By: Sean Crose
A very long time in the past, in what might as properly have been a galaxy far, distant, I shared a couple of transient phrases with UFC honcho Dana White on social media. It was through the leadup to the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao superfight. Maybe stung by the very fact boxing, reasonably than MMA, was at the moment the middle of the fight sport world, White made it clear that UFC fighters might basically mow down each Mayweather and Pacquiao. I responded by stating George Foreman would have crumpled Muhammad Ali in a car parking zone, however since their struggle was held in a boxing ring, Ali put Foreman on the mat. The purpose? That boxing abides by its personal bizarre algorithm and just about has since across the early Nineties…and that within the boxing ring even the hardest of powerful guys might be become a punching bag.
White basically responded by stating he was merely making some extent, and that was that. So far as I can recall I haven’t shared one other phrase with the person – although my slight expertise with the UFC has been constructive and spectacular. The reality, as those that have adopted White’s distinctive profession know, is that White has lengthy coveted the thought of moving into the boxing enterprise as a critical participant. Positive sufficient, White even ran a boxing membership in Boston in his youthful days earlier than gangster Whitey Bulger ran him out of the enterprise. The horrifying expertise despatched White fleeing to to Vegas – and the remaining is historical past. The person grew to become a part of the world of combined martial arts, then grew to become not solely the UFC’s head honcho, however the very face of the group.
At this time, after all, White has moved on to being probably the most well-known figures within the sporting world and past. Not solely does the UFC promote out arenas – it additionally repeatedly hosts President Donald Trump at its occasions. Nonetheless, White has additionally remained centered on boxing all the time. Maybe his present stage of huge success isn’t sufficient. Maybe he nonetheless needs to show he could make it in boxing with out having to buckle to the Whitey Bulgers of the world so as to take action. Or maybe he simply loves boxing. Although boxing and the UFC have been in direct competitors for some time now, White has lengthy made his love of the candy science recognized. For no matter cause, the face of the UFC has lengthy dreamed of creating it within the boxing recreation.
And now that dream has come true. With the announcement Tuesday of this September’s Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford superfight, the world has realized that White will likely be a promoter for the Netflix broadcast extravaganza. Canelo-Crawford isn’t Floyd Mayweather’s a lot hyped novelty throwdown with Conor McGregor. It is a authentic contest between two of the highest fighters within the present boxing recreation. What sort of influence White could have on the boxing trade stays to be seen. Those that view the present state of issues objectively, nevertheless, must admit the person is off to a powerful begin.
