy-duty protocols."Those protocols, Espinoza claimed, ensured that positive COVID-19 tests yielded single-figure outcomes over an eight-month duration."We don't speak of this very openly but that's how we measure success - being able to carry on the sport, and having a minimum of positives among the athletes, production personnel, our own staff, and everybody involved," he said."That comes at a cost, and the cost is paid by all those people through testing, quarantining, and not leaving your room - even to get food in many cases. It takes a toll."I'd like to highlight the people you don't see - production personnel, staff who typically show up Tuesday, and spend every waking moment, and sleeping moment, in their hotel room when they're not working. It's a lot to ask of a crew, staff, but I think we're all glad we could get back to some sense of normalcy and had a level of quality that we were happy with."He continued: "There were others in the sport that rushed back relatively quickly, had the stage to themselves, and really did the sport a disservice with the kinds of fights that were being put on. And we didn't want to do that. We didn't want to come back just for the sake of coming back. We wanted to come back with a strong, real schedule."Espinoza said the media and sports industry as a whole, not just boxing, is still figuring out modern-day viewing habits, and studying the changing behaviors regarding how people view TV, when people view TV, and the number of households using TV and streaming.He added that they're also looking into "people's interest [because] there have been huge viewership drops in a variety of sports."For Espinoza, and those at Showtime, the best way to maintain their current customer base, while attracting new eyeballs, is to make the best fights possible on their network.Here are the headlining matches for Showtime's upcoming fight nights:<ul><li>May 15: Brandon Figueroa vs. Luis Nery - WBO/WBC super bantamweight unification</li><li>May 29: Nonito Donaire vs. Nordine Oubaali - WBC bantamweight title</li><li>June 6: Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul - boxing exhibition</li><li>June 19: Jermall Charlo vs. Juan Macias Montiel - WBC middleweight title</li><li>June 26: Mario Barrios vs. Gervonta Davis - WBA super lightweight title</li><li>June 3: Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Chris Colbert - WBA interim super featherweight title</li><li>July 17: Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Carlos Castano - WBO super welterweight title</li><li>August 14: Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. John Riel Casimero - WBA/WBO bantamweight unification</li><li>August 28: Jose Uzcategui vs. David Benavidez - super middleweight</li></ul>Espinoza said he's looked into why viewership dropped across sports, but added: "What we wanted to do with this schedule is to put our best foot forward, and get back into the rhythm of doing excellent fights which speak for themselves."Whether they're in a bubble or in front of fans, our theory is that the best way to regain the momentum and the spotlight for the sport is to do really good fights - it's that simple."That's the solution that will cure maybe not all of boxing's ills, but a great many of them by just doing the match-ups that should happen, and enforcing a level of quality that can be maintained consistently across the schedule."

American boxer Brandon Figueroa is a stress test who preys on his opponent's weakness, Showtime's boss says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez avoids prominent Black fighters because they give him too many problems.</li><li>That's according to <keyword id="2619147" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Terence-Crawford">Terence Crawford</keyword>, who accused Alvarez of shying away from Jermall Charlo.</li><li>Crawford has long been linked to a bout with Errol Spence Jr. but recently said he'll never fight him.</li></ul>One of America's best fighters, Terence Crawford, said <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/saul-alvarez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saul "Canelo" Alvarez</a> avoids Black fighters because they present too great a challenge for him in the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> ring."When you look at Canelo's career, it's like he's shied away from the Black fighters," Crawford said in an interview with Sirius XM <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">Boxing</keyword> and DAZN."I think the Black fighters give him the most problems."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1374134897506410496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>Insider regards <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-are-the-best-pound-for-pound-boxers-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alvarez as the pound-for-pound No.1 boxer in the world</a> today. The Mexican has drilled elite opponents from super welterweight, through middleweight, super middleweight, and even light heavyweight.The 30-year-old lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 but has beaten many top tier opponents like Shane Mosley, Austin Trout, Miguel Cotto, Gennadiy Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs, and Sergey Kovalev. Mosley, Jacobs, and Trout are Black.Alvarez is currently campaigning in the super middleweight division having beaten Callum Smith and Avni Yildirim in recent months, and will defend his WBA, WBC, and The Ring championship belts at 168-pounds on May 8 against the WBO titleholder Billy Joe Saunders.Should he defeat Saunders, it is expected Alvarez will target the only remaining major belt holder at super middleweight, Caleb Plant, who is white.For Crawford, Alvarez is avoiding two prominent Black American boxers"He's shied away from Jermall Charlo and [Demetrius] Andrade for a long time," said Crawford in the Sirius XM interview, as reported Crawford is one of America's most-talented boxers and a three-weight champion in the sport.He has long been linked with a welterweight match against fellow pound-for-pound star Errol Spence Jr. - a bout that would be one of the most lucrative boxing can produce - but recently said he has no interest fighting him."That fight's never gonna happen," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkKfY-6Bmws">Crawford told FightHubTV.</a> "It's over with."

