Joe Markowski wants April 30 to be a big night for boxing, not just DAZN.
Markowski, DAZN’s executive vice president, also can’t emphasize enough that networks and streaming services should avoid counter-programming one another whenever possible. It’s inevitable sometimes for there not to be at least some overlap, particularly when broadcast and cable networks in the United States are obligated to televise fights on certain dates.
As it relates to April 30, however, Markowski considers it imperative to grant this sport’s passionate fan base the chance to watch both the entire Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano showdown and all of the Oscar Valdez-Shakur Stevenson fight.
DAZN will stream Taylor-Serrano from Madison Square Garden. ESPN will televise Valdez-Stevenson from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Inspired by Stevenson’s suggestion on Twitter this week, Markowski promised during an interview with BoxingScene.com that Taylor-Serrano will start in plenty of time for it to end before Valdez-Stevenson starts.
“We’ve always tried to do that, to make sure that we’re not counter-programming on other events,” Markowski said. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t. ESPN and DAZN are heavily invested in boxing. It doesn’t make sense, for the health and growth of the sport, to work against each other. We’ve got two months to sort it out. We’ll get it sorted out.”
Markowski added that he hopes ESPN helps promote Taylor-Serrano on its linear and online platforms, much like DAZN will do through shoulder programming it regularly produces.
The 12-round, 130-pound title unification bout between Mexico’s Valdez (30-0, 23 KOs) and Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs), a two-division champion from Newark, New Jersey, will be the highest-profile fight ESPN will televise live on its network during the first half of 2022. ESPN, in an effort to maximize viewership, will air Valdez-Stevenson immediately after its live coverage of the final rounds of the NFL Draft.
That tactic, comparable to ESPN’s tradition of televising live boxing right after its Heisman Trophy special each December, was part of the network’s programming plan since last year, long before April 30 became the date for Taylor-Serrano. The 10-round, 135-pound championship bout between Ireland’s Taylor (20-0, 6 KOs), the IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO lightweight champ, and Brooklyn’s Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KOs), a seven-division champion, is widely viewed as the biggest fight in women’s boxing.
Valdez and Stevenson will fight for Valdez’s WBC super featherweight title and Stevenson’s WBO junior lightweight championship. Stevenson expressed in a recent Tweet that he wants as many boxing fans as possible to see the Taylor-Serrano bout.
“Tbh, I hope they can stagger the times for my unification fight with Valdez and Serrano vs. Taylor for April 30,” Stevenson stated. “Let the ladies shine too and the fans watch both fights.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
