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Ruiz-Joshua Card: Hunter-Povetkin, Vargas-Smith, Quigg-Carroll in Play

As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, Eddie Hearn says there are no plans to consider moving the Andy Ruiz Jr-Anthony Joshua rematch away from Saudi Arabia, despite escalating tensions in the Middle East and attacks on Saudi oil installations.
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Ruiz-Joshua Card: Hunter-Povetkin, Vargas-Smith, Quigg-Carroll in Play

As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, Eddie Hearn says there are no plans to consider moving the Andy Ruiz Jr-Anthony Joshua rematch away from Saudi Arabia, despite escalating tensions in the Middle East and attacks on Saudi oil installations.

Ruiz and Joshua are due to clash for a second time for the WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles on December 7 in Diriyah, just outside the Saudi capital Riyadh.

But last week air-raid sirens were being tested in Riyadh dues to fears of an escalation in tensions with Iran, which has been blamed for drone attacks on oil fields at Abqaiq and Khurais, the latter of which is only about 100 miles from Riyadh.

Hearn said they had been assured that there was no risk to the boxing promotion.

“We did contact them and ask if everything’s OK, and they said it was,” Hearn said. “As far as we’re concerned it’s all systems go. [The attacks are] a long way from Diriyah.

“The advice is to travel with caution, it’s the same category as Mexico, so there’s no advice not to travel.

“We can change the venue if something major happens. We had Errol Spence v Kell Brook four days after the Manchester bombing and it looked like we’d have to cancel. We had to spend significant money on policing and anti-terror squads. It could be done but it’s not even part of the mindset.

“It doesn’t affect the dynamics of the event, as long as everyone’s safe and happy. Unless someone came out of the government and said it’s not safe. But Frank Smith was on a site visits last week with the international broadcasters and everyone was happy.

“The one thing is understanding the culture and what’s allowed, like can we have female presenters? Everyone has questions but once everyone goes and has the meetings they’re very comforted. It’s always going to have its criticisms but the meetings are 20 times more advanced than in London or New York so you leave happy.”

Hearn is putting finishing touches to the undercard, with a heavyweight clash between Alexander Povetkin, the former WBA champion from Russia, and American Michael Hunter set to be the chief support. Hunter made it clear that Povetkin was a fight he wanted after beating another Russian, Sergey Kuzmin, in New York earlier this month.

Hearn says that he is also close to agreeing a fight between former world champions Liam Smith and Jessie Vargas on the bill, along with a match between Scott Quigg and Jono Carroll, who lost to Tevin Farmer for the WBA super-featherweight title in March. Filip Hrgovic, the unbeaten Croatian heavyweight, will also be on the bill plus one more fight. He denied that the other fights would involve women.

“They mentioned it to me but it has not gone any further,” Hearn said.

“Now the biggest challenge is the ticketing. If you buy a ticket you get an automatic 30-day visa. Tickets are going to be released in early October.”
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Spence-Porter Shoulder Programming Produces Record Numbers

Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) and Fox Sports couldn’t have asked for a stronger start to fight week. Shoulder programming for Saturday’s Fox Sports Pay-Per-View headliner between welterweight titlists Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter continues to be consumed in record-breaking numbers...
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Spence-Porter Shoulder Programming Produces Record Numbers

Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) and Fox Sports couldn’t have asked for a stronger start to fight week.

Shoulder programming for Saturday’s Fox Sports Pay-Per-View headliner between welterweight titlists Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter continues to be consumed in record-breaking numbers, including this weekend’s offering, all of which aired live on Fox’s flagship station.

The third and fourth installments of PBC Fight Camp: Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter broke its own record on consecutive days.

Episode 3 aired this past Saturday, drawing a series-best average of 971,000 viewers according to Nielsen Media Research. That mark was nearly doubled by Episode 4, which aired on Sunday and averaged 1.706 million viewers. The installment was slotted immediately after the single-game offering of NFL on FOX in most markets (which showed the boxing-adjacent Dallas Cowboys trouncing the Miami Dolphins), while other markets aired the episode right before its Game of the Week.

Wedged in between live NFL action and red carpet coverage of the primetime Emmy awards was a special Sunday afternoon edition of Inside PBC Boxing. The 60-minute show—which was largely dedicated to previewing the forthcoming welterweight title unification clash—averaged 791,000 viewers. The strong showing provided an 84% increase from a similarly slotted installment ahead of Fox Sports’ PPV debut, when Spence (25-0, 21KOs) soundly outpointed previously unbeaten Mikey Garcia. The PPV-centric episode of Inside PBC Boxing averaged 431,000 viewers six days ahead of fight night.

