News Dana White lashes out at Stephen Espinoza, calls #Showtime exec ‘a complete phony’

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Despite working together in 2017, Ultimate Fighting Championship chief Dana White and Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza are anything but friends.

On Tuesday, following the eighth episode on the 2023 season of Dana White's Contender Series, White conducted a post-fight press conference to discuss various matters from the bouts that night to current events around combat sports. Among the many topics included a rumor that came about on social media regarding Showtime’s future in boxing, specifically that Showtime would be getting out of the boxing business after 2024. White was not surprised.


“That’s incredibly unfortunate,” White remarked while wearing a wry grin. “Production of that show is fantastic, the guy who runs Showtime Boxing is a great human being…it’s unfortunate to hear this. F--- Espinoza, and it’s about time that sh--ty product is off the air.”

The President of Showtime Sports was not about to let that slide, although his response was not directly targeted at White in particular and rather the product in which White helms. At the press conference of “Canelo” Alvarez and Jermell Charlo on Wednesday, Espinoza took a swipe at the UFC while opining on the successes of Showtime Boxing over the years.

“Calling ‘Canelo’ vs. Charlo a ‘fight’ is like calling filet mignon ‘meat,’” the Showtime head suggested. “It’s like calling Lebron James a ‘basketball player,’ calling ‘The Godfather’ just a movie. This is special, this is different. When you drive down the street, you see a lot of cars, and there are cars and then there are Bugattis, there are Lamborghinis, there are Koenigseggs. Not all of them are the same, not all of boxing is the same, not all of combat sports is the same. No, what we’re doing here on Saturday night, what’s been going on all year [for Showtime Boxing] is special, it’s different, it’s not the same old boxing. It’s not like the others, and no disrespect to anyone, but there are levels to this. And what we’re doing here is the highest level of the sport.”

Espinoza continued, “The event on Saturday night will generate a gate of over $20 million. That’s a rare feat in combat sports. It’s rare in concerts or events of any kind. But this will be the third time in the last six months that we’ve done a gate of $20 million…to put that in perspective, UFC has never done a gate of $20 million in its entire history. We’ve done it three times since April.”

Within a few hours, White got the message and fired another shot across the bow, this one even more hostile than his first statement at the DWCS presser. On his Instagram Stories Wednesday night, White posted a scathing response to Espinoza. His post in full reads as follows:

“That’s exactly the type of response I would expect from that Weasel Espinoza. That scumbag has absolutely nothing to do with the success of Canelo, Ryan Garcia, and Terrence Crawford. Those guys are mega stars and they are the ones responsible for driving the dates in their fights. For him to even try and take any credit at all shows you exactly what an arrogant, delusional POS that guy is.

“For this clown to talk about ‘levels’ is hilarious. The production of the fights on Showtime is an embarrassment and I have been saying that FOREVER. He is a little guy with a BIG yap, and is a complete phony. I’m not at all surprised this is the end of them. It should have come way sooner. Sorry to see you go Weasel, enjoy your retirement. – Dana White.”

Continue Reading
https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/D...a-Calls-Showtime-Exec-A-Complete-Phony-191216

 

[burningspear]

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

Have to laugh when wife beaters lash out at rival business execs that are much more respected in the industry than they are. Dana is projecting with the scumbag allegations. Sit down and STFU baldy.

 

[Rob-G]

I’d really be sad if Showtime stops putting on Boxing

 

[Mr2urbo]

Isnt it funny how Dana White has lashed out at just about everybody in boxing but dont hear as many boxing people bash Dana White?

 

[Mr2urbo]

View attachment 1004127


Despite working together in 2017, Ultimate Fighting Championship chief Dana White and Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza are anything but friends.

On Tuesday, following the eighth episode on the 2023 season of Dana White's Contender Series, White conducted a post-fight press conference to discuss various matters from the bouts that night to current events around combat sports. Among the many topics included a rumor that came about on social media regarding Showtime’s future in boxing, specifically that Showtime would be getting out of the boxing business after 2024. White was not surprised.


“That’s incredibly unfortunate,” White remarked while wearing a wry grin. “Production of that show is fantastic, the guy who runs Showtime Boxing is a great human being…it’s unfortunate to hear this. F--- Espinoza, and it’s about time that sh--ty product is off the air.”

The President of Showtime Sports was not about to let that slide, although his response was not directly targeted at White in particular and rather the product in which White helms. At the press conference of “Canelo” Alvarez and Jermell Charlo on Wednesday, Espinoza took a swipe at the UFC while opining on the successes of Showtime Boxing over the years.

“Calling ‘Canelo’ vs. Charlo a ‘fight’ is like calling filet mignon ‘meat,’” the Showtime head suggested. “It’s like calling Lebron James a ‘basketball player,’ calling ‘The Godfather’ just a movie. This is special, this is different. When you drive down the street, you see a lot of cars, and there are cars and then there are Bugattis, there are Lamborghinis, there are Koenigseggs. Not all of them are the same, not all of boxing is the same, not all of combat sports is the same. No, what we’re doing here on Saturday night, what’s been going on all year [for Showtime Boxing] is special, it’s different, it’s not the same old boxing. It’s not like the others, and no disrespect to anyone, but there are levels to this. And what we’re doing here is the highest level of the sport.”

Espinoza continued, “The event on Saturday night will generate a gate of over $20 million. That’s a rare feat in combat sports. It’s rare in concerts or events of any kind. But this will be the third time in the last six months that we’ve done a gate of $20 million…to put that in perspective, UFC has never done a gate of $20 million in its entire history. We’ve done it three times since April.”