One of America's best boxers, Terence Crawford, says Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez avoids Black fighters

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10381471" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="derrick-james">Derrick James</keyword> has one of <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">boxing</keyword>'s best brains in his head and trains two of the world's top fighters in Jermell Charlo and <keyword id="10215521" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="errol-spence-jr-">Errol Spence Jr.</keyword></li><li>Spence returns to the ring Saturday to defend his two welterweight world titles against Danny Garcia at the AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.</li><li>There is added nuance to this bout as it is Spence's first since he crashed his $300,000 Ferrari at high-speed last year.</li><li>So James' training camp for Spence didn't just involve preparation for Garcia, but tests to ensure he had mentally and physically recovered from the accident which left him in hospital.</li><li>Ahead of the return, James shared with Insider the process he has when it comes to training boxing's best fighters for battle, and said he's confident Spence will "show his greatness" this weekend.</li></ul>Derrick James remembers getting a phone call at 3 a.m. to tell him that his fighter Errol Spence Jr. was in a bad way in the hospital.It was October 2019 and Spence, <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-are-the-best-pound-for-pound-boxers-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regarded by Insider as America's best boxer</a>, had crashed his $300,000 Ferrari at high-speed and was ejected from the vehicle.CCTV footage and photographs from the wreckage looked shocking.James did not know what to expect when he rushed to the hospital. He recently told Insider that he was not even thinking about Spence as a boxer, and was just concerned for the wellbeing of his friend."I got the call early in the morning at around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m," James said. "I got the call, and I was shocked, like, 'What?'"I run down to the hospital. I talked to the doctors, the police officer who explained to me what happened, and then I spoke with the physician who told me that he'd be okay - no broken bones. So my worry was over at that point."I wasn't caring about boxing or whether he can do this again or that again. It was about helping my guy. Finding out if my friend was okay. And so when I got that from the doctor, I was okay."When I heard him say he hadn't broken anything - nothing was fractured and no ligaments were torn - that was good," James told us."I would then call to check on him and see how he was doing."Spence posted photos to his Instagram of the wreckage and its effect on his face:<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CGLaI9kAlxn" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Errol Spence Jr (@errolspencejr)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></div></blockquote>James has another pound-for-pound caliber boxer in his stable - the unified super welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo, twin brother of Jermall, a middleweight champion.The Charlo brothers are among the sport's biggest characters and their chaotic energy around the fight game acts as a contrast to the cool, calm, and collected nature of Spence.James told Insider that Jermell was desperate to visit Spence in hospital when he found out that his friend was in a car accident."He wanted to come but because the hospital was so bombarded, they told everybody to stay away, stay home. He and his brother wanted to come up so bad."When he got to see him, it was great because they've got great love for each other, great appreciation for each other and their skillset."<h2>Spence was then seen in public supporting Charlo</h2>Six days after the incident, Dallas Police charged Spence with a DWI [driving while intoxicated], misdemeanor B, <a href="https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/11/22/criminal-case-boxing-champ-errol-spence-jr-dwi-high-speed-ferrari-crash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Dallas-Ft.Worth CBS</a>.He was next seen in public in December when he traveled to California to support Charlo."He came to Jermell's fight to ease his way back out," James said. "To make an appearance with the public, but it was a pick-me-up for Jermell to have Errol at the fight in Anaheim."Charlo's performance that night was exemplary, beating Tony Harrison by knockout in the 11th round in a bitter rematch, reclaiming his WBC title at 154-pounds.The 30-year-old has kept James busy even in the coronavirus era as they prepared for a title unification match with Jeison Rosario in <a href="https://www.insider.com/when-is-charlo-doubleheader-how-to-watch-showtime-boxing-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an event Insider called the biggest card of the pandemic at that point</a>.Again, Charlo excelled, flooring Rosario four times and finishing him with a double jab to the body which punctuated all the grueling work he had done before.