Lucas Jones
The first pay-per-view event of 2024 for Premier Boxing Champions will take place this weekend in Las Vegas, as the company founded by powerful advisor Al Haymon begins a new chapter in its nearly decade-long history.
Undefeated junior middleweight titleholder Tim Tszyu, son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, headlines his first PPV card on American soil as he hosts late replacement Sebastian Fundora in a 154-pound unification title fight at T- Mobile Arena on Saturday. The event marks PBC’s first with Prime Video after airing on Showtime and FOX in recent years.
Let’s take a closer look at the biggest stories surrounding big boxing’s return to the fight capital of the world.
1. Keith Thurman injury creates rare PPV upgrade
For as big a name as former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman brings to the table, the 35-year-old has been so inactive and injured lately that it has become easier for critics to vilify the PBC’s choice to use him. lo against Tszyu as the headliner of Prime Video’s kickoff event. Unfortunately, a late injury suffered during training camp took Thurman out of the fight, allowing the 6-foot-2 Fundora to make a late comeback from the already loaded undercard. Even though Fundora is fresh off the only loss of his professional career – by knockout, no less – to Tszyu’s recent opponent, Brian Mendoza (who, coincidentally, replaces Fundora against Serhii Bohachuk on the PPV main card), he’s a unquestionable upgrade from Thurman, who never fought professionally at 154 pounds. Fundora’s size and bulk alone are enough to create a formidable challenge for Tszyu, the WBO title holder who will also be competing for the vacant WBC belt, and which may only be more difficult because Tszyu has had almost no time to prepare. . The fact that he accepted the fight with such enthusiasm is a testament to Tszyu’s character. But there is no doubt that the entertainment factor has also been improved, considering both fighters prefer to fight at close range throughout the fight.
2. PBC can only benefit from the Terence Crawford rumors
If the upgrade to Tszyu-Fundora wasn’t enough to lift the spirits of boxing fans heading into PBC’s long-awaited return, the fact that stalwart pound-for-pound and undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford has reportedly put his name in the mix to fighting the winner is nothing short of juicy and exciting. It would only be better for PBC if arrangements were made for Crawford to appear in person, which we hope will be the case. But Tszyu’s management told the media on Monday in Las Vegas that Crawford has already entered negotiations to fight the winner. Should his opponent turn out to be Tszyu, who appears on the brink of stardom, this could become one of the sport’s most exciting developments for the second half of 2024.
3. Eventually, Rolando Romero will have to win a big fight
With a nickname like “Rolly” and the kind of sense of humor on social media that could be seen as an acquired taste, Romero has long been seen as the clown prince of the 140-pound division. He may be the title holder entering Saturday’s co-main event against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, but both of Romero’s title fight victories have been highly contested by fans and pundits alike. Romero does a great job playing the role of the eclectic B-side, which he portrayed well before his PPV knockout loss to Gervonta Davis in 2022. But it’s clearly “put up or shut up” time for Romero now as the A-side against the stubborn and powerful Cruz. Romero has a bit of Ricardo Mayorga, but even “El Matador” needed to go back to the drawing board after high-profile defeats and rebuild his case for another future title shot. In Romero’s case, his resume simply needs a critical win – and a lot of it – to justify his status as a world title holder. In many ways, this could be the defining fight of the 28-year-old Romero’s career against the rare fighter who was previously able to push Davis to the limit in a narrow defeat.
4. The Romero-Cruz winner could be headed for a big-money “Tank” rematch
While Gervonta “Tank” Davis is rumored to return in June to defend his 135-pound title against undefeated Frank Martin, the Romero-Cruz winner could certainly be in line for a rematch to close out 2024. Davis has fought at 140 pounds before , when he stopped Mario Barros in the 2021 PPV fight. The division is also too hot right now to count any potential crossover fights involving multiple promoters or networks, similar to what happened when “Tank” and Ryan Garcia crushed PPV projections in their superfight in last April. Garcia will fight 140-pound champion Devin Haney in April and both the winner and loser of that fight could be linked to future blockbusters against Davis, Romero or Cruz. Considering the money that’s been flowing out of Saudi Arabia lately, it’s a great time to be a boxing fan and there’s no weight division that threatens to do bigger things in the new year than junior welterweight.
5. Expect a reboot of PBC familiarity on Prime Video broadcast
With former Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza now added to the PBC mix behind the scenes, it was no surprise that the announcement of the broadcast team’s debut on Prime Video had a familiar feel thanks to the return of Brian Custer (host), Mauro Ranallo (play-by-play) and Abner Mares (color commentary). But the addition of Hall of Fame trainer Joe Goossen and Jordan Plant, who have worked on PBC’s Fox coverage in recent years, shows that a full reunion is near. Veteran ringside reporter Claudia Trejos rounds out the English-language broadcast team, which will call a two-fight preliminary card free to all on Prime Video before the start of the four-fight PPV main card.
