Walsh Vs. Ocampo Headlines Zuffa Boxing’s First Event

X: @boxing_orbit

There is pressure on Zuffa to deliver a good event, given the criticism that has emerged. Eddie Hearn and Oscar De La Hoya have questioned the viability of the promotion, with suggestions it cannot compete against the mainstay players. Zuffa aims to hold 12 boxing cards a year, with super fights like Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford. 

The Skepticism

“You’ve got to come out of the blocks with a bang. You can’t come out with something lame. What are you going to do, do a show in the APEX to launch TKO Boxing? It’s got to be a monster and with [three] weeks to go, how much of a monster can it be? I want to be up against them. Whether we are product wise, we’ll see very soon. But they’re very good, they’re very smart, they’re very connected. But if they come out weak on January 23rd, they are going to get [criticized] because everybody’s waiting to give them an absolute shellacking,” Hearn said

“TKO will not allow anyone to become a star and grow to their full potential. There will be no development of Zuffa fighters because they will get thrown into the fire right off the bat and face extremely tough opponents. So if you lose, you’re done. There’s no building a champion or a career. “Here’s the fine print. If you sign on the dotted line with TKO and Zuffa, you’re signing your rights away. You’ve seen it in the UFC. They want a monopoly. And not only will they be stuck in a dictatorship, you’ll be guided by people who have no f–king idea about boxing. You don’t know s–t about boxing,” De La Hoya stated

The Aim

Zuffa aims to create a “league” with internal rankings, potentially bypassing the four major sanctioning bodies (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO) to crown its own champions. White has vowed to eliminate the “protected record” culture of boxing, promising that young prospects will be tested early and often.

While the full card for January 23 is still being finalized, several big names have already been linked to the Zuffa roster. Former WBA super lightweight champion Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela is rumored to headline a future card, while Serhii Bohachuk, Vito Mielnicki Jr., and Justin Viloria are expected to play major roles in the promotion’s first year. But for now, White’s focus is on the first event.

“We have this kid named Ocampo who is a seasoned veteran, his only losses are in title fights, three title fight losses. He has more knockouts than Callum [Walsh] has fights, Callum is undefeated 15-0. That’s the main event, it should be a bad a– boxing event,” White stated