By Sean Jones: Canelo Alvarez, DAZN, and Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn are taking a risk by placing the Mexican star’s May 6th fight against John Ryder on PPV for ‘The King is Coming Home’ show at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
It’s questionable whether boxing fans in Canada & the U.S. will be interested enough in the Canelo vs. Ryder fight to order it on DAZN pay-per-view.
Choosing this time to place Canelo-Ryder on PPV isn’t ideal, considering DAZN recently steeply raised their subscription rates…
Will fans purchase Canelo-Ryder on PPV?
It’s possible some fans won’t mind paying whatever DAZN is charging to watch Canelo fight Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) on pay-per-view, but considering the timing and the level of opponent, people will likely balk at ordering this fight, and it could bring in a tiny number of buys.
As long as DAZN is okay with a small number of PPV buys for Canelo vs. Ryder, it shouldn’t be a problem. Still, there’s likely to be a lot of subscribers seeing this as the last straw, being asked to see Canelo fighting a low-level opponent on PPV immediately after the huge price hikes in the DAZN subscription rates, and they’ll cancel.
“Every time Canelo Alvarez fights, the world is watching. Every country in the world wants to host a Canelo Alvarez fight,” said Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn at the kick-off press conference for Canelo’s ‘The King is Coming Home’ fight against John Ryder on May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
“Eddy [Reynoso] said to me, ‘Guadalajara, Mexico, that’s where we must fight.’ I said, ‘Hang on a second. We have an offer from the Middle East. We have offer from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, England.’ Eddy and Saul said, No, it must be Mexico. We must come home.'”
Hearn: “The World will be watching”
“I’m so happy they’re going it because this is a moment and a fight that will be remembered in the history of boxing and Mexican sport forever,” said Hearn. “Sport is about chasing dreams and about chasing legacy, but we all know that money sometimes controls the sport.
“You are very lucky that you have two men, a team of people, a city, and a country that supports boxing and remembers where it all started and the importance of inspiring the next generation.
“On May 6th, you’ll have a moment and a party that you’ll never forget. The whole world will be watching Guadalajara on May 6th, and we look forward to welcoming you to a tremendous evening,” said Hearn.
