Stephen Espinoza, President of Showtime Sports, sits down with Pro Boxing Fans to share his thoughts on boxing, its significant events, key players, and the ever-evolving dynamics of the industry. His insight reflects years of experience and a deep understanding of the sport.
“There’s still intensity, there’s still rivalry, there’s still emotion… and it came to the surface today,” Espinoza remarked, reflecting on the build-up to the Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford bout. While both fighters have been respectful of each other throughout the build-up, the fight week’s intensity is visible, spilling over even to their camps.
“This is not all fun and games… These guys are very respectful level-headed guys, but there’s still a lot of intensity, a lot of emotion in this fight,” said Espinoza.
When asked if Saturday’s fight decides the number one, Espinoza responded confidently, “For me, it does.” He recognizes the achievement of Stephen Fulton, but believes that when a top three pound-for-pound fighter defeats another, it carries significant weight.
“If you’re the number two pound per pound guy and you beat the number three or the number four… that’s a statement win. That probably ascends to the number one based on the quality of opposition,” Espinoza explained.
Espinoza anticipates a successful pay-per-view for the fight, emphasizing that each fight stands on its own merits. Although the following of Spence and Crawford may not match that of fighters like Tank and Ryan Garcia, the former’s fight promises to be an event in its own right.
“Even if it’s short of 1.2 million, it’s still a very successful fight… It’s still going to be a gate in excess of 20 million dollars,” Espinoza confidently asserted.
On Eddie Hearn and Future Collaborations
Espinoza expressed no hesitation in working with Eddie Hearn or any other fighter in the future, dismissing personal theories about their strained business relationship. He underlined the competitive nature of the industry, asserting his willingness to collaborate if the situation warrants it.
Espinoza shed light on Canelo’s shift from DAZN to Showtime, emphasizing that it had nothing to do with getting back at Eddie Hearn. He sees Canelo as one of the biggest stars in the sport, and his signing was purely aimed at getting the biggest fights possible on their platform.
“It’s our belief that we can make him better… We’ve got better access to the opponents which are going to make for big mega fights going forward,” Espinoza stated.
Upcoming Canelo Fight
Espinoza confirmed that Canelo’s next fight will be held on September 30th in Vegas. In terms of Tank Davis, he revealed that discussions are still in the early stages, but assured fans that Davis is determined to get back into the ring before year-end, wanting the biggest fights in the division.
