Unfortunately, the GGG-Murata middleweight unification fight scheduled for this week got canceled due to Japan’s border closure to foreigners to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
However, there is still one more world title fight to come in 2021. On Friday (December 31), WBO super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka defends his title against Ryoji Fukunaga in Tokyo. Ioka is a four-division world champion. No U.S. TV as of now.
2022 starts with a bang. A $39.99 all-heavyweight pay-per-view on Saturday (January 1) offers up five fights from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
The PPV line-up is:
Luis Ortiz vs. Charles Martin
Frank Sanchez vs. Carlos Negron
Jonathan Rice vs. Michael Coffie 2
Gerald Washington vs. Ali Eren Demirezen
Viktor Faust vs. Iago Kiladze
Prior to the PPV, FS1 will broadcast some of the undercard action (fighters are TBA).
By the way, the boxing PPV starts at 8PM ET/5PM PT, so it will go head-to-head with the end of the Rose Bowl (probably a blowout) and the meaningless Sugar Bowl. No conflict with either of the CFP national championship semifinal games.
Coffie wasn’t particularly competitive against Rice the first time around. Coffie is good but raw and a bit old for a prospect/former prospect. I think he should retool a few fights against guys that could push him but allow him to work on a few skills that he was exposed as lacking in the first fight. He could still have a solid career but another loss to Rice? Fugetaboutit.
That said, Rice is a tough customer. Big, strong, high energy, good defensively and good chin. I don’t know if he can parlay this into a string of victories but he’s got the tools rise way above the journeyman label.
Coffie’s defense was non-existent vs. Rice. That’s not getting fixed anytime soon, or ever. Not sure I would have stuck him back in with Rice immediately, but also not sure how much good a few tune-up fights in-between would do him, and how old will he be a few fights from now? He does have power, so there’s a chance he catches Rice and KOs him, be this will likely be a replay of the first fight. 30 years old is REALLY late to start a boxing career. Looking forward to this fight though. Not a bad card overall.
all hvwt ppv……..hmm
cable tv is the right place for it
What is with the random bashing of the bowl games at the end of this article, lol.
The Ross Bowl has a line of 6.5 (hardly blow out territory) and who are you to call the Sugar Bowl meaningless?
Just weird and out of left field. That entire paragraph should have been axed.
*Rose
Have to agree with that-most of these fights more meaningless than the bowl games.
Sugar Bowl is just a money grab to rob fans that think it has meaning. All that matters is who wins the National Championship.
If it goes to 8 or 12 then bowl games really become meaningless.
Would like to see bowl games cut way down like back in the day maybe 16 games I think it was when all games had a little meaning. Who really cares about Georgia St vs Ball St. Maybe 8 in playoff and 12 extra bowl games at most.
“2022 starts with a bang. A $39.99 all-heavyweight pay-per-view”
– Too much PPV these days.
– Belongs on “regular” cable TV outlets.
Agreed. I thought DAZN and ESPN Plus was supposed to put these PPV cards on the back burner. Crawford/Porter, Davis/Cruz, etc, etc are NOT PPV worthy and neither is this 1/1/2022 card. If no one buys it, then the powers-that-be will be forced to re-consider this non-sense. So let’s not support it.
I am hearing that PBC is going all in on ppv and already have Thurman vs Barrios as a ppv in Feb. Long term plan is to move away from Showtime and move Showtime quality fights to ppv
PBC will burn and all that will be left is ash. The free boxing was good but needed to stick to one platform and offer up more of the best prospects. A DAZN concept for a PBC stable would’ve been an excellent move. This PPV idea will die hard and it’s showing signs early.
I would like a DAZN concept for PBC but not with any ppv then I would be happy paying a subscription. I saw Leonard Ellerbe doing an interview saying DAZN is one of boxing great failures and more and more ppv is the only way to go and thats how everyone makes money. That’s a joke.
And they are coming right back in Feb with a Thurman Barrios $80 ppv
Finally somebody, besides Wilder, willing to get in the ring with Ortiz
Lol Martin isn’t a guy that has many options of any. Ortiz is good for this trash division but he’s a fossil.
That heavyweight card has some of the most boring fights I have ever seen on paper. Martin, Washington, and Sanchez are some of the most boring ass fighters I have ever seen. And PPV? What a way to start the year, huh? Thanks MR, HAYMON. You piece of garbage.
2022 starts with a “bang”………..is that the noise of the gun that they will try to use to take $39.99 out of the pocket of some boxing fans??
PBC seems to literally be cashing out of investing and building future big fights. Blow a primetime Fox tv spot on Christmas day where this could have been great exposure. PPV is the exception not the monthly rule for everything from ‘decent to Meh’ main events. Missed the last 2 cards and about to miss 2 more.
“2022 starts with a bang.”
– Yes. I will be having sex that day to start the new year off đŸ™‚
– There may be another person involved this time đŸ™‚