Author: Nik Ranger

China’s Tencent negotiates Riot & Epic Games ownership with US amid national security concerns Riot Games / Epic Games / TencentIn the wake of national security concerns over data privacy, Chinese company Tencent are reportedly negotiating with the US government in order to maintain their ownership stakes in Riot Games and Epic Games. Since late-2020, the United States of America’s Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) has been pushing for Tencent Holdings Ltd, a Chinese company, to divest holdings in both Riot and Epic Games. Tencent, a Chinese technology conglomerate holding company, owns 100% of Riot, 40% of Epic, and minority stakes in other major North American companies as well (such as Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Discord, and Roblox). Considering the popularity of Riot’s titles (e.g. League of Legends) and Epic’s Fortnite battle royale, US governmental pressure has maintained that Tencent’s data collection is a foreign security concern. But Reuters’ Greg Roumeliotis reports that the company is pushing back and working to maintain its investments. According to Reuters sources, Tencent are “negotiating agreements with a U.S. national security panel” in order to maintain ownership over Riot and Epic Games. This continues ongoing discussions, dating back to 2020, surrounding data collection and privacy concerns for American citizens. As sources specify, the chief concern for the CFIUS is what Tencent’s data collection practices look like and if their “handling of the personal data of their users constitutes a national security risk because of their Chinese ownership.” At the moment, it is unclear exactly how these negotiations are going — but there are some reasonable expectations based on past precedent. The fact that discussions are ongoing suggests that various options remain at play. The US government has a publicly visible aversion to foreign data collection as well as growing tension with the Chinese government, both evidenced in news stories throughout the past couple years. While Epic Games maintain that they do not share any user data with Tencent, those same assurances cannot hold fast for Riot — of which Tencent enjoys 100% ownership. As far as suggested solutions in order to maintain Tencent’s ownership, there are few details but several possibilities. The majority of those considerations will surround continuing Tencent’s ownership, but limiting the company’s involvement in operations or ensuring independent auditors oversee data management.

CDL & Washington Justice owner reportedly have “mutual interest” in bringing CoD team to DC Washington Justice / Call of Duty LeagueWhile the Call of Duty League gets off to a historic start, reports indicate that the Overwatch League’s Washington Justice and CDL may have a shared passion for bringing CoD to DC moving forward. [jwplayer bjQdhi3F] Like the OWL, the CDL debuted with just 12 franchised teams. Unlike the OWL, global circumstances prevented the league from expanding in its second season (during which the OWL expanded to 20). Instead, the CDL’s OpTic Los Angeles spot was vacated and soon filled by the Los Angeles Thieves, keeping the league at 12 just organizations for its 2021 season. Looking forward, though, league expansion for the CDL is most certainly on the horizon. Among the possible future locations for a new franchise, Washington DC (home to the Justice) has apparently risen toward the top of eligible suitors. According to The Esports Observer’s Adam Stern, “there is mutual interest around potentially expanding CDL to DC” between the CDL and Washington Justice groups. This would make Justice owner Mark Ein, an investor and philanthropist who also owns a DC-based tennis team (the Washington Kastles), a top candidate to bring a new esports team to his hometown. As Stern elaborates, that prospect is feeling more and more likely: “Sources now say that the league is indeed interested in expanding to the nation’s capital and that Ein is in the running to land the CDL slot.” Considering the hype over CDL Week 1, Ein’s interest is warranted. In a historic weekend, the league earned 1.4 million hours of matches watched and a record 131,000 viewers for the OpTic Chicago vs. Atlanta FaZe match. As for DC residents, they should be interested in receiving a CDL spot particularly because of the turnaround shown by their OWL team. While the team struggled to an 8-20 record in its 2019 inaugural season and a 4-17 in 2020, things changed dramatically during the playoffs. After picking up Gui-un ‘Decay’ Jang (albeit, in a controversial move), Washington stormed into Round 3 of the North American Winners Bracket before losing 2-3 to the eventual-champion San Francisco Shock. Now, the Justice have made a series of other highly touted roster changes and move into 2021 with stronger expectations than ever. For DC fans, that’s an encouraging commitment to winning and hopefully a sign of things to come should they earn a CDL spot.