<a href="https://www.insider.com/video-jermell-charlo-knocks-out-jeison-rosario-on-showtime-2020-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rosario was left gasping for air on the floor, seemingly finding it difficult to breathe,</a> and simply unable to get up."It caught me by surprise, just like it caught Rosario by surprise," James said of the brutal result."The way he was hitting, Rosario never stopped coming. He's a good puncher, kept coming, man, and when you believe in yourself, keep coming and coming, it's hard to stop that."But Jermell stopped that. He's is the guy now, and he'll fight who he has to fight."<h2>After four sparring sessions, Spence knew he'd recover just fine</h2><div type="image" title="Errol Spence Jr. boxing training" height="1000" width="1500" msid="79571621" hostid="261"></div>After his appearance at Charlo's fight in December 2019, Spence called James in January, wanting to get back in the ring himself.By March, the winning partnership of Spence and James was back in action, with the trainer working behind-the-scenes to monitor the fighter's recovery, and get him back to his best."In March, he said, 'Let's go!" And we've been working since then," James told us.At a virtual press conference last month, <a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-on-returning-to-normal-after-ferrari-crash-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spence said it took up to four sparring sessions with James to feel like he was on the road to recovery</a>."The first time I sparred it kinda felt weird … like, I feel real, real weird," said Spence. "At probably like the third or fourth sparring session [back], everything started clicking and I feel sharp as a tack now."James said it was all a test for him. "I'm always testing his reactions time. Is he reacting the way I need him to react?"I'm always testing him because being comfortable is a horrible thing in boxing. You cannot get comfortable. You can't get into a groove so good you don't want to get out of it."That's when Danny Garcia is always catching people, knocking people out. You can't get comfortable, can't relax, you always stay focused."<a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-defeats-danny-garcia-by-decision-shawn-porter-says-2020-12">Spence faces off against Garcia on Saturday in his return fight, one of the biggest bouts of 2020.</a><h2>James shared his coaching process for battle-ready fighters</h2><div type="image" title="Derrick James boxing trainer" height="1000" width="1500" msid="79571622" hostid="261"></div>James, 48, was a pro boxer himself, finishing his career in 2008 with a record of 21 wins (12 knockouts) against seven losses and one draw.The Texan competed many times in his home state, and his hometown, Dallas.James knew the local boxing scene well and regularly attended amateur shows. One day, he sat next to Spence's father, Errol Spence Sr.<a href="https://boxing-social.com/features/exclusive-derrick-james-amateur-coincidence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boxing Social reported</a> that James left such a great impression on Spence Sr. that he was asked to coach Spence Jr., and he has never left his side since.James has nurtured Spence into an unbeaten beast, and was named Trainer of the Year by The Ring magazine and Yahoo! <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">Sports</keyword> in 2017, after the fighter knocked out Kell Brook in England.It was the same year he guided Jermell Charlo to knockout wins over Charles Hatley and Erickson Lubin.Insider asked James if it's tough to coach Charlo for one huge fight against Rosario, to then train Spence who has his own tough assignment against Garcia."It's trying and tough to go from one big camp like that to another big, pay-per-view camp - very intense. They have different personalities, but the work ethic and the work is all the same, going from Jermell to Errol, never slowing down, get right into it."James said he's had slight wear-and-tear from having to endure back-to-back world championship camps."But that's what you got to do to be great, to push Errol to be great, and that's cool - that's okay."He then shared his process when it comes to training elite talents for battle."I'll watch what Garcia does and then try to mimic what he does myself. And do my best to throw the punches that he throws, so that we will be expecting everything. Then I have something, an answer, for what he throws."So, 'If he does this, you do that. If he does that, you do this.' That's really what it is. It's not a round-per-round thing, but situational - you can do several things within that moment that we've worked on to prepare him for anything that we think can possibly happen."Any punch that Danny Garcia can throw, we've worked on and prepared for that, to basically slip it, roll it, block it, or at the same time counter it."To prepare for every different scenario and every punch he throws, just to make him more familiar with it. To let him know: 'This punch may come, that punch may come.'"And I do that by talking to him, and I throw the punches [at him], too. So he will not be in unfamiliar territory when he gets into the ring."