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Canelo’s Berlanga pick sparks negative reactions and potential PPV losses

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Image: Canelo's Choice of Berlanga Sparks Backlash and Potential PPV Losses

The negative reaction from Canelo Alvarez fans on social media, unhappy with the selection of Edgar Berlanga as his opponent for the September 14 fight, could negatively impact pay-per-view ticket sales for the event.

As Mike Coppinger notes, fans may find the Canelo-Berlanga fight not worth the PPV purchase and may opt to pirate it for free.

Balancing mismatches with tough fights

Fans want WBA/WBC/WBO super middleweight champion Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) to fight David Benavidez instead of Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs). Fans see the Canelo-Berlanga fight as a no-brainer, similar to his last fight with Jaime Munguia.

If people feel like Canelo will operate the remaining fights in his career to fight the media like Berlanga did, they will stop spending their hard-earned money on the Mexican star’s PPV fights.

Therefore, Canelo has to balance his mismatches by occasionally putting himself in a tough fight with someone he is unlikely to be able to beat.

The fight with Terence Crawford is not good enough to fulfill that goal, as Canelo will still be considered the favorite. Crawford would move up two weight classes, and few fans would see him as a chance to win.

Canelo needs to get involved in the fight with these types:

-David Benavides
-David Morrell
– Artur Beterbiew
– Dmitry Bivol

Negative Social Media Reactions and PPV Implications

“Berlanga is going to take this a huge step forward. I don’t think social media is everything, but the reaction I’ve seen has been pretty significant because people knew it was coming, the criticism has come in waves,” commentator Chris Mannix said in his Youtube channel on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight on September 14. “Is that a fight that can be sold on any level in your mind?”

Fans do not see Berlanga as a credible opponent for Canelo as he has a long resume of terrible opponents and does not deserve this fight against fighters like Benavidez.

Canelo shouldn’t have picked Berlanga. He should have picked Diego Pacheco or Christian Mbilla if he wanted a semi-easy opponent. Anyone but Berlanga, because he’s considered a cheater.

“I think this is one of those instances where social media is pretty representative of what the general public thinks,” Mike Coppinger said. “It’s just a tough sell. I haven’t seen the odds yet. I imagine Canelo will be -2,000 or -2,500 in that range.”

There are a lot of arguments against a Canelo-Berlanga fight. The crowd hates it, and the UFC is on the same night, September 14, in Las Vegas at the Sphere. Canelo clearly doesn’t care what the fans think, which is a shame, because his show probably won’t be a success if Berlanga’s fans in Novel York don’t buy it in huge numbers.

“We all know what’s going to happen on fight night. The positive side for Canelo is he’s going to get a knockout, I’m sure, finally for the first time since he knocked out Caleb Plant in November of 2021,” Coppinger said. “I think Edgar Berlanga is going to sell the fight well.”

Canelo may not knock out. He didn’t knock out Jaime Munguia, and he’s the same type of fighter as Berlanga, with an identically inflated resume of faint opposition. Canelo took a lot of blows on Munguia, and it’s pretty clear he’s nowhere near the fighter he was two years ago when he became the undisputed super middleweight champion.

“He’s charismatic and he’s willing to do media interviews, which is crucial,” Coppinger said of Berlanga. “Canelo won’t have to shoulder the burden of promotion. People are watching Canelo Alvarez no matter what. I think he could get hurt because there are a lot of boxing fans who will buy a PPV if they think it’s worth it and steal it because it’s pretty simple if they don’t.”

Berlanga will certainly put a lot of tough work into promoting the fight, knowing that the more buys he generates, the bigger his PPV potential will be. Despite this, many fans will decide not to buy the event due to lack of interest in the fight.

“I think we’re going to see a huge augment in piracy, given how people perceive and think about fighting,” Coppinger said. “They’ll buy it if they think it’s worth it. What really stands out is that Benavidez is there. If Benavidez wasn’t there, I think it would be different.”

The importance of taking risks

Again, if fans believe that this is going to be the case for the rest of Canelo’s career, that he’s going to pick faint fighters who haven’t proven they deserve to fight for a title, then they’re not going to watch his fights or operate alternative methods to watch them for free.

Canelo needs to start taking risks like he did against Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto, Erislandy Lara and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“Now we’re at the point where people are saying, ‘We know he’ll never fight Benavidez,’ and maybe there’ll be some backlash and protests,” Coppinger said.

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The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena

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Rocha vs Curiel

In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).

The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.

“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”

Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00

“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”

Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.

“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.

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George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team

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George Kambosos beats Teofimo

Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.

Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.

The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.

Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.

The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.

“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.

“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.

“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”

Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.

“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].

Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.

“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.

Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.

“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.

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Boxing

Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul

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Mike Tyson comeback black

One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.

WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.

Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.

“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.

“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.

“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.

He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”

Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.

Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.

Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.

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