“Pacing is Honestly Awful” – Dana White Gets Dragged After He Fails to Keep Up Promise to Change Boxing Production

UFC CEO Dana White aimed to revolutionize boxing at the Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez card, but nothing spectacular happened.

“Pacing is Honestly Awful” – Dana White Gets Dragged After He Fails to Keep Up Promise to Change Boxing Production

Dana White criticized for boxing event pace (via NY Post)

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The Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez superfight event was one of the most anticipated boxing events of the year. While UFC CEO Dana White promised a new format for the sport, focusing on the pacing of the event, the card did not unfold as expected. Boxing fans tuned in expecting a fresh, high-energy experience, but the latest event once again highlighted a long-standing issue in the sport.

White has recently assumed managerial responsibilities for superfight and aims to revolutionize the sport of boxing. He believed that the sport had lost its charm due to unnecessary and prolonged breaks between fights. However, the event did not deliver the expectations that fans had regarding the speed of fights taking place back-to-back.

The undercard featured some great fights, including Callum Walsh beating Fernando Vargas Jr. and an exciting battle between Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez, which was a draw. While the fights were ever entertaining, the stoppages between them were very frustrating for fans. The promised streamlined production failed to materialize, leaving the pacing essentially unchanged.

This slow rhythm affects the overall experience. Extended downtime between fights saps energy and anticipation, preventing the excitement from building naturally. Even with high-profile headliners, the prolonged pacing diminishes the impact of the main bouts. White’s experience in mixed martial arts demonstrated that faster, more fluid event pacing is possible.

The UFC CEO has been vocal regarding the changes he wants to bring to the sport of boxing. Those changes included better and simpler weight classes, providing a more precise understanding and enhancing marketability for undercard fighters. He also debated fellow promoter Eddie Hearn and vowed to prove that he would be better than him.

However, Dana White also announced bonuses for undercard fighters as motivation to put on better and more exciting performances. Ultimately, the Crawford vs. Alvarez card served as a reminder that changing entrenched traditions in boxing was a difficult task. Despite promises of a modernized experience, the pacing remained slow, reinforcing the notion that some aspects of the sport are resistant to reform.

Fans react to Dana White’s apparent failure to speed up boxing events

Dana White is no stranger to criticism, having faced numerous complaints regarding fighter treatment and promotional strategies throughout his tenure as UFC CEO. This latest backlash over the Crawford vs. Canelo fight shows that even outside of MMA, fans are quick to scrutinize his handling of high-profile events.

Dana White's future plans for boxing
Dana White (via X)

Many viewers noted that the broadcast felt slow and drawn out, with long pauses between undercard bouts and an extended buildup to the main event. Comparisons to the faster-paced UFC events were common, with fans pointing out that White’s signature efficiency in MMA had yet to translate to boxing. Here are some fan reactions to the slow pacing of the event:

While pacing remains slow, some fans have noted that the boxing league was still in its early stages and may yet evolve into the dynamic, fast-moving experience Dana White promised when he first entered the sport. It remains to be seen what explanation the UFC CEO has regarding these concerns.

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