California lawyer quits: Governor Gavin Newsom accused of meddling with Activision Blizzard lawsuit Activision Blizzard/Gavin NewsomA lawyer for the state of California has resigned and accused the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, of interfering with the active discrimination lawsuit against gaming publisher Activision Blizzard. In July 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard alleging the company fostered a “pervasive frat-boy culture,” where women were said to have been sexually harassed and received lower pay. Since then, ActiBlizz made an $18 million settlement – in what was the first of many settlements to come – as the game developer will create a fund to support sexual harassment victims as part of the deal. Now, the Chief counsel for the Department of Fair Employment has been fired, leading to an assistant resigning in protest of Governor Gavin Newsom’s alleged “interference” in the Activision Blizzard case. California gov accused of “interference” in ActiBlizz case A new report from Bloomberg revealed key details about the allegations leveled against Governor Newsom. The report says Chief Counsel Janette Wipper had been suddenly fired by Newsom in March 2022, leading Melanie Proctor, the assistant chief counsel for California’s DFEH, to resign in protest. Proctor had emailed staff members before her exit that Gov. Newsom “began to interfere” with the Activision Blizzard case. She also said: “The Office of the Governor repeatedly demanded advance notice of litigation strategy and of next steps in the litigation. As we continued to win in state court, this interference increased, mimicking the interests of Activision’s counsel.” Wipper claims she “attempted to protect” the bureau, but was let go of her position. After Wipper was removed from their post, Proctor resigned on April 13, “In protest of the interference and Janette’s termination.” After her firing, Janette Wipper stated she is “evaluating all avenues of legal recourse.” In a follow-up statement to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Newsom’s spokesperson Erin Mellon called the allegation: “categorically false.” As of now, the fate of the monumental lawsuit is uncertain.

Bungie apologizes after report highlights racist & sexist workplace culture BungieBungie has apologized after a recent IGN report highlighted historic allegations of racism and sexism at the studio. Described as a “toxic workplace” which “cultivated a pervasive atmosphere in which women were inferior,” the studio behind Destiny 2 has promised to make more changes to stamp out the culture. In the wake of Activision Blizzard’s scandal-filled 2021 with multiple allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, Bungie is the latest studio to come under fire. Bungie’s workplace culture was exposed in a December 10 report by IGN. The report primarily focused on the narrative team on Destiny 2, but touched on issues within all divisions at the company. While the article didn’t name specific high-level developers at Bungie, numerous examples of racist and sexist behavior at the studio were highlighted, spanning years. This included sexual comments and harassment which “cultivated a pervasive atmosphere in which women were inferior.” “Women were disproportionately talked over in meetings, had their ability to do their jobs questioned, had their ideas ignored and then used by men who later took credit for them, or simply had their questions or input dismissed,” the report stated. “Several recounted stories of managers and leads making racist remarks or even using slurs to refer to more diverse Destiny characters or, in at least one instance, an individual at the studio. “Several employees also witnessed discrimination against transgender individuals at the studio, including questions about which bathrooms they were using, refusal to use correct pronouns, and other inappropriate questions.” However, the report noted Bungie had made in-roads into trying to fix its “toxic workplace culture.” This included creating a Diversity and Inclusivity committee, as well as giving employees anonymous internal methods to ask questions about the company’s practices. This was echoed by Pete Parsons, Bungie’s CEO, in a December 10 statement released shortly after the IGN article. Parsons said “over the last several years, we have worked to make significant changes.” He did not dismiss IGN’s report and apologized to “anyone who has ever experienced anything less than a safe, fair, and professional working environment at Bungie.” A message from Bungie’s CEO, Pete Parsons.https://t.co/LsBrYmZCyU pic.twitter.com/nYmGXuEt1p — Bungie (@Bungie) December 10, 2021 “I am not here to refute or to challenge the experiences we’re seeing shared today by people who have graced our studio with their time and talent. Our actions or, in some cases, inactions, caused these people pain,” he said. “I apologize personally and on behalf of everyone at Bungie who I know feels a deep sense of empathy and sadness reading through these accounts.” Parsons’ statement claimed Bungie increased the amount of “women and people from underrepresented communities” hired since 2018, with minority groups now making up 39% of Bungie’s workforce. This includes 42.5% at a leadership level. He also said “we have removed bad actors from our studio without respect to their tenure, seniority, or interpersonal relationships,” and promised to take more action as new allegations come out in light of the report. “I’m heartened by the progress we have made, but it is not enough, and it has taken too long. It also does not sweep away the bad experiences people have had at our studio,” Parsons admitted. “As CEO, it is my job to factor both the past and the future and be accountable for all of it, here and now. Speaking with the team at Bungie, reading the stories, and seeing both known and newly surfaced accounts, it is clear we still have work ahead of us.”

