The Old Gatekeepers Under Siege: For more than a century, boxing was shaped by its promoters and sanctioning bodies. Promoters were the sport’s power brokers — Don King filled stadiums, Bob Arum and then Al Haymon locked in TV deals, Oscar De La Hoya parlayed his stardom into Golden Boy Promotions. The sanctioning bodies — WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO — provided legitimacy through their belts. Together, they created the fragmented but functioning ecosystem that defined the sport. That foundation is now crumbling. With the Zuffa/Saudi partnership locking down Paramount+ across North America and Latin America, promoters and sanctioning bodies suddenly find themselves pushed to the margins. Dana White’s UFC-style model has no room for them. Turki Alalshikh may allow them to keep their seat at the table for now, but only on his terms.
Who is Under Pressure
For U.S.-based promoters like PBC, Golden Boy, and Top Rank, the danger is existential. Without network access or control of the biggest fighters, their leverage vanishes. Matchroom and Queensberry in the U.K. still have Sky Sports and DAZN, but even they must start acting like promoters again — building stars, delivering fights, and protecting their markets with what one observer called a “picket fence” strategy.
DAZN, in particular, faces a moment of truth. Unless it finds ways to counter the Zuffa/Saudi machine — perhaps by restructuring fighter pay tiers or aligning with sanctioning bodies — it risks being shut out of the U.S. conversation entirely.
Sanctioning Bodies Also at a Crossroads
The sanctioning bodies face an even harsher reality. Their entire business model relies on sanctioning fees and the prestige of multiple belts. In a one-belt system, they become redundant. With the success of Zuffa and the Saudia in securing distribution of their fights through broadcast and streaming, the ABC orgainzatons will be reduced to relics if they don’t convene a summit, check their egos at the door, and form a unified front. That alone would be a monumental task.
Further, unless they pool resources and lobby Congress to counter the coming Muhammad Ali Act amendment — an integral part of White’s long-term strategy — the outlook is even bleaker. Without legal protections, they risk being legislated out of relevance altogether.
The Bigger Picture
Promoters and sanctioning bodies are discovering that their survival will depend on reinvention. Either they band together and fight for relevance — through DAZN partnerships, European markets, or unified governance — or they slowly fade into symbolism. The cash camel is heading east, and those left behind face a choice: adapt, or accept irrelevance.
Scenario Grid: Promoters & Sanctioning Bodies
✅ = favorable ❌ = unfavorable 🟡 = mixed
|
Stakeholder |
White Wins (UFC Model) |
Turki Wins (Saudi Model) |
Zuffa/GEA Partnership (Current Path) |
|
Promoters (U.S.) |
❌ Lose leverage, locked out |
🟡 Hired on Turki’s terms |
❌ Marginalized unless DAZN adapts |
|
Promoters (U.K.) |
❌ Weakened without global TV |
✅ Still relevant via Sky/DAZN |
🟡 Must defend turf, limited upside |
|
Sanctioning Bodies |
❌ Obsolete under one-belt |
🟡 Used for legitimacy but weak |
❌ Reduced to relics unless unified |
|
DAZN |
❌ Shut out in U.S. |
🟡 Survives abroad |
🟡 Last hope as counterweight in EU |
