RINGSIDE
Omar Trinidad (right) battled Lorenzo Parra to a draw in 2025.
any easier. But they’ll stay active, and their bouts will be streamed to an international audience of almost 80 million subscribers on Paramount+ (as well as wide U.K. viewership via Sky Sports). Zuffa Boxing will have promoted five shows this year by April 5. White says the company aims to promote 44 cards by the end of 2026. I know ProBox does a great job serving boxing’s middle class with quality cards streamed on their YouTube channel and app, as does Salita Promotions with its “Big Time Boxing” shows on DAZN. Golden Boy Promotions had a good developmental series from 2015-2019 showcased on
various platforms (Rubio’s first nine pro bouts were on this “L.A. Fight Club” series), as did Loeffler with his “Hollywood Fight Nights” before becoming Zuffa Boxing’s VP of Boxing Operations. But these shows operate in hardcore fan bubbles. Zuffa Boxing has the potential to reach a much larger audience with its Paramount+ partnership. The combination of White’s ambition and this OTT streaming service may be the closest thing we’ll get to ESPN’s “Top Rank Boxing” and “Friday Night Fights.” I’m not saying any of the aforementioned Zuffa boxers will
develop into the next “Irish Micky” and be involved in multiple Fights of the Year. I’ll be happy if we get a Kevin Pompey out of the bunch (under-40 readers can search him on YouTube; they’ll thank me later). I’ll also be happy knowing they’re receiving the support needed to make a living in the toughest of sports. These are good people I’ve gotten to know over the years. Now it’s your turn to get to know them.
16 RINGMAGAZINE.COM
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker