NEW YORK, NY — Place a boxing ring in the middle of Times Square in New York City, invite 350 fans to attend, erect screens all around the Crossroads of the World to highlight six mega stars of boxing. Indeed all of that is a reality Friday evening and they said it couldn’t be done.
They can only hope rain does not disrupt the festivities, outdoors of course in Times Square is not an ideal venue to showcase a sport that needs any attention it can get.
But this is a reality in New York with major players in boxing putting this together, streamed live world wide on DAZN pay-per view. Three fights of significance Friday evening “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves” that begins a historic boxing weekend never seen before, including Canelo Alvarez Saturday evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The face of boxing attempting to regain the IBF Super Middleweight title that was taken from him because of boxing politics, a fight that will be seen around 5PM ET.
The trilogy for boxing fans concludes Sunday evening from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Top Rank and ESPN showcasing Naoya Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) the undisputed junior feather champion from Japan. Inoue to many could be considered top pound-for-pound fighter, a title defense and only sixth fight in the United States. If you never witnessed his power it’s pure and talent.
But you bring Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the General Saudi General Entertainment Authority into the picture, a King with a pocket full of money and Times Square became a reality.
He has changed the landscape of boxing by luring in promoters and big name fighters. And delivering big time fights to the fans, something that has lacked and pushed back the sport for years.
He has delivered and with a punch. Times Square was his innovation of bringing big time fights to unusual venues. Alcatraz in the San Francisco Bay area, a former prison and now a landmark museum is another possible venue not that far off. And in discussion are venues in Mexico and inside the historic Roman Coliseum.
Hey, if Times Square is a reality, anything is. But it requires more than Turki, it’s a partnership. He has DAZN and two influential promoters in the sport, Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing) and Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions.
And when resources are available, as Turki seems to always have, the unprecedented will happen because this is boxing. Turki said he would make an impact, also revamping the Ring Magazine, once an iconic publication devoted to the sport.
He has developed a Ring Magazine title, different from the sanctioning organizations and a separate entity. The concept is unity to one champion and for each division. The Ring titles have already been contested.
Friday night more titles. And six mega stars of the sport in the middle of Time Square, three fights with implications and what fans have been anticipating for months when this date was secured on the schedule. New York City officials were not thrilled, after all this is not New Years Eve in Times Square. Logistics of security and crowd control including NYPD enforcement with secure points were recently hammered out. It wasn’t easy but they got it done.
The fighters are anticipating the moment, all ready as they say to rumble. The main event sees the return and year long suspension lifted for Ryan Garcia who is seeking redemption against former champion Rolando Romero.
Garcia last April 1st in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center knocked Devin Haney to the mat three times in quest to win the WBC junior welterweight title, but he came in over the weight limit and tested positive for PEDs thus the fight was thrown out.
For Haney, this is his quest for redemption. He wins his welterweight fight over former champion José Ramírez, and if Garcia fulfills his end of the deal, then we get the anticipated rematch of a brawl later this year.
Haney’s dad and trainer Bill once again almost precipitated a brawl with Garcia Wednesday evening at the Manhattan Center ballroom during the final presser. There is no secret the Haney camp resents Garcia for entering the ring as a PED user, a feud that has been ongoing all year.
Just a month ago, Haney dropped a lawsuit against Garcia as being a detriment to him last April in Brooklyn.
Though Turki was instrumental in making peace. His mojo is putting fights together rather than seeking turmoil and further division, expanding his empire further in New York City and the United States. Within the last few years the mega fights have been in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh season and their version of a jubilee with premiere soccer events, even the WWE as other attractions. A trilogy for the heavyweight championship between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk combined in excess of 250,000 fans and created a boxing buzz.
And the center of attention Friday night, Teofimo Lopez defends his WBO junior welterweight title against Arnold Barboza Jr. in what will probably be contested at welterweight (147). Lopez has made this a spectacle, has been the showman for this promotion and on the stage Wednesday wore a Lucha libre wrestling mask.
He is not a fan favorite and heard from the peanut gallery upstairs, a quest to retain his title and conduct another takeover of boxing divisions as a once unified lightweight champion.
However, Lopez has a lot to prove. He was not impressive in his last two fights at 140, Barboza Jr. under the Golden Boy banner can punch and will not run away from Lopez, certainly this should be the main event with a title on the line.
But Garcia is the spotlight, his return of course. And boxing is in the spotlight Friday night, an unusual setting on a historic weekend that can only hope to bring back the novice fan.
Boxing needs this, perhaps not in Times Square. Or in Central Park where the Turki, Matchroom, and Golden Boy are set to announce their next event in July that will feature Edgar Berlanga, the New York and Puerto Rico prodigy.
He went the distance with Alvarez last year in Las Vegas and will oppose Hamzah Sheeraz in a super middleweight title eliminator.
Hey, this is boxing. The unusual and where Turki has become a dominant force who makes the fights happen.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor at LatinoSports.com
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