Dating app Bumble join Gen.G in search for all-female Valorant roster Gen.GGen.G Esports are looking to recruit an all-female team in Valorant and have brought in Bumble to help with the search. [jwplayer DrbUUz3n] They originally came together in 2019 to launch Team Bumble, an initiative that housed the first all-female team in Fortnite. Expanding their partnership, Team Bumble will continue to “create and champion a safer environment for women online” in esports by recruiting a roster in Riot Games’ new FPS title. The search for an all-women team in Valorant has already begun, with Gen.G requesting clips, ranks, and competitive experience to be sent to them via email by hopeful recruits. Gen.G’s partnership with Bumble is buzzing To help with the recruitment process, Gen.G Fortnite player Madison “Maddiesuun” Man will serve as a mentor and talent scout in Valorant. “As we discover new talent, we’re pushing towards an environment where women gamers are not treated as separate, but are given the full opportunity to scrim and develop their skills,” she said. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to mentor and create with the next wave of Team Bumble pros.” The partnership between the organization and the dating app has been well-received since its inception, so there’s little doubt that this latest move will land well with the community. As well as Maddiesuun, Team Bumble houses Tina “TINARAES” Perez, Carlee Gress, and Hannah Reyes. “By expanding Team Bumble with an all-women Valorant team, we are laser focused on finding the best untapped female talent on the planet,” said Gen.G’s general manager Nate Stanz. “We will be integrated into the North American scene quickly, including scrims with and against our current roster. We commit to providing the correct competitive tools for the quickest path to success for all our players.” On October 25, Cloud9 announced that they had signed the first all-female Valorant esports roster. Named Cloud9 White, the goal is to eventually combine the organization’s two rosters made up of “the best players” regardless of gender.

Caster speaks out about G-Loot’s late payments despite $56m investment DreamHack/G-LootMark ‘Boq’ Wilson, an esports commentator, has spoken out against tournament organizer G-Loot due to alleged late payments. Over July 3-5, G-Loot operated the Trovo Challenge — a $10,000 event for Riot Games’ new shooter Valorant — on behalf of the live streaming platform. For the North American arm of the competition, Boq was hired to cast alongside Leigh ‘Deman’ Smith, Alex ‘Vansilli’ Nguyen, and David ‘SIMO’ Rabinovitch. Weeks after the event wrapped up, complaints were posted on Twitter regarding G-Loot’s tardiness in paying for the work fulfilled. Dexerto learned that the casters agreed on a Net 60 payment term, meaning they should be paid within 60 days of fulfilling their duties. G-Loot don’t appear to be short of cash, having raised an investment what they describe as “one of the largest esports fundraisers globally” of $56m in October 2020. While this is indeed after the event, in which it’s possible they didn’t have a lot of money prior to securing the investment, they’re now looking to grow their player base and optimize their service. Players and casters are still allegedly going unpaid despite said agreements, however. Vansilli publicly revealed that he invoiced the tournament organizer on July 9 and was clearly disgruntled on October 1 when sharing that he was yet to be paid. They stated that he may have to wait until October 23 to receive payment, which is weeks after the agreed term. Havent heard from @trovolive or @GlobalLoot / @GLLValorant in 6 days so here’s another pain point: They say that the CFO has to approve the payment to pay me in October…but didnt the CFO already sign out on this budget for July since you offered me the rate? pic.twitter.com/yLHoyviTP1 — Vansilli (@Vansilli) October 1, 2020 Vansilli confirmed to Dexerto at the beginning of November that the payment had finally been sent, but that’s still not the case for Boq. As of November 25, he has been waiting for 143 days to be paid. He spoke with Dexerto about his experience with G-Loot, the struggles of trying to get the money that’s owed to him, and the typical circumstances casters have to operate within to get hired for events. The Payment Challenge “My experience with G-Loot has almost been no experience,” Boq told Dexerto. “They’ve been quiet, unresponsive, and unwilling to work with us to get things resolved. Everything has been on their timetable, not ours. They were very sporadic with responses, an email would come once every 20 or so days and they’d point out an issue then we’d hear from them again 20 days later. “It’s clear that they don’t really value talent; forcing us to jump through hoops and giving us crazy dates, far in advance, that related to funding rounds and giving us the run around in general. I am still actively pursuing payment. I’ve given them everything that I was told was needed and they said payment was going to be sent.” One of the major problems across many esports titles, from the top tier of competition down to amateur events, is the loose use of contracts for broadcast talent. Agreements are made through platforms like Twitter and Discord, with talent being reluctant to request for arrangements to be made official for fear of seeming ‘difficult to work with’ and potentially losing out on future opportunities. “Like many situations, I did not receive a contract,” he said. “It’s pretty common that I don’t get a contract for an event and if I do, I’m actually blown away by the preparedness of the talent manager. I’ve signed contracts after an event has concluded and had to wait on contracts to send invoices before. It’s definitely common that I don’t get a contract, it’s all verbal or a Twitter DM. Once the flight is booked for a LAN event at least there’s a guarantee, but online there are no guarantees.” Reminder that its been 141 days since @trovolive Challenge ended and @GlobalLoot still hasn’t paid me for casting. Net180, the new esports standard. — Mark ‘Boq’ Wilson (@boqcasts) November 23, 2020 There’s an emerging topic among freelancers in esports regarding the application of late fees to invoices, theoretically deterring tournament organizers from either paying late or not at all by charging them extra for any delay. As of now, there are often no repercussions for such actions and that again is due to the leverage these companies possess according to Boq. “It’s hard for talent to enforce late fees because the concern is that they just won’t use you again in the future, they’ll be frustrated because you’ve enforced a rule,” he said. “We don’t have as much leverage or power as them. There are a million casters out there who all want to work and get these gigs so it doesn’t matter how large your brand is, ultimately you can easily damage your name beyond repair. The smaller your name is, the easier that is to do. “Tournament organizers have this tremendous power over some of the smaller names in broadcasting because they don’t have the leverage to get the payment that they’re due. This happens constantly when you look at Tier 2 or 3 scenes and in collegiate and high school when tournament organizers pay late, or at all, and the only option that these people have is to go public. On why he has chosen to speak out against G-Loot, and why a better system with increased accountability for all parties needs to be put in place, the caster explained that this is more than wanting money — it makes esports a worse place and damages the industry as a whole. “It destroys the ecosystem that’s in place,” said Boq. “It’s important that we don’t allow tournament organizers that practice those behaviors to continue to survive because the ones that don’t are competing against them and sometimes losing. I hate to see companies that raise millions of dollars because I know they can crush a lot of the competition, some who actually do pay their talent but perhaps don’t have the same budget so they can’t increase their exposure with better hires.” While other broadcast talent may now have been paid for their work on the event, that is not the case for Boq. Who knows if there are others out there across titles and tournament organizers that don’t feel as if they can speak up and still get hired going forward? Dexerto has contacted G-Loot for comment.

