By Keith Idec - LAS VEGAS – Keith Thurman compared the seemingly inappropriate price of his pay-per-view fight with Mario Barrios recently to what the former welterweight champion apparently considers the out-of-control cost of “bubble gum” in 2022.
The ballyhooed Errol Spence Jr.-Terence Crawford welterweight matchup may never branch out from the realm of fan fiction so long as purse expectations remain unreasonably sky high, according to one partisan observer.
LAS VEGAS – It took Terence Crawford some time to understand why, all of a sudden, Al Haymon was in favor of Shawn Porter fighting him.
LAS VEGAS – Shawn Porter doesn’t just view his showdown with Terence Crawford on Saturday night as an opportunity for individual achievement.
LAS VEGAS – Boxing’s most sought-after free agent didn’t divulge much information regarding his next move late Saturday night. Canelo Alvarez has plenty of options, but the only commitment he made in the immediate aftermath of his 11th-round knockout of Caleb Plant was that he probably won’t return to the ring until May. The Mexican icon has fought four times in less than 11 months and after fully unifying boxing’s super middleweight titles he feels as though he needs a longer break before he returns to the ring.
LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant were kept apart again after they weighed in Friday afternoon at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Fearful of another brawl on stage, organizers of their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event separated the super middleweight champions from the time they arrived until the time they left. They jawed at each other from several feet away, with promoter Tom Brown, event security and even Mike Tyson between them.
Canelo Alvarez’s first fight on Showtime Pay-Per-View in seven years might not mark the last time he partners with the premium cable network.
The Artur Beterbiev-Marcus Browne bout officially has a promoter of record. Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. won a purse bid Tuesday to earn the right to promote their WBC light heavyweight title fight. The bidding process was conducted virtually by the WBC.
Terence Crawford didn’t expect to go this long between fights. It doesn’t make him any less ready for the next one. The undefeated three-division champ is set for the biggest fight of his current WBO welterweight title reign, which comes against former two-time titlist Shawn Porter (31-3-1, 17KOs). The bout takes place November 20 atop an ESPN+ Pay-Per-View from Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.
Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions will go back to the well in hopes of extra time producing a deal between their respective clients. Talks remain ongoing for the ordered WBC light heavyweight title fight between defending champion Artur Beterbiev (also the lineal and IBF champ) and mandatory challenger Marcus Browne, WBC representatives confirmed Wednesday with BoxingScene.com. The fight was destined for a purse bid hearing scheduled to take place this Friday from the sanctioning body’s headquarters in Mexico City but has been postponed to September 28.