RINGSIDE
However, while Stevenson received his share of hate from tribalist fans and content creators, I don’t think the industry (promoters, sanctioning bodies, media) will give the brightest American talent the same shameful treatment they’ve reserved for the Australian cruiserweight champ. For starters, they don’t have the balls, but they also know that Stevenson – currently No. 3 in The Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings – has the potential to take the coveted No. 1 spot and reign for a long time. Should the four-division titleholder develop into a revenue-generating attraction, as Floyd Mayweather did 15-20 years ago, they want to be in his good graces (Stevenson’s been known to hold a grudge). Of course, to evolve into a bona fide star, the defensive wizard will have to win the right fights, which means getting high-profile opponents signed to rival promoters (all partnered with DAZN) to do business with Zuffa Boxing and its platform, Paramount+. That’s a tough ask, given the abrasive nature of Zuffa Boxing president Dana White and the fragile/spiteful egos of the traditional promoters (Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn in particular). However, the Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn announcement on July 15 put to rest the notion that a fighter in Stevenson’s position would automatically be frozen out of major co- promotional showdowns. De La Hoya, who promotes Garcia, absolutely hates White (the feeling is mutual) and did not want the star of his Golden Boy stable to fight Benn, who signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing in April. During one of his “clap back” rants on social media, De La Hoya declared that he would have to be involved if Garcia-Benn were to happen, and it would have to be a DAZN PPV event. However, he may have forgotten that the owner of this magazine, who co-founded Zuffa Boxing, is close with DAZN owner Len Blavatnik and still cuts the biggest checks in the sport. As Garcia stated during an appearance on The Tonight Show
Starring Jimmy Fallon in May, he’s defending his WBC welterweight title against Benn at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 12. The fight will be broadcast on Paramount+ in the U.S. and streamed on DAZN in the U.K. and Ireland. Stevenson posted an immediate reaction to the announcement on X: “Garcia-Benn is happening, so it shuts down y’all fake narratives. Fighters can fight whoever now because Turki [Alalshikh] is saving the sport of boxing.” Stevenson’s Zuffa Boxing debut is slated for October. The Ring/WBO junior welterweight champ says he wants to fight WBO welterweight titleholder Devin Haney, who’s No. 8 in The Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings. If a bout with Haney can’t be made, Stevenson said he’d be interested in a 140-pound unification bout with WBA beltholder Gary Antuanne Russell during an interview with FightHype. A win over Haney would likely push Stevenson to No. 2 in the pound-for- pound rankings, just under Naoya Inoue, so I understand why he wants that bout. But I’d be more interested in Stevenson vs. Russell because the Maryland native is a more aggressive boxer (with more power) than Haney. If Stevenson is ever going to catch on with casual fans, he’ll have to occasionally be in entertaining fights. Another boxer who could bring that out in Stevenson is Lamont Roach Jr. The former 130-pound beltholder took on William Zepeda for the WBC lightweight title on August 1, the week after this issue went to press. If Roach won, I’d love to see the battle-tested technician challenge Stevenson for the junior welterweight crown. And, of course, there’s the Garcia-Benn winner. I don’t think either welterweight is in Stevenson’s class, but their size and power adds an element of danger. The main purpose of those fights would be to further raise Stevenson’s profile. BELTS MATTER? On July 13, the DAZN pay-per-view undercard to Anthony Joshua’s July 25