Bobby Kotick could receive mindblowing sum to leave Activision after Microsoft buyout Flickr: Thomas HawkActivision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick could see himself receiving a truly staggering amount of money if he’s removed from his post following Microsoft’s buyout of the company. The gaming world experienced one of the biggest shake-ups in its history on January 18, 2022, when Microsoft revealed that they had officially bought out Activision Blizzard, the publishers behind games such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and more. Fans of the games had questions in abundance but, more seriously, a bubble of excitement absolutely exploded across the industry, with gamers and business analysts alike absolutely baffled by the news. With the acquisition, which reportedly set Microsoft back almost $70 billion, we’re likely to see a major shake-up in the Activision Blizzard infrastructure once the deal goes ahead in 2023 — and many have questioned what this means for Kotick. While all signs point towards Bobby Kotick staying on as CEO at least until the deal is finalized, it’s not exactly been made clear how this might change in 2023 after the acquisition, with Phil Spencer set to be the chief for both teams. If Kotick is ousted from his job, however, and left without a job within the company, his disappointment will no doubt be cushioned by the truly eye-watering amount of money he could make. As shown in these Activision documents, courtesy of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Kotick could earn anything up to $292,970,341. That’s right, almost $300m just to be removed from the company. As evidenced above, his payout largely comes down to the reason — if there is one at all. If Activision Blizzard terminates his contract “for cause,” he’ll only receive around $264k for his troubles. On the upper end of the scale, Kotick’s payout could reach that jaw-dropping $293m figure, should Microsoft choose to remove him from the company “for good reason” following the change of control. It’s unclear how exactly this payout would work, and it’s not clear yet whether he will even leave the company after the deal goes through. In a conversation with the New York Times, Kotick was coy about his role following the acquisition, simply saying that he will “be available as needed.”

Blockchain-based chiliZ to Invest $10 Million into Battle Royale Esports and Partner with Dr DisRespect ‘Blockchain-based’ chiliZ platform has announced a major investment into battle royale esports, pledging $10 million to partner with small or established esports organizations looking to develop Fortnite or PUBG teams. With the recent announcement of Epic Games massive $100,000,000 prize pool fund for Fortnite Battle Royale esports tournaments, there has predictably been an increased interest from sponsors and investors in the growing BR genre. Games like H1Z1: King of the Kill, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and the most recently Fortnite Battle Royale, have dominated the consoles and PC’s of millions of gamers – both to play and to watch. More: Fortnite Have Announced the Final Results of the ‘Solo Showdown’ Competitive Limited Time Mode – chiliZ is a platform which claims to base itself on the system of ‘Socios’ – “belief in the intrinsic power of creating ‘fan controlled’ & ultimately even ‘fan funded’ organizations in sports and esports.” They give the example of Real Madrid, the most valuable team in any sport globally, which is based on the the same model, which is collectively owned by 90,000+ ‘socios’. And chiliZ want to transpose this model into the world of esports, starting with the burgeoning Battle Royale genre. chiliZ will either invest in small esports organisations, enabling them to enter the ‘Battle Royale’ world, or will partner with larger organisations to empower their fans to build a new and unique experience. We will provide funding and our fan-engagement/fan-monetisation platform to esports organisations who are looking to enter the competitive ‘Battle Royale’ gaming landscape. Our goal is to kick-start a new vision of how organisations can connect with fans for a more inclusive approach to esports. We are delighted with the feedback chiliZ has received from leading executives from some of the largest and most well-known esports organisations.” They claim that this model will solve two of what they deem to be the biggest problems in esports – “lack of fan engagement and lack of funding.” chiliZ is the ultimate fan engagement tool, through which teams can also secure essential funding. In exchange for that funding, teams have to allow fans to make certain management decisions. For example, fans can vote on a roster, decide which opponent a player may face, choose which game they’ll play or even which skins the team ‘wear’. It’s like fantasy football but with real-world results. As an organization, chiliZ operates as a subsidary of Malta based company Mediarex Group – “a global sports and entertainment organization”. They claim to have ‘recently secured’ $27 million in “private placement through its blockchain-related token sale” and have partnered with popular Twitch streamer Dr DisRespect and other streamers to support their ‘global vision’. hey, @DrDisRespect is $10mm enough? https://t.co/OzTKO8nPHf — Alexandre Dreyfus (@alex_dreyfus) May 24, 2018

