UFC CEO Dana White revels in the rumored shutdown of Showtime Boxing: ‘It’s about time’
UFC CEO Dana White is far from heartbroken over the potential shutdown of Showtime Boxing.
Despite co-promoting Conor McGregor’s big-money matchup with Floyd Mayweather in 2017, White’s relationship with Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza has been strained to say the least.
Recently, Boxing and UFC analyst ‘Raf’ on social media reported that Showtime Boxing, which debuted in 1986, would wrap up its nearly 40-year run following its 2024 schedule.
“I can confirm that Showtime will not be continuing their boxing schedule, after 2024. Following a number of conferences/calls across the pond over the past fortnight, I can attest that Showtime will be pulling the plug on boxing – after 37 years in the industry,” ‘Raf’ wrote on X. “It should be noted that the remaining schedule for the 2023 calendar year will remain unaffected.
“However, beyond 2024, there are no plans to renew current deals & that outside of sporadic PPVs… ShoBox will no longer be a feature and if Showtime dabbles in boxing again, it’ll be one-off PPV events only.”
Addressing members of the press following Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC CEO appeared to revel in the news of Showtime Boxing’s rumored demise.
“That’s incredibly unfortunate,” White sarcastically told reporters. “Production of that show was fantastic. The guy who runs Showtime Boxing is a great human being. It’s unfortunate to hear this. F*ck Espinoza, and it’s about time that sh*tty product is off the air.”
Showtime Sports President Snaps Back at Dana White
With Showtime Boxing potentially closing up shop, that could leave a big gap in the market. A perfect opportunity for White to launch his long-teased Zuffa Boxing promotion. Asked about the possibility, White said:
“You never know. Sounds good to me” (h/t MMA Junkie).
Getting wind of White’s comments, Espinoza snapped back during his appearance at the Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo press conference.
“Not all combat sports is the same. No disrespect to anyone, but there are levels to this,” Espinoza said. “This event will generate a gate (money from ticket sales) of over $20 million. Our third $20 million+ gate in the last six months. To put that in perspective – the UFC has never done a $20 million gate in its entire history. We’ve done it three times since April.”
