The Hook (VI)

Ed Pereira started IVisit Media while studying Spanish Literature at Swansea University. The company began as a magazine publishing and distribution house before transforming into an OOH (out of home)media company as media consumption changed. IVM has since led activations for the biggest organisations in the world including Manchester United and Disney.

Pereira’s interest in boxing stemmed from the 90’s, a period in which Boxing was booming on Free to air TV. He recalls watching Chris Eubank go toe to toe with Nigel Benn, an encounter that captured the imagination of the British Public and propelled both men to new heights. Over the years, Pereira believes Boxing has lost its appeal given the biggest fights are stuck behind a paywall.

IVB boxing is a new entity that has promised to fix that exact problem. They are in talks to sign a 12-fight distribution deal with Youtube, which will see fights take place in major landmarks around the world. Their first fight is rumoured to take place San Francisco City centre on July 11th. They have held discussions with Heavyweight champion Oleksander Usyk and remain hopeful of a fight between the Ukrainian and The bronze Bomber Deontay Wilder. However, such plans seem to be in jeopardy as it has been reported that Wilder is in advanced talks to fight Derek Chisora in London.

Pereira has boldly stated that he wants to break the 135,132 attendance record that was set by Tony Zale v Billy Pryor in 1941. It aims to do so by making tickets affordable and free to the watching public. It is worth noting that Pereira was involved in the Ring Magazine Times Square show that saw Rolando Romero cause an upset against Ryan Garcia. The card required careful attention as it involved stopping the flow of traffic in one of the world’s busiest streets.Pereira remains adamant that IVB are not promoters. Instead they are an events company, open to working with all stakeholders and promoters.

From PBC being bankrolled by Hedge funds to Roc Nation winning high-profile aggressive purse bids in 2014 the sport is littered with examples of companies believing they can crack the sport. Often, many smart minds have left feeling dejected as they were unable to navigate the sports framework. While the sport has a high barrier to entry it needs competition if it is to grow and I have the utmost respect for anyone striving to make the impossible possible.

While this week has been light on detail I will be looking out for whether other promoters will express a willingness to work with IV boxing.

Oleksander Usyk currently finds himself in an interesting situation. He has officially split from Riyadh Season and is seeking pastures new. A potential showdown with Doentay Wilder was on the cards until the Bronze Bomber decided he wanted to be Chisora’s 50th opponent. His manager Egis Kilmas has confirmed that: “A different promotional group from the United States will promote Usyk's next fight.

That group could be the newly formed Zuffa Boxing who have their inaugural show at the META APEX arena tonight. Zuffa is a venture backed by power broker Turki Al Sheikh and so it could see the Ukrainian reunite with the Saudis albeit under a different umbrella.

In a remarkable turn of events it seems that Sky Sports will acquire the rights to broadcast the huge clash between Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder. The pair will rekindle a rivalry that could have settled 13 years ago had Wilder not been arrested for domestic violence. The fight could take place in London in April.

Sky Sports have been out of action following their split with Boxxer earlier this year. It appears that they will re-strategise by focusing on acquiring select fights rather than work with a specific promoter. This marks a huge coup for the broadcaster as the fight will garner significant UK attention considering it could be Chisora’s last fight.

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