On Tuesday, Dana White and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh officially announced the inaugural fight of their ambitious new boxing league. In case you didn’t know it already, it’s the much-awaited blockbuster clash between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford. On paper, this bout needs no promotion; it is once in a lifetime clash between two of the best boxers of this generation.

But many fans do have one lingering concern about the event. The concern? The fact that Netflix has landed the global broadcasting rights for streaming the fight. Despite Netflix’s status as a global streaming giant, its entry into boxing was not pleasant. Problems plagued the controversial Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event in November last year. From streaming glitches to device hang-ups, the inaugural Netflix livestream left a sour taste for boxing fans, many of whom still haven’t forgotten the terrible viewer experience watching the event.

So, as soon as His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Dana White announced the news, fans unleashed their fury, reminding the duo of the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul broadcast. However, it seems like the promoters have made up their mind and have complete faith in Netflix to resolve their past shortcomings. They have no intention of switching streaming platforms, a decision Amir J. Tyson, Mike Tyson’s eldest son, made clear to fans.

Amir J. Tyson was part of Netflix’s coverage team. He played a key role in the Paul vs. Tyson November 15 clash and co-led the commentary, alongside Sibley Scoles on the preliminary card. It seems like he may have a similar role in the upcoming Canelo-Crawford September 13 bout in Las Vegas. He broke the news by sharing a recent Ring Magazine post on his Instagram story. The post featured Terence Crawford’s tweet warning Canelo and hyping up the bout. Amir J. Tyson wrote, “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🙏🏾,” dismissing all the skepticism amongst fans.

Tyson assured everyone that it won’t be like the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson debacle, and Netflix will improve all the shortcomings, something which the event’s promoter, Dana White, is also keen on, claiming it as the biggest fight in boxing currently.

Won’t be a repeat of Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul

Yesterday evening, Dana White used his Instagram to formally reveal the details of this blockbuster clash. Undoubtedly, Canelo and Crawford are two of the biggest fighters of this generation, and the UFC head honcho reiterated that fact. “Turki Alalshikh wants to make the biggest fights that the fans want to see in boxing, and this is right up my alley,” he stated.

According to him, this fight has made his work easy, and it needs no promotion. “Are you kidding me that the first boxing fight I am going to get to promote is Canelo vs Crawford? It’s literally once in a lifetime fight,” he added.

He then shared specifics about the fight, announcing it’s set for September 13th in Las Vegas, though the official venue is yet to be confirmed. Well, to be honest, White has not lied at all. Canelo-Crawford can very well be the biggest fight of this generation, even bigger than Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury last year, and so far, White and His Excellency have promoted it like one.

Both boxers have felt like a huge deal, and the stakes around the fight are massive, elevating it even further. The only skepticism the fans have is with Netflix and its past record. Well, the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight was their first venture in boxing. Undoubtedly, they’ve gained insights from their missteps and are poised to improve for this event.

Furthermore, partnering up with Netflix seems like the best idea, as it will remove the huge PPV cost on viewers and bring in more eyes to the sport, something which boxing desperately needs. And while the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight attracted numbers, it didn’t have the allure to attract new fans. In contrast, Canelo vs. Crawford is a genuine spectacle that will captivate the audience.

So, in the end, let’s just hope that Amir J. Tyson is right and Netflix has learned from its shortcomings. Because a misstep in a fight of this caliber might stop their boxing dream for good.

What do you think about the whole Netflix situation? Let us know your thoughts down below.