<h2>'Success is like a lady,' James says</h2><div type="image" title="Errol Spence and Danny Garcia preview boxing" height="1000" width="1500" msid="79571624" hostid="261"></div>What's extraordinary about James is though he trains two of the world's best boxers, he is yet to quit his day job.He still works at Cooper Fitness Center in Dallas as a boxing instructor, and is the personal trainer for the American billionaire businessman Ross Perot Jr., who he teaches boxing.This means he still has to wake up most mornings at 4 a.m., which begs the question why bother to juggle both jobs when presumably he could focus full-time on coaching champions.For James, it's a matter of professional pride. "I still work my job because I think you have to be consistent. I haven't got to a point to where I'm comfortable. So I keep working, and keep pushing yourself."Success is like a lady," he told us. "Dating, to getting married, the thing that it took to get to that point, is the same thing that takes for you to keep that, to keep that woman."So you've got to stay on it, stay working, and don't relax. Ease is one of the most adverse things to progress," he said. "I don't want it to be easy. I want to keep pushing myself to be better, to be great."There have been increasing murmurs of late that 2021 could yield a fight between Spence and Terence Crawford, or Spence and Saul Alvarez.Either would be amongst the very best fights boxing can produce. But neither, right now, are on James' mind."Man, my focus is on Danny Garcia and I can't see past him," he said. "I can't even talk about that. Danny Garcia has one of the best resumes in boxing, compared to Terence Crawford - his don't even stand-up. Let's not talk about that."Think about this, you got a guy who's coming off a car accident and a pandemic, and he chooses to fight Danny Garcia."And then you have a guy in a pandemic who chooses to fight Kell Brook [Crawford]. Let's not even mention that, but talk about the big fight - Garcia. A tough guy who had questionable losses to top guys."Garcia is very dangerous," James stressed, adding that the Philadelphian looked "phenomenal" against Adrian Granados and Ivan Redkach."This fight with Garcia is a giant task especially coming off an accident, but Spence will show his greatness."The <keyword id="9692340" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="premier-boxing-champions">Premier Boxing Champions</keyword> event will be broadcast on December 5 on Fox Sports pay-per-view in the US.Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-defeats-danny-garcia-by-decision-shawn-porter-says-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shawn Porter said a fighter can do certain things to recover from a brutal KO, and though the horror crash Errol Spence Jr. suffered last year would have impacted training, he still picks him to beat Danny Garcia</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/danny-garcia-mother-being-a-boxers-mom-extremely-nerve-wracking-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Being a mother of a boxer is extremely nerve-wracking,' Danny Garcia's mom said ahead of Errol Spence Jr. fight</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-on-returning-to-normal-after-ferrari-crash-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America's best boxer said it took 4 sparring sessions to return to normal after crashing his $300,000 Ferrari at high-speed</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/anthony-yarde-in-tough-fight-after-4-deaths-6-months-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Yarde is thrust into a 'tough fight' in his first bout since losing 4 family members in 6 months</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/willy-hutchinson-dennis-mccann-expectations-high-for-boxing-talents-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2 young fighters compared to Joe Calzaghe and Prince Naseem Hamed will be unleashed Saturday, boxing promoter Frank Warren said</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/weve-entered-a-golden-era-of-boxing-exhibitions-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We've officially entered a golden era of showbiz boxing, and it's all down to Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, and Floyd Mayweather</a>

