Celebrities and Champions Lead Matchroom Fight Card in L.A.

LOS ANGELES-It’s a millennial thing.

Baby Boomers may have invented the Internet but it’s the millennials who figured out ways to exploit present day media outlets.

Matchroom Boxing arrives with its millennial concepts in search of expanding boxing consciousness that includes spotlighting a boxing battle rematch between social media stars Logan Paul and KSI.

It’s not that outrageous.

Co-headlining the celebrity brawl will be England’s Billy Joe Saunders defending the WBO super middleweight title against Marcelo Coceres and Devin Haney of Las Vegas meeting Alfredo Santiago in defense of the WBC lightweight title at Staples Center in L.A. DAZN will stream the card that takes place on Saturday Nov. 9.

The celebrity addition is not a new concept. It’s been done many times before usually with television stars. Remember Todd Bridges versus Vanilla Ice, or Manute Bol facing William “The Refrigerator” Perry?

It’s a common concept usually not combined with actual world champion prizefighters.

“These guys know how to fight,” said Andy Foster, Executive Officer for the California State Athletic Commission that licenses professional fighters. “They have boxing skills.”

Unlike the one-sided beatings between TV stars Danny Bonaduce and Barry Williams in 2002, these social media celebrities who boast followers in the millions actually practiced over a year for their first and now second meeting. Both are now licensed to fight.

Matchroom Boxing, based in Great Britain and headed by Eddie Hearn, has figured the two social media stars can move the needle forward on public interest among fans not familiar with boxing.

Saunders and Haney

Great Britain’s Saunders (28-0, 13 KOs) makes his first appearance on American soil and faces a South American in undefeated Marcelo Coceres (28-0-1, 15 KOs) who has never fought outside of Argentina. It’s Saunders first defense of the WBO title he won last May against Shefat Isufi in Great Britain.

Las Vegas flashy Haney (23-0, 15 KOs) also makes his first defense of the WBC title when he meets Puerto Rico’s Santiago (12-0, 4 KOs). Haney recently defeated Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev by technical knockout this past September in New York City. It was actually the interim version but was later transposed into the actual version by the WBC.

Both Saunders and Haney, though excellent world titlists, are in need of establishing themselves to the boxing public. It’s also another opportunity to establish Matchroom Boxing as a promoter of note to boxing fans in the Southern California region.

“I am delighted to see Devin defend his World title on November 9,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “We’re going to have a huge crowd of new fight fans at the arena and tuning in all around the world to watch KSI and Logan Paul, and Devin is the perfect fighter to showcase what boxing is all about to a potential crop of new fight fans – he’s young, exciting, confident and relatable – the perfect mix.”

Jacobs and Chavez morning coffee announcement

Matchroom Boxing also announced early Friday morning that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will be fighting Daniel Jacobs next month.

Mexico’s popular Chavez (51-3-1, 33 KOs) will be fighting New York City’s Jacobs (35-3, 29 KOs) in a super middleweight showdown at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday Dec. 20.

Both Chavez and Jacobs are former middleweight world champions who lost to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

“I’m delighted to announce this huge fight that will close out an incredible 2019 for Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Daniel returns from his points defeat to Canelo to move up in weight on his quest to become a two-weight world champion. He faces a determined Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. who looks for redemption at the site of his father’s last ever professional fight. We expect a great fight, a huge crowd and a stacked card as we’ll look to close out the year in style.”

It’s DAZN’s last card of the year.

“As DAZN’s fight season continues, we are thrilled to bring boxing fans a huge super middleweight fight to close out the calendar year,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America. “Both Daniel Jacobs and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. are in a position to prove themselves as title contenders on Dec. 20 and the winner will position themselves for a career-defining fight in 2020.”

The millennials are at again.

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