Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MCGUIGAN Canelo deal is a jackpot for boxing
WHETHER Saul Canelo Alvarez deserves it or not, the £280million deal he has signed with American streaming company DAZN is a game-changer for boxing.
Even Floyd Mayweather Jnr would get out of bed for a chunk like that. Not only does it enrich Canelo, it demonstrates the reach, power and sustainability of the sport.
Those who thought the old game might be teetering in the face of UFC’S relentless push into professional combat territory must think again.
UFC has done a brilliant job in projecting its wares, conveying the idea of size and scale through its grasp and use of social media.
But this puts everything into perspective. Conor Mcgregor would have to fight lions in the octagon to get close to Canelo’s jackpot.
The sums involved have far-reaching consequences, persuading talented athletes who might have chosen other sports, particularly in America, to prioritise boxing.
The heavyweight division in the United States has lost its appeal for big men who see basketball and gridiron as a way to make a fortune. This ought to give a few inner-city kids from Philly to Detroit a reason to dream.
In this country boxing has never been in better shape. And having the world heavyweight champion is undeniably brilliant for everybody involved.
Not surprisingly, DAZN made Anthony Joshua (above) their first foray into the British market and got full value with his demolition of Alexander Povetkin. In Mexico and America, Canelo is king. Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding will be part of his story when he defends the WBA super-middleweight crown against Canelo at Madison Square Garden in December. No disrespect to Rocky, but there will be only one moniker pulling in the online crowd that night.
Boxing has always had its global superstars, like Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali.
In Mexico and for the whole Mexican diaspora in the United States, boxing is No.1, bigger even than football. Canelo IS Mexico when he steps in the ring.
The DAZN deal recognises that. And if we needed to take the temperature of our sport, this tells us boxing is in fine fettle.