Blizzard games decline in player count despite WoW Shadowlands, D2R & more Blizzard EntertainmentFollowing the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard in 2021, the company has struggled to maintain its player base despite releasing WoW Shadowlands, WoW Burning Crusade Classic, and Diablo 2 Resurrected. 2021 wasn’t quite the year that Activision Blizzard would have expected. Plunged into turmoil following a lawsuit by the state of California for nurturing a “pervasive frat boy culture” within the workplace, the company has struggled to maintain players across a number of titles. Coming into 2022, however, the Microsoft acquisition of the publisher has, for many, been a shining beacon at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel. As eyes turn to the future, debates about the path iconic MMORPG, World of Warcraft, will take have consumed the game’s community. Following Activision Blizzard’s Q4 earnings call, however, the signs are not positive. Blizzard Earnings Call brings bad news In a graphical version of Blizzard’s Monthly Active Users (MAU) stats from the 2021 Q4 call, it appears that Blizzard lost 5 million users during 2021 despite the release of WoW Shadowlands in October, 2020, and Diablo 2 Resurrected and WoW Burning Crusade Classic in 2021. While the total MAUs across all of Activision Blizzard’s affiliates climbed to 435 million in Q1 of 2021, it dropped off to 371 million by the end of the year. This implies that Shadowlands saw a brief interest spike, but following lackluster updates like Chains of Domination, it struggled to live up to the hype. Fans have been quick to weigh in on why the stats look like this, citing a lack of completely new content as being one of the major factors for decreased interest. “Nothing actually new has been released. Diablo 2 [Resurrected], Burning Crusade Classic, and the “content” of 9.1.5 was old Legion content lol. Need some new content,” writes one. Another points out that, despite global troubles, Blizzard still struggled to make any headway despite restrictions causing “an uptick in MAUs for many other games from other companies.” Following the Microsoft buyout, it’ll be interesting to see how things change coming into 2022. With a new WoW mobile game set to release, as well as Diablo Immortal and a confirmed survival game, the future seems to look a little brighter. Only time will tell.

Blizzard Chief Legal Officer leaves amid SEC’s Activision-Blizzard investigation Pexels, Shora Shimazaki / ActivisionWith legal action ramping up against Activision-Blizzard, including an SEC investigation, Blizzard’s Chief Legal Officer, Claire Hart, has announced her resignation. The first of Activision-Blizzard’s major allegations came back in July 2021, when it was revealed that the industry-leading gaming company was being sued by the Californian government over sexual discrimination. In the months since, the company has been implicated in a number of other situations — including a lawsuit by shareholders over “misleading” communication and a federal labor complaint by employees over “intimidation concerns.” Now, amidst subpoenas by the US federal government’s Securities and Exchange commission, Blizzard’s CLO has resigned. It is entirely unclear if there is any relation to the ongoing legal activity, but social media users have raised eyebrows at the timing. Blizzard Entertainment’s Chief Legal Officer has left the company, per a post on her LinkedIn profile today. — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) September 21, 2021 As brought up by CharlieINTEL, Hart announced on September 20 that she was relieving her post and had officially left Blizzard, after three-plus years, on the preceding Friday. In her LinkedIn post, the CLO kept the announcement relatively short and sweet: “The past three years have been full of unexpected twists and turns, but I feel honored to have worked with and met so many great people at Blizzard and across the Activision Blizzard businesses.” While Hart’s resignation has come with zero mentions of the ongoign legal situation, social media users were quick to tie the two together. One joked about her ‘bailing’ on the trouble while others speculated about potential impact on the company’s stock. For now, it remains unclear who will be filling Hart’s shoes as Blizzard’s CLO or where she will land next. For concerned investors and gaming enthusiasts, we will continue monitoring the various cases and keep people up to date as the investigations progress or as Activision-Blizzard respond.

