The brand new boxing promotion, headed up by the UFC’s homeowners at TKO Group Holdings, has formidable plans for the longer term with the primary card set to launch in September when Canelo Alvarez takes on Terence Crawford in a superfight happening in Las Vegas.
UFC CEO Dana White has already been introduced because the promoter for the occasion with WWE president Nick Khan additionally concerned within the newly shaped boxing league, which is financially backed by Saudi Arabia and Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the Basic Leisure Authority within the nation. Whereas some particulars have been revealed for the reason that boxing promotion was first introduced, the brand new league has formidable plans with regards to the total schedule that kicks off with the cardboard on Sept. 12.
“I might simply let you know that we’re anticipating with the boxing group that we’re placing on a mean of name it 12 fights a 12 months, 12 playing cards a 12 months for every of the subsequent 5 years,” TKO president and chief working officer Mark Shapiro stated throughout a quarterly monetary name with traders. “Nonetheless placing that plan collectively and clearly working hand in hand with our buddies from Saudi.”
Along with the 12 playing cards on common per 12 months, the brand new Saudi-backed boxing league can be plotting a number of “superfight” occasions just like the one with Canelo vs. Crawford in September.
“Regardless of these, we’ll look to do anyplace from one to 4 kind of superfights per 12 months, we’ll see how that performs out,” Shapiro stated. “However clearly we might time period the Canelo/Crawford September matchup as a kind of. After which on that undercard, we might have plenty of these undercard fights that will possible air on the tv accomplice/media accomplice we might have for our newly shaped boxing organizations.”
As of now, the brand new TKO boxing league doesn’t have a broadcast accomplice however these particulars will possible get sorted out forward of the particular launch in September.
Whereas TKO is working the present, Shapiro was fast to level out once more that the corporate is definitely assuming no monetary legal responsibility for the boxing promotion with Saudi Arabia offering all the funding.
Add to that, the 12 particular person struggle playing cards are additionally going to be stored separate from the “superfights” that might doubtlessly contain a number of the greatest names within the sport.
“These are two separate companies,” Shapiro revealed. “The Saudis are funding what could be these superfight playing cards. We’ll work with them on media rights offers and take a fee. We’ll work with them clearly on international partnerships. We’ll work with them on ticketing. We’ll deal with the manufacturing.
“We’ll look to doubtlessly promote all of them with Dana White and Nick Khan driving a lot of that however then individually, we’ll have our boxing group, our [promotion] with them the place we’re going out and doing as I discussed 12 playing cards a 12 months on common and getting a separate media rights payment, promoting international partnerships to these playing cards and naturally selling and producing these playing cards on no matter media platform we select to tie with. That’s the state of boxing.”
To this point, the brand new promotion has solely been referenced as TKO Boxing however Shapiro guarantees that’s not really going to be the title used as soon as the promotion formally launches later this 12 months. He didn’t present any perception on the brand new title however promised that’s already within the works.
“I ought to point out it’s not going to be known as TKO boxing,” Shapiro stated. “That looks as if the soup of the day. We’ll be unveiling our title for our enterprise pretty quickly right here. However it is not going to be TKO boxing.”
