Frank Smith, a prominent figure at Matchroom, is brimming with confidence that the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte will set the British boxing scene ablaze. Scheduled for August 12th, the highly anticipated fight is set to be broadcasted on pay-per-view. In an audacious move, fans are being asked to shell out £26.99 in addition to their DAZN subscriptions, a decision that has stirred a whirlpool of mixed reactions on social media.
Smith's optimism is unwavering, forecasting an ambitious 1 million PPV buys. He asserts this expectation despite the fact that Canelo Alvarez, a fan favourite, has moved on from DAZN, and the ever-popular Joshua now fights on PPV. This bold prediction is further clouded by the fighters' recent records; Whyte has been on a losing streak and Joshua is still nursing the wounds of his back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
However, Smith’s bullish stance is founded on the British fans’ proven passion for boxing. The sold-out match between Tyson Fury and Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, despite Chisora's dismal track record, is a testament to this unflagging enthusiasm. Smith believes that the fight between Joshua and Whyte, fuelled by a long-standing rivalry and healthy doses of spite, has all the ingredients to captivate fans and draw massive interest.
According to Smith, Joshua and Whyte are the biggest active British heavyweights apart from Tyson Fury. He confidently proposes that the event can reach the projected numbers, and could even sell out a stadium. The £26.99 pay-per-view price, he argues, is fair for such a monumental bout. As the British boxing scene awaits the showdown, one thing is clear: the Joshua vs. Whyte rematch is poised to be a significant event that could redefine the landscape of British boxing.
Image Credit: Sky Sports