BLAST announce Nubia mobile esports promotion at Premier Fall Series BLAST/NubiaCounter-Strike tournament series BLAST Premier has named Nubia Technology as its very first mobile phone partner. [jwplayer P0zzFW0M] Nubia’s gaming phone, the RedMagic 5S, will be advertised during the BLAST Premier Fall Series starting on October 26. Not only will Nubia’s phone be shown through in-game branding, the technology company will host giveaways where fans can win their own RedMagic 5S and behind-the-scenes access to the tournament. On-screen talent like Anders and Semmler will also get their hands on the phone. While this partnership doesn’t include a mobile esports tournament it’s clear that BLAST are willing to embrace and encourage mobile gaming, which could be a sign of things to come in the future. They have been expanding their reach into new games in 2020, including Valorant and Dota 2, so perhaps a mobile title could be next. “We are excited to showcase Nubia’s impressive RedMagic 5S gaming phone to the esports ecosystem via our global audience,” said Leo Matlock, BLAST’s commercial director. “This partnership is a strong fit with both brands sharing a major focus on innovation, technology and gaming – and with more and more people gaming and watching BLAST Premier on their phones every day – their product should be something that naturally resonates with our fans.” All 12 teams in the BLAST Premier Fall Series will play from Europe, making for one of the first international Counter-Strike competitions since the first quarter of 2020. With events moving online in March due to the global health situation, Europe and American teams have typically been split up due to poor ping posing a threat to competitive integrity. European sides Astralis, Natus Vincere, Ninjas in Pyjamas, G2 Esports, OG, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, and BIG will face off against American teams Complexity, MIBR, Evil Geniuses, and FURIA at BLAST Premier.

