The good news: there are a number of genuinely big, genuinely exciting and basically unmissable fights either scheduled or confirmed for the remaining three-and-a-bit months of the year.
The bad news, or to be more precise, the expensive news: so far, seven of these big fights will only be available via pay-per-view. It really does look like being an expensive three months or so for fight fans.
We have tomorrow night’s unmissable Las Vegas super-fight between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez: price tag – $90.00 US, £16.99 in the UK. Then we will have the Anthony Joshua-Alexander Povetkin fight on September 22: price tag – £19.99 UK. Then, on ITV Box-Office on September 28, the final of The World Boxing Super Series between super-middleweights George Groves and Callum Smith – price tag: TBA.
Then we move into November (so far no P-P-V fights have been announced for October, unless I’ve missed any?) and here we will have the historic Oleksandr Uysk-Tony Bellew cruiserweight showdown on November 10: price tag – £19.99 UK. Also likely in November (though still to be confirmed) is the big Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury title fight: price tag – TBA but absolutely pay-per-view.
Then, in December, fans will be expected to fork out (if they want to catch the action – and what hardcore fight fan ever wants to miss out!) for the scheduled Dillian Whyte-Dereck Chisora heavyweight return on December 22: price tag – £19.99 UK. And, on the exact same night, the Carl Frampton-Josh Warrington featherweight world title fight will likely go ahead: price tag – TBA.
It’s easy to see how the wallets and the bank balances of fight fans will take some hammering with this lot. I cannot remember a more pay-per-view packed three (and-a-bit) months of boxing, can you?
Is it getting out of hand, or are the big, big fights only possible these days if they go out on pay-per-view?
Right now, fans will be pondering which of the above listed seven pay-per-view cards to purchase. Or maybe you have a few bucks/pounds and plan to buy the lot?