Canelo in high demand by DAZN and Top Rank

By Boxing News - 09/28/2018 - Comments

Image: Canelo in high demand by DAZN and Top Rank

By Dan Ambrose: Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez says he’s been contacted by Matchroom Boxing USA/DAZN promoter Eddie Hearn and Todd Duboef of Top Rank to sign him to have his fights streamed on ESPN, according o Lance Pugmire of the LA Times.

Canelo (50-1-2, 34 KOs) needs a network to have his fights streamed/televised now that HBO is going out of the boxing business at the end of 2018. After 45 years of televising boxing, HBO has decided to discontinue showing he sport on their network.

”Eric Gomez also confirms that he’s been contacted by Eddie Hearn and Todd Duboef to express initial interest in bringing Canelo to DAZN USA and ESPN respectfully,” Lance Pugmire said on his Twitter.

Hearn badly wants to sign Canelo and Golovkin to his Matchroom Boxing USA sable so that he can stream his fights on DAZN. Hearn supposed was given $8 billion for his deal with DAZN. If that number is true, then he should have more than enough money to sign GGG and Canelo. Hearn could bring in a massive amount of subscribers if he could sign both of those two stars.

It’s not going to be easy for Hearn to ink them both because they’re not likey going to agree to the money that Hearn has been offering to the other fighters to have tem sign with his Machroom stable. Hearn hasn’t yet signed any superstar fighters in the Canelo and GGG mold. He did sign IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk recently, but he’s not a popular fighter in the United States. Usyk is talent, yes, but not a popular fighter. It might take years for Usyk to establish himself as a star the way GGG did, and it’s unclear whether he’s got the fighting style to make to accomplish that.

Despite their contract with Canelo having reportedly expired, HBO is still interested in having his next fight on December 15 televised on their network on pay-per-view. If Canelo and Golden Boy agree to that situation, it’ll fight would likely be the last boxing match that HBO will be televising on their network. As of now, Daniel Jacobs vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko on October 27 is supposed to be the last fight HBO will be showing on their network in 2018.

Just got off the phone with [Eric Gomez], who’s going into West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame Sunday. He says HBO would like to do a Canelo PPV on Dec. 15 but the fighter and Oscar DeLa Hoya haven’t discussed the possibility yet,” Pugmire said.

It’ll be interesting to see if Canelo stays with HBO for one last fight on December 15. Canelo might as well say on HBO for that fight because a lot of his boxing fans have already subscribed to HBO in order o see his fights.