BLAST & Betway leaders explain successful partnership amid extension BLASTEsports is fuelled and kept afloat by partnerships. Without brands paying to advertise with teams and tournament organizers, considering the current state of play, we’d see a much smaller fraction of companies occupying the industry. Great partnerships are symbiotic and benefit both parties. The brand that’s looking to advertise themselves wants the maximum amount of reach and to truly make an impression on consumers, and the company they choose to advertise with wants to deliver a great service to the brand to keep them around and to improve the experience for the consumers. The best partnerships are actually beneficial not only for the two entities but for the audience too. One of the deals that come to mind when considering the criteria for one of the best in esports is that between tournament organizer BLAST and bookmaker Betway. Exclusive to Dexerto, it’s now been announced that they’re entering the third year of their alliance. Not only that, we sat down with BLAST’s commercial director Leo Matlock and Betway’s head of esports Adam Savinson to get a deeper look at what they’ve built together and the importance of their continued success. Betting big on BLAST Betway are no strangers to esports, already boasting a well-renowned partnership with Swedish organization Ninjas in Pyjamas. They’ve also worked with the likes of tournament organizers ESL and DreamHack as well as teams PSG.LGD and MIBR, providing varying levels of support while looking to capitalize on the booming esports betting market. They partnered with BLAST in March 2019 to receive coverage across the BLAST Pro Series, a circuit made up of eight events across several regions. Some deals simply include the inclusion of logos on social media and the tournament broadcast, but both parties understoood the opportunities available by digging deeper than that. If they wanted BLAST viewers to truly care about Betway, they needed to integrate the bookmaker in an authentic fashion that made sense to Counter-Strike fans. Read More: Team Vitality wins BLAST Premier Fall Final – For their first year with BLAST, Betway gained extended backstage access, VIP hospitality options, and in-venue branding. Moving into 2020 it appeared as if they were both happy with their arrangement; they had renewed their deal and, later, the betting giants supported BLAST’s first foray into a new title: Dota 2. “When people from outside of esports come into the industry, such as myself, there’s a trope that what we’re going to do is bring what’s good in sports and replace what you see in esports,” said Matlock. “We’re trying to take what we know and have learned and apply it over in esports, making sure that the partnerships we do and their outputs to be on an equal footing — if not better — than what we see in the NBA, the NFL, a Premier League football team.” No matter how you choose to activate a partnership, there are typically a couple of goals in mind. One is making sure your partner is getting value from the agreement, whether that’s generating new customers, creating brand awareness, or another method of conversion. You can somewhat define the success of such a deal by how well this has been executed and, as explained during the interview, they believe they’ve hit it out of the park. Moments that matter “If you ask Counter-Strike fans who have watched BLAST at some point this year for any length or from anywhere, they’ll likely be aware of Betway,” Matlock claimed. “Yes, we need to fund our business, but the point of funding our business is for us to do bigger and better things that reward the fans. We’re sitting here really proud of what the two teams have done in 2020.” Group 3 of #BLASTPremier means a new #BLASTBetwayBreakout challenge is here! We’ve got a fresh new map and two new pairs of pro players 👀@dev1ce & @G2kennyS vs @kngvito & @kscerato 💥 Who do you think will complete the map the fastest?#BLASTPremier | @betwayesports pic.twitter.com/8neNjVNqN5 — BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) November 2, 2020 A major component of the partnership between Betway and BLAST is content. Having bespoke, unique footage for the fans to enjoy — both during and after the broadcast — is a great way of providing engagement and, thus, allow the bookmaker to leave an impression on Counter-Strike fans. “It’s important to create content that people are enjoying and can engage with, that’s our main ambition,” Savinson told Dexerto. “We really want to prove to the audience that we are part of the community, that we understand it, and that we want to give back. “It’s imperative for a sponsor in any industry, but especially in esports, that we give back to the scene in terms of financial contribution to help great companies like BLAST and to add to the entertainment experience. Whether you’re a customer or not, we want to make sure that you’re enjoying esports as much as possible.” Read More: BLAST announce $2.4m circuit for 2021 – When it comes to competition, there’s only so much the organizers behind it can control. BLAST have control over who competes in their events through their team partnerships, but they can’t dictate how the match will play out. This means that they need to ensure that all elements of the show are as entertaining as possible, and partnership activations can actually play into that. They don’t need to be boring, bland advertisements. “What is in our control is the supporting supplementary content and features that go around it, all the way from the animations that pop up during gameplay to promoting Betway’s brand in a way that doesn’t interfere with the broadcast experience,” Matlock said. “We work collaboratively, not just on the creative side but with the delivery, execution, and logistical side to ensure that it’s all being done in the correct way.” The third year BLAST and Betway are now embarking upon their third year of close collaboration, coming off of the back of challenging circumstances that saw events move online. Players were no longer accessible in-person for content, nor were many people allowed in venues, so they had to get creative to fulfil their agreement. The secret of their partnership is that it’s evolving on a constant basis no matter the external factors that may be in effect. “The BLAST Pro Series is where we started, that evolved into BLAST Premier in 2020 with a different tournament format, structure, and brand with different teams,” said Matlock. “We knew there’d be further evolution in 2021. It’s much easier at the end of a year to know what our next year will look like and then talk about that with a partner and make sure that’s something they want to be part of. We want to just make sure that our partnerships are married up to what we’re delivering as that provides better partner satisfaction.” Four months since esports met football and @RyanFredericks_ met @dupreeh 🖱️❤️⚽ Remember this? https://t.co/6xYARoVUlh #BLASTPremier | @betwayesports pic.twitter.com/Wt2elWJtTM — BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) June 25, 2020 Despite the aforementioned challenges, BLAST ceased the opportunity to try new things — from expanding into titles like Dota 2 and VALORANT to trying new styles of events in Counter-Strike. With the company’s slate changing year-on-year, there are plenty of opportunities for Betway and other partners to reach new audiences through an existing collaboration. “This deal will specifically cover BLAST Premier which is, and will continue to be, the primary BLAST product,” Matlock told Dexerto. “We experimented with BLAST Rising this year which we took to Betway and asked if they wanted to be part of it. They opted in, and did the same with our Dota 2 event Bounty Hunt. That’s always at their discretion and we prefer to operate like that.” Read More: The biggest esports partnerships of 2020 – Being flexible and creating a tight-knit bond is imperative in esports, with the industry changing at a head-spinning rate. Companies can come and go in what seems like an instant. Developers hold all the power over the titles and can revoke access with a snap of their fingers. This fact demonstrates the need for unwavering support for companies that operate in the space, and much of that can be found through such partnerships. Long-term arrangements are becoming more and more common in esports, and that’s indicative of where the scene is going. “We absolutely appreciate the value of long-term relationships,” said Savinson. “When we go into any partnership it’s because we want it to continue and be as fruitful as possible. Long-term relationships with tournament organizers are definitely possible, having an association with a large brand such as BLAST has massive value over a long time and we want to be synonymous with it.” When two teams become one Both Betway and BLAST believe they’re happily entering their third year together is due to how they devised their working relationship from the start. Operating more as one unit than business partners who are simply fulfilling contractual obligations, they’ve spent time getting to truly know one another in an effort to align themselves as closely as possible. “We make sure that the teams, from a junior social media editor all the way up through to the most senior people in the business, can really get to have input into what will help them out with the deal. Collaboration underpinned by trust is why we’ve been able to do a lot of great things in 2020 with Betway and our other partners.” Savison echoed this statement, further solidifying that trust is a key component of their partnership — much like in any relationship, business or otherwise. “The relationships that have been built up over the last few years between Betway and BLAST have led to trust and comfort that nothing is tainted,” he said. “We don’t go to BLAST and say, ‘This is a content piece we are doing, you must put it here as per our contract.’ That’s not how this works. We get into a room together, we discuss exactly what we’re trying to achieve, and everybody has a platform.” While the return of offline events is still in flux, it’s clear that Betway and BLAST are continuing on their journey together satisfied with the past and excited for the future. There aren’t too many iconic, long-term partnerships in esports at this point in its evolution but if I were a betting man, I’d be happy to place my faith in these two companies working together for years to come.