Inside the mind of one of boxing's greatest brains ahead of his fighter Errol Spence Jr.'s world title defense against Danny Garcia

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the world's No 1-ranked boxer according to Insider, is taking a short-notice fight in America just days after becoming a free agent.</li><li>According to ESPN, Alvarez is going to fight the British super middleweight <keyword id="255134" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Callum-Smith">Callum Smith</keyword> mid-December in Texas.</li><li><keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">Boxing</keyword> Scene added that a three-fight deal with the Premier Boxing Champions could be forthcoming.</li><li>This means Alvarez could feasibly fight Jermall Charlo, David Rodriguez, and Caleb Plant after his end-of-year 168-pound match against Smith.</li></ul>Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is taking a short-notice fight in America just days after becoming boxing's biggest free agent.<a href="https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/30299737/sources-canelo-alvarez-fight-callum-smith-december-return-ring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN reported Wednesday</a> that Alvarez will return to the ring in December against the British fighter Callum Smith, the WBA super middleweight world champion.<a href="https://www.insider.com/who-are-the-best-pound-for-pound-boxers-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider ranks Alvarez as the world's No.1 boxer</a>. Despite that status, he's been sidelined all year because of the coronavirus pandemic and a behind-the-scenes legal dispute between himself and his former promoter Golden Boy and then-broadcaster DAZN.The English start-up, which is an OTT subscription service that owns rights to various soccer leagues, got involved in combat <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> in 2018 and has aired Alvarez's three most recent fights.The Mexican filed a legal complaint against Golden Boy and DAZN in September after a failure to agree terms to his next bout.Alvarez was suing Golden Boy and DAZN for an alleged failure to deliver on guaranteed payments — an apparent breach of a $365 million deal struck in 2018, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/09/canelo-alvarez-dazn-lawsuit-golden-boy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian reported</a>.There was also disagreement on who was considered to be suitable opponents.<a href="https://twitter.com/DanRafael1/status/1303584452807979008" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Dan Rafael</a>, who is one of boxing's pre-eminent reporters, DAZN only considered Oscar de la Hoya, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Jorge Masvidal as "premium" opposition.De la Hoya is Alvarez's promoter, 47 years old, and has not fought for 12 years. The other two athletes are MMA fighters in the UFC, and have never fought as pro boxers before.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1303584452807979008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2020</a></blockquote>Last year, <a href="https://theathletic.com/1334317/2019/10/30/theres-no-loyalty-we-see-it-now-inside-canelo-alvarezs-feud-with-promoter-oscar-de-la-hoya/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic stated</a> that if Alvarez were to gain control of his career, then he must be prepared to walk away from Golden Boy. This year, that animosity seemingly extended to DAZN.Insider has frequently reported that should he walk, he'd be boxing's greatest free agent since Floyd Mayweather paid $750,000 to buy himself out of his Top Rank contract in 2006, going on to earn hundreds of millions of dollars many times over.Last week, Alvarez, Golden Boy, and DAZN all parted ways. The 30-year-old is free to make a long-term deal with a new broadcast network, or work on a fight-by-fight basis with whoever he wants, whenever he wants.Alvarez is not short of admirers.Showtime Sports President <a href="https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/30299737/sources-canelo-alvarez-fight-callum-smith-december-return-ring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Espinoza told Insider in September that he'd like "nothing more" than to work with him again</a>, having previously aired the fighter's bouts against Mayweather and Austin Trout.Last year, the Matchroom Sport group managing director Eddie <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eddie-hearn-would-love-to-sign-saul-canelo-alvarez-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hearn told us he would work with Alvarez "in an absolute heartbeat."</a>If ESPN's report is to be believed, it is Hearn who is the first to work with Alvarez as a free agent, and, in a bizarre twist of fate, the British boxing promoter could even bring him back to DAZN for his bout next month."Alvarez will meet Callum Smith to unify WBA super middleweight titles in Texas in December," ESPN journalist Salvador Rodriguez said, adding that sources of his say the targeted dates are the 18th, 19th, and 20th of that month."His first business partner will be Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. It is very possible that DAZN, the broadcast partner Alvarez was working with before severing ties with longtime promoter Golden Boy, could carry the fight in the US," the report added.<div type="image" title="Eddie Hearn" height="1000" width="2000" msid="79193254" hostid="261"></div>The Alvarez and Smith fight, which will be one of the biggest boxing matches of the year, could take place at the AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, or the Alamodome in San Antonio, according to ESPN.The sports website added that a lightweight match between Gen-Z superstar Ryan Garcia and the British athlete Luke Campbell could take place on the undercard.<h2>After Smith, Alvarez could sign a contract with the PBC</h2>Before news broke midweek about a short-notice Alvarez and Smith fight at the end of the year, there was speculation of a one-fight deal against the Premier Boxing Champions super middleweight Caleb Plant.Though that fight has not been made, it could be struck in the near future as <a href="https://www.boxingscene.com/canelo-vs-callum-smith-hearn-confirms-talks-ongoing-december-on-dazn--153190" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rafael reported on Boxing Scene that Alvarez has had discussions with PBC chief Al Haymon</a>, one of boxing's most powerful figures, about a three-fight deal.Haymon has television deals with Fox and Showtime, and so a link-up with PBC could see Alvarez return to Espinoza.PBC has a hulking roster of boxers, including many significant players in the weight classes Alvarez competes in, and so he could take on Jermall Charlo, David Benavidez, and, of course, Plant in the coming years.A four-division world boxing champion, Alvarez has a pro record of 53 wins (36 knockouts) against one loss and two draws.Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/terence-crawford-targets-manny-pacquiao-after-saturdays-brook-fight-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American fighter Terence Crawford says he'll chase a big-money fight against Manny Pacquiao after his Kell Brook match this weekend</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/mike-tyson-anthony-joshua-could-be-taught-some-more-stuff-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua 'could be taught some more stuff,' according to Mike Tyson</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-on-returning-to-normal-after-ferrari-crash-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America's best boxer Errol Spence Jr. said it took 4 sparring sessions to return to normal after crashing his $300,000 Ferrari at high-speed</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/alexander-flores-salary-has-been-withheld-after-a-questionable-loss-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A heavyweight boxer beaten in 46 seconds is having his salary withheld after authorities said the way he lost 'raised some questions'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/junto-nakatani-mercilessly-destroyed-giemel-magramo-won-a-world-title-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Japanese boxer is being tipped for stardom after the 22-year-old smashed a ranked contender to smithereens</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/conor-mcgregor-marveled-at-gervonta-davis-after-his-vicious-knockout-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a>

You Searched For "Jermall Charlo" and got 6 results

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn leaves Sky, signs a DAZN deal worth over $100 million, and reaffirms vow to be the sport's global leader

Alan Dawson

Logan Paul and Jake Paul are teasing a fight, saying brothers have never beaten each other up on camera before

Alan Dawson

American boxer Brandon Figueroa is a stress test who preys on his opponent's weakness, Showtime's boss says

Alan Dawson

One of America's best boxers, Terence Crawford, says Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez avoids Black fighters

Alan Dawson

Inside the mind of one of boxing's greatest brains ahead of his fighter Errol Spence Jr.'s world title defense against Danny Garcia

Alan Dawson

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is taking a short-notice fight in America just days after becoming boxing's biggest free agent

Alan Dawson