What will be the final Showtime Boxing event? Taking a look at the remaining schedule
The final Showtime Boxing event hasn't been announced, but there are several upcoming events to watch for.
Yesterday, it was confirmed that the longtime provider would be dropping combat sports. For many fans, the news wasn't that shocking. For those who have paid attention, it's been well-known that they're looking to drop fighting.
As a result, Al Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions are already looking for a new home. Starting in 2024, there won't be any more boxing on Showtime. However, with that being the case, there are still several high-profile boxing cards slated until the end of the year.
The final Showtime Boxing pay-per-view event is expected to be a clash between David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade. The super-middleweight bout could find the next challenger for Canelo Alvarez and will go down on the night of November 25.
Next up is a non-pay-per-view offering headlined by Floyd Mayweather. 'Money' is retired these days as a professional boxer but still competes in exhibition contests. His next opponent isn't known. However, he has been linked to a potential rematch with John Gotti III after their wild bout this summer.
That December 9 card is also expected to feature the return of Keith Thurman and more. However, the final Showtime event is expected to be the following week. Their December 16 event will be a non-pay-per-view, with the main event yet to be announced.
Showtime Boxing: Stephen Espinoza speaks on announcement
Just days prior to the formal announcement that Showtime Boxing would be ending, Stephen Espinoza had discussed the rumor.
For many fans, yesterday's announcement was more of a formality than anything else. For the last couple of years, Showtime has started to draw back on MMA, as they've reportedly been attempting to sell Bellator.
However, they began to slow their boxing schedule as well. Considering that there were no events booked going into 2024, most saw the writing on the wall. That would include Stephen Espinoza.
The Showtime Boxing executive discussed the rumors in a recent interview with Fight Hub TV. There, Espinoza confirmed that talks were ongoing and that the Paramount's financial struggles would likely contribute to the decision process.
The promoter stated:
"Now, look, there’s a budget process and there’s things to be discussed, and there’s a media business that’s a lot of transformation, and there’s a Paramount corporation that is under financial pressures like all media companies nowadays. All of that has to be discussed."
See his comments below (7:10):