Was Canelo Vs. Crawford A Success?

Dana White was happy with Zuffa Boxing’s first event, as Terence Crawford beat Canelo Alvarez to become the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion.

White co-promoted the event, which saw history being made, as Crawford became the first male to achieve undisputed in three-weight classes. The event set a record for being the third-highest gate, generating over $47 million with only Floyd Mayweather’s fights against Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor eclipsing it.

The event did come under some scrutiny, with some fans questioning the quality of the card. Meanwhile, there were reports that the Netflix stream suffered from technical issues. However, on the whole, White was impressed with how the event turned out.

“The commission told us it’s the best boxing event they’ve done in probably two decades, as far as the team and how smooth everything ran. Obviously, Netflix was very happy. It was as close to flawless as it could be. We’ll continue to do that over the next couple of years with boxing,” White said

The Reality

The financial figure immediately validates Dana White’s vision for Zuffa Boxing and proves his ability to promote top-tier boxing spectacles that rival the biggest fights in the sport. Furthermore, White emphasized that the event’s logistical smoothness was nearly “flawless,” with the Nevada commission reportedly calling it the “best boxing event they’ve done in probably two decades.” 

However, the event was not without significant flaws, particularly concerning the product delivered to fans at home, which invites scrutiny over the event’s overall success. A major point of contention was the quality of the undercard fights. While the main event made history and a single supporting bout (like Martinez vs. Mbilli) was praised, the rest of the card reportedly featured uninspiring prospects who failed to impress. This lack of depth suggests that Zuffa Boxing prioritized spending on the main event over building a high-quality, comprehensive fight card.