Within a few hours, White got the message and fired another shot across the bow, this one even more hostile than his first statement at the DWCS presser. On his Instagram Stories Wednesday night, White posted a scathing response to Espinoza. His post in full reads as follows:

“That’s exactly the type of response I would expect from that Weasel Espinoza. That scumbag has absolutely nothing to do with the success of Canelo, Ryan Garcia, and Terrence Crawford. Those guys are mega stars and they are the ones responsible for driving the dates in their fights. For him to even try and take any credit at all shows you exactly what an arrogant, delusional POS that guy is.

“For this clown to talk about ‘levels’ is hilarious. The production of the fights on Showtime is an embarrassment and I have been saying that FOREVER. He is a little guy with a BIG yap, and is a complete phony. I’m not at all surprised this is the end of them. It should have come way sooner. Sorry to see you go Weasel, enjoy your retirement. – Dana White.”

Continue Reading
https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/D...a-Calls-Showtime-Exec-A-Complete-Phony-191216

Wtf is baldy on about?
When did Espinoza say he’s responsible for Tank’s, Garcia’s and Canelo’s success?
He sounds like he’s throwing a big tantrum

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Wtf is baldy on about?
When did Espinoza say he’s responsible for Tank’s, Garcia’s and Canelo’s success?
He sounds like he’s throwing a big tantrum

Just setting up the storyline for Suga Sean vs Davis Cross-Promotion

 

[katsikias]

Espinoza is a little weasel though

 

[David Street]

Espinoza is right boxing is BIG business.. richer and more loyal fans, my dad was loyal to boxing being the only true sport. He had no hesitancies in paying to go to these events did not matter if we ate or not, boxing was more important.

 

[TITS]

He does talk about what a knucklehead Dana is towards the end of the video.

 

[Dr Fong]

Have to laugh when wife beaters lash out at rival business execs that are much more respected in the industry than they are. Dana is projecting with the scumbag allegations. Sit down and STFU baldy.

Both are ultimately scumbag carnival barkers, even if one is more detestable than the other.

U Fight Cheap doesn't give much of a f*ck about live gates, it's a fraction of their profits. It's a stupid thing to try to flex on them.

The reality is that U Fight Cheap is the most profitable fight promotion in the world and its not even close. Their ability to exploit their slaves is the envy of boxing promoters.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

Both are ultimately scumbag carnival barkers, even if one is more detestable than the other.

U Fight Cheap doesn't give much of a f*ck about live gates, it's a fraction of their profits. It's a stupid thing to try to flex on them.

The reality is that U Fight Cheap is the most profitable fight promotion in the world and its not even close. Their ability to exploit their slaves is the envy of boxing promoters.

Therein lies the problem. Not giving much of a fuck about the gate. The PPV model is still the top revenue stream in boxing as well. It represents the bulk of revenue generated and yet the sport still does big gates. The UFC is the most profitable fight promotion in the world due to their sheer size after having acquired or merged with all of their most threatening competitors. That's how they can afford to underpay their fighters. Its legality has been questioned before. They created a centralized entity so that their promotion would be synonymous with the sport of MMA. Ideal for fight fans but terrible for the fighters. It's also bad for the longevity of the sport as a whole since they created a single point of failure as a side effect.

Meanwhile boxing is a decentralized sport with top promotions located all over the globe. No boxing promoter envies Dana White. The guy used to be a boxercise instructor before he became the Fertitta's shine boy.

 

[CatchnShoot]

I wonder what could have spawned this drama?

Could it be that when they put together MayMac, Espinosa might have alluded to the prospect of Dana's dreams of launching a boxing promotion finding a home on Showtime? Could it also be that after the desired fight was done, and Mac was son'd, Espinoza then laughed in Dana's face?

You haven't got a single marketable boxer under contract Bald One.... get fucked...or words to that effect.

Stay in your cage, cur.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

Could it be that when they put together MayMac, Espinosa might have alluded to the prospect of Dana's dreams of launching a boxing promotion finding a home on Showtime?

This would be my guess. It's definitely plausible.

 

[Dr Fong]

No boxing promoter envies Dana White

This is the stupidest thing I have read all week and given the state of this place, that is quite impressive.

There are a select few boxing promoters, if any, who have a net worth equal to the bald piece of shit and none who control a company even close to the size of Ari's.

There are plenty of little fish boxing promoters around the world that would kill to be in the wife beater's shoes.

There's no need to get defensive comparing one scummy fight promoter to another and say objectively silly things.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

This is the stupidest thing I have read all week and given the state of this place, that is quite impressive.

There are a select few boxing promoters, if any, who have a net worth equal to the bald piece of shit and none who control a company even close to the size of Ari's.

There are plenty of little fish boxing promoters around the world that would kill to be in the wife beater's shoes.

There's no need to get defensive comparing one scummy fight promoter to another and say objectively silly things.

The only one acting envious is Dana White. Somehow you seemed to miss this but I guess that isn't hard when you have his beanbag over your eyes.

 

[Dr Fong]

The only one acting envious is Dana White. Somehow you seemed to miss this but I guess that isn't hard when you have his beanbag over your eyes.

Well this was quite the illuminating conversation. I certainly feel much smarter for having participated in it.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

Well this was quite the illuminating conversation. I certainly feel much smarter for having participated in it.

For the last 6 years Espinoza has been living inside Dana's head rent free. It's evident given how many times he has publicly lashed out at the man unprovoked and just how personal his insults have become. Dana's done the same to Bob Arum. What do you think it really means when you drill down into it? Read between the lines.

 

[MMALOPEZ]

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]