More than 550 days have passed since Deontay Wilder knocked out Robert Helenius at the Barclays Center, but pay-per-view boxing is back in New York City. On April 20, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney will fight for bragging rights in front of a crowd of nearly 18,000 at the Barclays Center. From packing out the fan section of the Palladium Times Square during the initial press conference to filling out the back section of the Barclays Center Plaza during the ceremonial weigh-in, hardcore New York fight fans have made their presence felt during the build-up. Of course, the fight is attractive because of the legitimate bad blood between the two. Society also loves to see a potential car wreck, and Garcia has provided just that over the last few months. Above all else, tri-state fight fans are excited to have the opportunity to see a high-profile fight without having to jump on a flight to Nevada, Texas, California or Miami.
“You need one shot in the arm like this to get the ball rolling. Even Atlantic City – that was our Vegas. That was the East Coast Vegas. Our Las Vegas was Atlantic City, with Mike Tyson and George Foreman and [Evander] Holyfield and myself. We have a pulse on the East Coast now, and when you got a pulse, you got a heartbeat,” native Philadelphian and former two-division world champion Bernard Hopkins told Boxing Scene’s Declan Warrington when asked about the significance of bringing pay-per-view boxing back to New York for the first time in nearly two years.
Boardwalk Hall, Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center have seen several high-profile fights over the last forty years, including Mike Tyson’s demolition of Michael Spinks, two Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier showdowns and Floyd Mayweather’s beating of the late Arturo Gatti. However, big-time fight nights have come few and far between within the last few years. Sure, the Empire State played host to Teofimo Lopez’s domination of Josh Taylor, Amanda Serrano’s clash with Katie Taylor and Keith Thuman’s battle with Danny Garcia. Still, it would be hard to argue that the tri-state area is the boxing hub it once was. Years ago, it would have been hard to believe the likes of Terence “Bud” Crawford, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Errol Spence Jr. could all go more than four years and counting without even considering a fight in the tri-state area.
While seeing the sport shift away from the tri-state area is disheartening, it doesn’t come without reason. Despite attempts to revive the area economically, Atlantic City is far from the travel destination that it once was. Further north, as many will point out, including Hopkins, taxes are often a factor that drives pay-per-view events to Texas and Nevada rather than New York. That said, there’s reason to be cautiously optimistic about the future of high-profile boxing in the tri-state area.
At the current moment, only one of the fighters listed in ESPN’s men’s pound-for-pound rankings — Shakur Stevenson — is from the tri-state area. Similarly, one of the fighters listed in ESPN’s women’s pound-for-pound rankings — Amanda Serrano — has deep roots in the tri-state area. But, as Hopkins points out, there is reason to be optimistic about the future of high-profile fights in the tri-state area and across the East Coast. Rising prospects turned contenders Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Richardson Hitchins continue the legacy of boxing in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, Top Rank continues to bring former Olympians like Troy Isley of nearby Washington, D.C., and Keyshawn Davis of nearby Norfolk, Virginia, back to Newark and New York City, where they continue to build a fan base. With the rise of Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Matchroom has an opportunity to continue building the welterweight titlist’s presence on the East Coast with fights in Philadelphia, Atlantic City and New York. Not to be forgotten, titlists Teofimo Lopez and Raymond Ford can bring more championship fights back to the area.
Unfortunately, there is still one major caveat. Will the economics eventually push Xander Zayas, Shakur Stevenson, Jaron “Boots” Ennis and many others’ biggest fights outside of the East Coast? If recent history is any indication, the answer is yes. While Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Shakur Stevenson are both from the East Coast, the likelihood of their potential showdown being staged outside of Las Vegas seems slim to none at this current point in time. In the event Jaron “Boots” Ennis is able to get in the ring with Terence “Bud” Crawford, it would take a miracle or a significant international investment to keep the fight on the East Coast. Even Devin Haney’s showdown with Ryan Garcia was seemingly pushed to New York because it’s difficult to put two pay-per-view events in Las Vegas within two weeks, rather than an all-out campaign to bring pay-per-view boxing back to Barclays Center.
To be clear, boxing is a dangerous and sometimes deadly sport. Every fighter should be encouraged to fight nearly anywhere they can to generate the most revenue they can while they can. No one should fault any boxer for maximizing their earning potential because we, as everyday professionals, do the same in our careers. As a fight fan, it is fair to ask whether Hopkins, Golden Boy Promotions, Matchroom, Top Rank and PBC will bring pay-per-view level events to the tri-state more often in the future. Or is this simply a product of circumstance? While cautiously optimistic, fingers are crossed believing that Hopkins is right and Garcia and Haney’s “Game 7” will bring the energy needed to restore the feeling.
