Rejoice, UK boxing fans: this weekend will be a cheap one.
Accustomed to forking out for fights on pay-per-view platforms (many of which don’t belong anywhere near such platforms), boxing fans in the UK will this weekend be treated to a couple of solid and meaningful fights streamed for free, thanks to the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS).
Whether the move is down to dumb luck or design is up for debate, but the WBSS’ inability to secure a UK television deal for this Saturday’s (November 3) event in Scotland featuring Josh Taylor vs. Ryan Martin and Ryan Burnett vs. Nonito Donaire means you won’t have to pay a penny to watch the action online (www.worldboxingsuperseries.com).
“Before I get questions on the UK TV, it’s quite simple,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said at a fight week press conference in Glasgow. “We’ve received several offers, but there were no offers that suit us as a brand.
“This is not about a fight. It’s about this tournament. It’s about building a brand and in the UK we will be making this absolutely free and available via our streams, which we will put out. They will put out all the details. There will be several different ways of watching it, but it will all be free, and no pay-per-view, no money involved. You can watch it for free.”
The Taylor vs. Martin and Burnett vs. Donaire card will be streamed by DAZN in the United States, as part of the World Boxing Super Series’ exclusive content agreement with that streaming service, but it’s the UK fans who are the true winners this weekend. (Don’t get too comfortable, though. You’ll be back to forking out for events of questionable quality in no time.)
It appears as though Canadian banger David Lemieux will once again provide the early fireworks for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez when he boxes on the Mexican’s December 15 undercard at Madison Square Garden, New York.
Back in September, Lemieux easily knocked out Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan with a shot the Irishman never saw coming, getting the job done inside a round, and this highlight reel KO paved the way for Alvarez to wage a classic 12-rounder with Gennady Golovkin in the night’s main event.
Now, three months later, it is reported by TVA Sports that Lemieux will again support Alvarez in NYC, only this time against Tureano Johnson, a hot-and-cold Bahamian last seen getting stopped in round 12 by Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
Johnson, 20-2 (14), has been inactive for over a year now (the Derevyanchenko loss occurred last August) and it could be argued his career-best win is a unanimous decision victory over Ireland’s Eamonn O’Kane. His danger should be minimal, therefore, yet, where Lemieux, 40-4 (34), is concerned, even routine fights tend not to be as easy in reality as they appear on paper.
It’s why, frankly, so many fans are drawn to the kill-or-be-killed puncher. Moreover, it’s why the 29-year-old keeps getting the plum slots on big shows.
