On Anthony Joshua and his training situation
I was involved in most of the meetings out here [in the USA]. They weren’t interviews, they were just watching, looking around, learning, talking to great minds. I think it was pretty good for him. I think the change of scenery will do him good, to be honest with you. He’s been in Sheffield for [11] years. The problem in there is that he’s god. And when you’re god are you going to be worked like a dog? That’s sometimes what you need. He works unbelievably hard but everyone does look at him and they’re like, ‘You are god.’ You come in here [to an American gym], it’s so different. It’s draining for him in the UK. I think it’d really freshen him up out here and I think this is where he should base camp.
On working with Canelo Alvarez after the Caleb Plant fight
It’s really whatever the offer is. We’ve got [Dmitry] Bivol, we’ve got a fight in the UK, we’ve got Gennady Golovkin III. Showtime have got [David] Benavidez, [Jermall] Charlo but I think it’s fight by fight with him. We had a great run with him with three fights, we’ve had a great relationship with him. After this fight, we’ll put our proposals to him and they’ll put their proposals to him. Basically he’ll take which one he likes.
I don’t think you’ll ever see him do a long-term deal now. Maybe a two-fight but his short-term plans are without locking himself in. I think he’s been in a long term contract that ended sourly and he doesn’t want to go back to that structure so he’s happy just taking the fights that make sense… It’s brilliant. How many fights are we not getting because of networks and stuff like that.
He’ll always listen to everybody because he wants to know the opportunities that are out there. We’ll put our best plans and offers together, as will Showtime and everybody else.
On Canelo coming to box in the UK
He wants to. It can’t reach the financial heights of a Plant fight or a Golovkin III in Vegas and stuff like that. It’s something he wants to do. He’s talked about it to me on numerous occasions. I would love to do it and I think he’d love it as well.
He’s seen those nights we’ve put together in the UK, he’s experienced of lot it with us, at the Dallas Cowboys stadium and stuff like that. He loves it.
John Ryder’s the mandatory still at 168lbs. It’s not as high profile as some of the other fights he’s been in but it ticks the boxes for a London fight.
On Golovkin fighting Ryota Murata in December in Japan
That’s the fight that he wanted. For a time they talked about having an interim fight and then it was, you know what, I’ll just wait. So it’s the fight that he wanted to do, he wanted to go and fight over there and I think it’s a great opportunity for him.
After that, to be honest, I’d still like to make the trilogy [with Canelo]. I think it’s a big fight and it’s a great fight. The first two were brilliant and I think the third would be as well.
He’s got a contract with Top Rank. The great thing about having a huge budget is that you can bid on fights and bring stars to the platform unexpectedly if you like and this [Lopez fight against George Kambosos on November 27] is one of them. The only way we could see him on DAZN off ESPN is via purse bids. We did it and to add him to the schedule and then to add Devin [Haney against Joseph Diaz] is massive for DAZN. He’s a promoter’s dream. He’s pound-for-pound fighter and he’s a character. He should be bigger really.
