Saul 'Canelo' Álvarez and Terence 'Bud' Crawford will face off in a dream matchup on September 13 in Las Vegas. Dana White and Turki Alalshikh, founders of a new boxing league, announced the fight will stream on Netflix.
The event marks a major shift in boxing broadcasting. Netflix subscribers won't have to pay extra to watch two of the sport's biggest stars go head-to-head. This move could bring new fans to boxing and change how we watch fights.
But fans are worried. Netflix's last big boxing event with Jake Paul and Mike Tyson had major problems. People couldn't watch because of buffering and app crashes. The broadcast got a lot of criticism.
Dana White isn't concerned. He's thrilled to promote such a big fight right out of the gate.
"Are you kidding me that the first boxing fight I am going to get to promote is Canelo vs Crawford?" White said. "It's a once in a lifetime fight."
The organizers picked Netflix because it can reach viewers all over the world. They also like Netflix's ability to produce high-quality content. If the stream works well, it could be a game-changer for boxing. But if there are more technical issues, it could hurt the new league and Netflix's plans for more sports content.
Amir J. Tyson, Mike Tyson's son, might be part of the broadcast team. He's excited about working with Netflix.
"Happy I'm apart of the Netflix team which is and always will be the best and biggest platform on earth and their endeavors. #blessedandthankful."
The exact venue in Las Vegas hasn't been announced yet. Fans are eagerly waiting for more details and hoping the stream will work perfectly. With two of boxing's best pound-for-pound fighters squaring off, there's no room for error.
This fight is a big deal. Both Canelo and Crawford top the pound-for-pound lists. Many people think it's even more important than recent heavyweight fights that got a lot of attention.
If everything goes well, this could be a turning point for boxing. It might change how we watch fights and bring in new fans. But if there are more streaming problems, it could damage the new league's reputation and hurt Netflix's plans to do more with sports.
Everyone involved is hoping for the best. Fans can't wait to see these two great fighters finally meet in the ring. Now, they just need to make sure they can actually watch it happen.