comeback fight against Kristian Prenga was announced. The three main supporting bouts were Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Simon Zachenhuber (for Sheeraz’s WBO super middleweight title), Josh Kelly vs. Caoimhin Agyarko (for Kelly’s IBF junior middleweight belt), and Reito Tsutsumi vs. Alvino Herrera (in a 10-round junior lightweight bout). The lineup didn’t remind old heads of Don King’s classic “Revenge: The Rematches” PPV. I understand why Joshua fought a New Jersey club fighter. It was his first bout since his tragic car accident in December and he hadn’t been in against a world-class opponent since Daniel Dubois poleaxed him in September 2024. It was just a tune-up for his anticipated winter superfight with Tyson Fury (who had his own stay-busy fight with Mariusz Wach in Thailand the same weekend). Tsutsumi was a 4-0 prospect looking for quality rounds against an unbeaten (18-0-2) Mexican pro. No problem with that. Kelly was coming off his title- winning boxing clinic against Bakhram Murtazaliev, and his fight after Agyarko was rumored to be a unification showdown with Boots Ennis. He was allowed a softer touch between 154-pound boogeymen. But there was no defending Sheeraz’s first defense of the WBO title. He won the vacant belt in May against Alem Begic, a 39-year-old vet who had no business sharing the ring with a world-class fighter, let alone a giant, heavy-handed punisher like Sheeraz, who battered the hapless German into submission inside two rounds. It looked like child abuse. I know that the vacant strap was supposed to be contested between Sheeraz and undefeated contender Diego Pacheco, who declined the fight, but the WBO should not have had Begic in any position to take Pacheco’s place. And the sanctioning organization should not have had Zachenhuber, a 28-year-old German southpaw who’s never fought anyone of note and lost a
The DAZN-PBC alliance was announced at the kickoff presser for Rolly Romero-Teofimo Lopez.
announced that Teofimo Lopez signed an exclusive multi-fight agreement with DAZN. What do I think about that? Nothing. Ask me after his August 22 bout against Rolando Romero. His performance in that fight – and what he decides to do afterward – will determine my level of interest going forward. G etting back to the PBC/DAZN and Stevenson/Zuffa Boxing alliances, we all know these are big deals for the parties involved, but only time will tell if they benefit the fans. So, for now my only take is a question: Will either deal result in fights that we want to see? I see potential in both cases. (How do ya like that? I’m not a cynic despite more than a quarter century of covering this racket.) The PBC’s stable isn’t the powerhouse it was 10 years ago, but the company still has several notable fighters under contract. There are current world titleholders Romero, David Benavidez, Sebastian Fundora, Gary Antuanne Russell, Carlos Adames and Brandon Figueroa; former beltholders and contenders such as Isaac Cruz, Stephen Fulton, Alberto Puello, Caleb Plant, Jesus Ramos Jr. and Eimantas Stanionis; along
with a group of well-known, semi-retired veterans (some plagued by personal issues as well as inactivity) that include Spence, Keith Thurman, Jermell and Jermall Charlo and Gervonta Davis. This lineup isn’t going to remind older fans of the star-studded stables of Main Events or Don King Productions during the 1980s and 1990s, but there are talented and experienced fighters under the PBC banner. If they can mix with the standouts from the other major promoters partnered with DAZN – Matchroom, Golden Boy Promotions, Queensberry and Top Rank – maybe we’ll eventually have a healthy programming situation akin to HBO’s heyday. Even the press release tagline for DAZN’s updated promotional roster – “Every Major Promotion. One Global Network.” – reminds me of old HBO Sports slogans, such as “The Best Fights are on HBO” and “The Network of Champions.” However, note how HBO used to mention the fights and the champions, while DAZN references the promoters. To truly be like HBO was in the ’90s and 2000s, DAZN can’t assume its promotional partners will get along
and do right by the fans. The streaming sports platform is going to have to put real heat on them and demand the necessary co-promotions that will match up the top fighters of each stable. Some of the co-promotional matchups with PBC players I’d love to see DAZN present by this time next year include Jaron Ennis (Matchroom) or Vergil Ortiz (Golden Boy) vs. Fundora at junior middleweight, Keyshawn Davis (Top Rank) vs. Russell or Cruz at junior welterweight (if Davis can still make 140; if not I’d be OK with him fighting Stanionis at 147), and Rafael Espinoza or Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (both with Top Rank) vs. Figueroa at featherweight. I can think of a few matchups I’d love to see Stevenson in over the next 12 months, but I admit his move to Zuffa Boxing initially made me wonder if those fights would be blocked in the same manner that Jai Opetaia has been blackballed since signing with the company.
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