Spence will attempt the fourth defense of a welterweight reign which began with an 11th round knockout of England’s Kell Brook in their May 2017 clash in Brook’s hometown of Sheffield, England. Saturday will mark the second straight PPV headliner for the unbeaten southpaw from Desoto, Texas. His win over Garcia gin March generated roughly 375,000 buys while playing to an announced crowd of 47,525 at AT&T Stadium (home of the Cowboys) in Arlington, Texas.

Saturday’s PPV event will take place at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., marking Spence’s first ring apearance in the L.A. market since his second pro bout in Dec. 2012 shortly following his stint on the 2012 U.S. Olympic boxing team which competed in London.

Interestingly, it came on a card where Porter (30-2-1, 17KOs) suffered his first career blemish, a 10-round draw versus former titlist Julio Diaz. The Akron, Ohio native—who now lives and trains in Las Vegas, Nev.—righted the ship nine months later, scoring a 10-round decision in his final non-title fight before beginning the first of two welterweight title reigns following a 12-round win over Devon Alexander in Dec. 2013.

Just one successful defense came of the run before losing to Brook in their Aug. 2014 clash at StubHub Center (now Dignity Health Sports Park) in Carson, Calif. He returned the venue this past March as a defending two-time titlist, eking out a 12-round decision over Yordenis Ugas this past March, his first defense following a close but clear points win over former two-division titlist Danny Garcia last September.

Porter—who also serves as a Fox Sports studio host and occasional fight night commentator—also made a guest appearance on Fox NFL Sunday, the network’s long-running hit pre-game series. His segment was part of a show which averaged 4.817 million viewers.
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Pacquiao Open To The Idea of Fighting in Dubai, With Amir Khan

WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is open to the idea of fighting in Dubai. According to Gulf News, Pacquiao was speaking at the Dubai Sports Council on Thursday as he prepares to headline this weekend’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event at Hamdan Sports Complex.
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Pacquiao Open To The Idea of Fighting in Dubai, With Amir Khan

WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is open to the idea of fighting in Dubai.

According to Gulf News, Pacquiao was speaking at the Dubai Sports Council on Thursday as he prepares to headline this weekend’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event at Hamdan Sports Complex.

Pacquiao has been out of the ring since July, when the 40-year-old boxer turned back the clock to win a twelve round split decision over undefeated Keith Thurman for the WBA strap.

One possible opponent for a bout in Dubai is former sparring partner, Amir Khan.

Khan, a former world champion and Olympic silver medal winner, has been chasing a fight with Pacquiao for several years.

Pacquiao mentioned the recently opened Coca-Cola Arena as a potential venue for the bout. Khan recently fought in Jeddah, where he dominated and stopped undersized former champion Billy Dib.

“I’m planning for next year; trying to make it for next year with a possible opponent. Especially Amir Khan wants to fight me. We will talk again. It would be a good fight," Pacquiao told The National.

Two years ago, the two boxers had a deal to fight each other in the Middle East, but the financial backers were unable to provide proof of funds and the contest quickly fell apart.

And then earlier this year, Khan claimed to have finalized a deal for a Pacquiao bout for November 8 in Saudi Arabia - and the Filipino's team quickly rejected that information. Khan would late state that he was given false information.

“We can discuss that, a fight between us. I have a commitment for my next fight - one fight only. But after that we can talk. No problem," Pacquiao said.
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Spence-Porter To Earn $2 million Each; Benavidez-Dirrell $1M

Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter will each earn $2 million for their fight Saturday night at the Staples Center, a California State Athletic Commission official who reviewed the contracts each fighter signed told BoxingScene.com.
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Spence-Porter To Earn $2 million Each; Benavidez-Dirrell $1M

Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter will each earn $2 million for their fight Saturday night at the Staples Center, a California State Athletic Commission official who reviewed the contracts each fighter signed told BoxingScene.com.

Spence Jr., the IBF titleholder, and Porter, the WBC champion, will both make additional guarantees to the reported figure and can both earn larger sums thereafter for their Fox pay-per-view welterweight unification fight depending on how well the bout sells.

David Benavidez and Anthony Dirrell, who will be fighting in the co-feature, signed a contract for $1 million each.

The purse is a downgrade for Spence Jr., who signed a $3 million deal (plus additional guarantees) for his March PPV fight against Mikey Garcia.

Garica also signed for $3 million in that fight that drew 47,000 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas and over 360,000 PPV buys on Fox.
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