Canelo v GGG rematch to launch BT Sport Box Office

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BT Sport has announced that the eagerly anticipated rematch between Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will raise the curtain on a new era of big-time pay-per-view boxing.

The blockbuster bout on 15 September will launch the broadcaster’s brand new pay-per-view channel, BT Sport Box Office HD, which will be available on BT TV, Sky and Virgin platforms, with details on further availability and pricing to be confirmed in due course.

The ‘Canelo’ and ‘GGG’ rematch will be followed by two further BT Sport Box Office shows, including Tyson Fury’s showdown against Deontay Wilder, in what promises to be the biggest fight of 2018, while IBF featherweight world champion Josh Warrington will defend his belt against Belfast’s Carl Frampton, both of which will be staged towards the end of the year.

Golovkin and Canelo will face each other in the ring for a second time at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to finally decide who is the world middleweight king.

Golovkin retained his WBC, WBA and IBF world titles in frustrating circumstances in their first bout when the contest was called a tie.

With the other judges calling it a close victory for the Kazakh and a draw, the final scorecard called the fight a controversial one-sided victory to Canelo, much to the shock of the boxing world. An intriguing rematch became inevitable.

Golovkin, 36, with a 38-0-1 record featuring 34 knockouts, has accumulated 20 defences in the division, tied for the record with Bernard Hopkins.

Meanwhile, Canelo, bringing a 49-1-2 record with 34 KOs, hasn’t been defeated in the ring since a majority decision loss to Floyd Mayweather back in 2013.

Following up on September’s blockbuster rematch between ‘Canelo’ and ‘GGG’, Deontay Wilder will look to defend his WBC world heavyweight title against Tyson Fury in Las Vegas, on an as yet unconfirmed date that could be as soon as November.

In what looks to be the biggest fight of the year, the contest was confirmed by Wilder, Fury and promoter Frank Warren in the ring following the Gypsy King’s victory over Francesco Pianeta in Belfast.

It’s a thrilling prospect that is set to grab the attention of the boxing world, with the 32-year-old American boasting 39 KOs in 40 professional bouts.

Fast forward to the festive season and a Christmas cracker will be on the cards with IBF featherweight world champion Josh Warrington defending his belt against Belfast’s Carl Frampton.

Leeds local hero Warrington caused a major upset when he beat Lee Selby to be crowned world champion in front of a packed Elland Road earlier this year and will be going straight into another headlining battle when he meets the former two-weight world champion in the ring.

Frampton holds a record of 26 wins from 27 contests, with 15 of those victories coming by way of knockout. His only career loss came in January 2017 against multiple-time world champion in three weight classes, Leo Santa Cruz.

All three captivating clashes will be featured events on BT Sport’s brand new pay-per-view channel, BT Sport Box Office HD, as the broadcaster follows Sky and ITV in stepping into PPV boxing. 

Andy Haworth, managing director of strategy and content at BT Consumer, commented:

“We couldn’t have asked for a more exciting line up to kick off BT Sport Box Office. We’re delighted to bring these exciting fights to viewers across the UK.

“BT Sport and Frank Warren have created some fantastic Fight Nights on BT Sport and the launch of BT Sport Box Office across multiple platforms will give us the opportunity to make some huge bouts available to viewers across the UK.”

BT revealed its intention to launch a pay-per-view channel in a short statement in April, where the broadcaster confirmed they were planning to launch their own Box Office service in the autumn, which will be available on BT TV, Sky and Virgin platforms.

Details of how to subscribe to BT Sport Box Office, as well as more information on availability and pricing, will be announced shortly. Visit bt.com/sportboxoffice for more information.

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