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AFTER DAZN dropped the bombshell that theyโre now expanding into over 200 territories โ including the UK โ speculation over what this will mean for boxing in this country went into overdrive. Most of this was around Matchroomโs exclusive relationship with broadcaster Sky Sports, and whether the promotional outfit would move over to DAZN, who air their shows in the US.
Behind The Gloves spoke to Adam Smith, boxing chief at Sky, about the situation, and it was confirmed that their current contracts with Matchroom and Anthony Joshua expire next year. Naturally, Smith highlighted Skyโs desire to renew those contracts, but also tried to brush off any concerns about DAZN muscling in on their business.
Itโll be fascinating to see how this plays out; DAZN obviously have bundles of cash behind them and are embracing new technologies and ways of consuming content. However, Sky is a huge news machine in the UK and if Matchroom left, theyโd no longer be able to plug their shows in advertisements on a major network and during Premier League games.
IFL sat down with DAZNโs John Markowski to get some more details, and Markowski revealed that DAZN will start at ยฃ4.99 a month in the UK for the first year, with a view to that price being increased should they pick up the rights to more sports. Their core focus โ for now โ will be boxing, and should they team up with Matchroom, fight fans will surely be falling over themselves to sign up for such a good price.
However, there are plenty who speculate DAZN are merely using boxing as a gateway into the broadcast wars and that once they have more of a foothold, theyโll shoot for their real targets; Premier League football here in the UK and the NFL in America. Such acquisitions would bump up their subscription prices considerably.
The biggest fight in British boxing history and the biggest fight in world boxing right now could be made this year, according to Eddie Hearn. He told Boxing Social that a deal could be put in place for Joshua and Tyson Fury to square off in December, and even went as far as to say broadcast conflicts could be resolved. Hearn had also told various outlets that heโs already had positive conversations about the fight with Furyโs side โ but donโt hold your breath. Frank Warren, who works with Tyson, refuted those claims and called them โliesโ, explaining that Bob Arum assured him no talks have taken place.
This could drag out for a while. If the two sides canโt even agree on whether or not theyโve spoken to each other about the fight, these negotiations donโt look promising โ but we can hope. For now, Joshua has to face Kubrat Pulev and Fury looks set for a trilogy fight with Wilder. Pray to whatever god you see fit that they both win and then collide at the end of the year.
Speaking of which, Andy Lee โ who was a part of Furyโs camp for his rematch with Wilder โ revealed to Boxing Social that the now-WBC champion went to peculiar lengths in his mind games.
โTyson messed around to see if leaks would happen,โ he said. โ[He] feigned injuryโฆ When he got aggressive at the press conference, Wilder was aggressive. When Tyson was nice, Wilder followed suit. Tyson was playing him the whole time.โ
According to Lee, Fury would sometimes pretend to limp after sparring or fake other injuries to see if anything got leaked from his camp. Thatโs pretty mad, but I love it. Just like it would be almost impossible to predict what version of Fury youโd get if you were to fight him, youโd also have no idea what to expect in the build-up.
Broadcasts
ITV aired the final instalment of their documentary series focusing on Fury, and it featured perhaps the greatest televisual moment of my lifetime. Tysonโs dad, John, couldnโt travel to the US and so watched the Wilder rematch on TV at home, with the ITV cameras filming him. After Fury dropped Wilder for the first time, John Fury grabbed his crotch and screamed, โThatโs what come out of these balls!โ If ITV donโt now commission a John Fury reality show, somebodyโs doing their job wrong.
Tyson and his wife Paris also appeared on ITVโs This Morning show and Fury was characteristically honest about his struggles to return to normal life after a big fight, stating that it can take him a couple of weeks. There was once a time when you would watch Fury speaking on live television and find yourself tense with fear over what he might blurt out, but thatโs no longer the case. He seems more at peace and certainly more comfortable in front of the camera.
Sky Sportsโ card from Manchester might have shown us the last of Scott Quiggโs fighting career. After being stopped by Jono Carroll, the former super-bantamweight world champion heavily hinted at retirement, and later seemed to confirm it in an interview with IFL. If this is the end, he can be proud of a stellar career.
Podcasts
Itโs not often youโll hear Mike Tyson cry, but thatโs exactly what happened on the latest episode of his Hotboxinโ With Mike Tyson podcast. Speaking to guest Sugar Ray Leonard, the former heavyweight king detailed his struggles with the man he used to be.
โI know the art of fighting, I know the art of war, thatโs all I ever studied,โ he said. โThatโs why Iโm so feared, thatโs why they feared me when I was in the ring. I was an annihilator. Itโs all I was born for.
โNow those days are gone itโs empty, Iโm nothing. Iโm working on the art of humblenessโฆ Thatโs the reason Iโm crying because Iโm not that person no more, and I miss him.
โBecause sometimes I feel like a b***h, because I donโt want that person to come out because if he comes out, hell is coming with him. And itโs not funny at all. I sound cool, like Iโm a tough guy [but] I hate that guy. Iโm scared of him.โ Thatโs some pretty heady stuff, and another sign that Fury doesnโt just share a name with โIronโ Mike.