Premier Boxing Champions issues statement to fans
The growing concerns about the epidemic COVID-19 have been crippling the sport of boxing. As every major event is cancelled on the daily, it seems that the entire sport is basically on standby waiting to see what will happen, as nothing is certain.
Japanese Boxing Commission was the first casualty to announce pushing fights back until April. Then it became a domino effect as the California State Athlete Commission (CSAC) and Nevada State Athlete Commission (NSAC) followed suit.
Golden Boy Promotions, Top Rank and DAZN have all had to cancel some of their fights. Also, there is the uncertainty of what will happen with the bigger fights going into the summer.
It shouldn’t be a surprise Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) have been hit with the headache of having to reschedule. PBC issued a statement to the fans.
This means that the following fights so far are looking at cancellation. There is former WBC champion Luis “Pantera” Nery’s (30-0, 24ko) return to the ring against Aaron “Tigre” Alameda (25-0, 13ko), which was set to take place March 28.
The April 28 WBC Super-middleweight champion fight of David “El Bandera” Benavidez (22-0, 19ko) against Colombian fighter Roamer Alexis Angulo (26-1, 22ko) looks to be in jeopardy. This would also push back the time-table for the mega-unification with IBF champion Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant (20-0, 12ko).
Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that a majority of the promotional companies are in a mad scramble looking to either cancel or reschedule, hoping things will settle down sometime soon.
This is uncharted territory, and things are looking severe for boxing. The sport is up against the ropes taking bombs and waiting for the bell to ring. Moreover, this could keep fans away from the sport for a while even after things settle down. Although every decision made is for the safety of the fighters and fans, the sport itself is in survival mode.
By: Garrisson Bland
