As for Showtime? Espinoza and Co. have done it “three times since April.”
UFC CEO Dana White does not like Showtime Sports.
Not only did the suits behind the network mishandle the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight, they also screwed up the press release that followed the summer 2017 blockbuster, which drew the ire of former UFC champion Conor McGregor, among others.
That’s probably why White is celebrating the rumored demise of Showtime Boxing.
“No disrespect to anyone but there are levels to this,” Espinoza responded during the Canelo vs. Charlo press conference. “What we’re doing here is the highest level of the sport. This is special. This is different. The event on Saturday night will generate a gate of over $20 million. That’s a rare feat in combat sports. It’s rare in concerts or events of any kind but this will be the third time in the last six months that we’ve done a gate of $20 million. Again, our third $20 million gate in the last six months. To put that in perspective, the UFC has never done a gate of $20 million in its entire history. We’ve done it three times since April. Like I said, this is special.”
It didn’t take long for White to rebut.
“That’s exactly the type of response I would expect from that weasel Espinoza,” White wrote on Instagram. “That scumbag has absolutely nothing to do with the success of Canelo [Alvarez], Ryan Garcia and Terence Crawford. Those guys are mega stars and they are the ones responsible for driving the gates in their fights. For him to even try and take any credit at all shows you what an arrogant, delusional [piece of s*** ] that guy is. For this guy to talk about ‘levels’ is hilarious. The production of the fights on Showtime is an embarrassment and I have been saying that FOREVER. He is a little guy with a big yap and is a complete phony. I’m not at all surprised this is the end for them. It should have come way sooner. Sorry to see you go, Weasel. Enjoy your retirement.”
The Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo Super Middleweight title fight airs this Sat. night (Sept. 30, 2023) on Showtime pay-per-view (PPV) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As for UFC, it will not run a live event this weekend but will return the following week for UFC Vegas 80 at APEX.