BLAST receive £1.7m investment to expand into international markets BLASTTournament organizers BLAST have received £1.7m in investment to speed up their expansion into international markets. [jwplayer ZXB9LNVP] BLAST are best known for hosting prominent events in Counter-Strike but, more recently, they have also produced competitions in Dota 2 and Valorant. They will utilize the funding to accelerate their international expansion, further improve their production, and increase their staff in the United Kingdom. The investment comes from Edge Investments, who are described as the “leading growth investor in the UK creative economy.” Edge back companies that will impact the economy and mentor them to create “long-term success” and have identified esports as a promising industry after some research. This development follows BLAST’s announcement on November 19, which saw them partner with the BBC to broadcast their next three Counter-Strike tournaments on digital platform iPlayer. The events that fans will be able to watch through the BBC are the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown on November 24-29, the BLAST Premier Fall Final on December 8-13, and the BLAST Premier Global Final on January 19-24. Up Next: BLAST on the BBC! @BBCiPlayer will be streaming the next 3 BLAST tournaments as the latest broadcaster to join the team.#BLASTPremier dates: 💥 Fall Showdown 24-29 Nov 💥 Fall Final 8-13 Dec 💥 Global Final 19-24 JanRead more: https://t.co/9KO61JjpBy pic.twitter.com/7VhLSUhmoH — BLAST (@BLASTEsports) November 19, 2020 “To have Edge Investments’ backing is testament to the impressive work BLAST has achieved so far this year and highlights the upward trajectory the esports industry is on right now despite a turbulent year for everyone,” said BLAST’s CEO Robbie Douek. “We chose Edge for access to their specialist knowledge and network in content distribution, media promotion, and production, and we are delighted to have them on board as we enter what looks to be a pivotal year for us.” BLAST raised £11m in investment in May 2020, securing capital to continue to grow and expand the brand despite the complicated global health situation. Since then, they expanded into Dota 2 with the BLAST Bounty Hunt as well as Valorant with the BLAST Twitch Invitational and BLAST Spike Nations events.

Marvel & Star Wars apparel giant Bioworld enters esports with Vexed deal Vexed/BioworldBioworld, a major global manufacturer of licensed apparel and accessories, have entered esports through a partnership with UK organization Vexed Gaming. The collaboration will result in the design, production, and distribution of a “unique merchandise clothing collection” that will pre-launch in the coming days. The clothing range is said to be a “fashion-first” approach that takes inspiration from the biggest trends seen in 2020. Fans will initially be able to be t-shirts with varying designs, but Bioworld and Vexed plan to launch a wider range of apparel at a later date, according to the organization. Outside of esports, Bioworld is one of the leading manufacturers of licensed apparel, home goods, and accessories across entertainment. They have the rights to numerous movie franchises, many of the biggest titles in gaming, and plenty of TV shows and comics too. “It’s fantastic to see Bioworld enter esports and it’s a testament to Vexed Gaming that they chose to do so with us,” said Mark Weller, Vexed Gaming’s chief gaming officer. “We’re all about bringing new and exciting things to the table and engaging with Vexed Fans and the wider esports audience authentically through our partners and activations.” They are currently producing products for Disney properties such as Star Wars, Avengers, and Deadpool, as well as gaming giants like Call of Duty, Minecraft, Pokemon, Roblox, Apex Legends, and the newly-released Cyberpunk 2077. When it comes to #HarryPotter we’ve got every flavor, call us Bertie Botts. Stock up with this sweet assortment & you’ll be able to keep all your Potter fans satisfied. 🍭🍬 pic.twitter.com/5wSkewxS6X — BIOWORLD (@BioworldMerch) February 25, 2020 Pop culture crossing over with esports has been an emerging trend for the past couple of years. Nothing else quite proves that more than legendary esports organization Team Liquid partnering with entertainment giants Marvel — a deal that was extended in October 2020 to last until at least 2020. “We are excited to be entering the world of esports and we’re thrilled to be working with such a forward-thinking organization like Vexed Gaming,” said Bioworld’s Adam Gibbins. “The collection will appeal to both fans of the team, the wider esports community and the entirely new audiences Vexed Gaming will be able to engage with a more fashion forward approach to their products.”

Bill Gates Celebrates “Huge Milestone” as Elon Musk Project Builds AI Bots that Can Defeat human Teams in Dota 2 A nonprofit OpenAI research company, backed by the billionaire Elon Musk, has built a team of robots that can beat a team of humans on Dota 2 and Microsoft’s Bill Gates is a huge fan. The idea of artificial intelligence might be a worrying one for anyone that has watched too many Terminator films, but research and development of the technology shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. The list of things that various AI tools can do is growing on a daily basis and news about robots, or teams of robots, outperforming humans at various tasks seems to be becoming a regular occurance. However, AI is still lagging behind human ability in some of life’s more complex tasks, especially when teamwork and real-time problem solving and learning is required. That’s why everyone is so impressed by the news of a team of AI robots defeating a team of humans at one of the most complex MOBA games on earth, Dota 2. Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is one of those people and on June 27th he took to Twitter to state that the win was a “big deal” because “their victory required teamwork and collaboration” which, in his words, is a “huge milestone”. #AI bots just beat humans at the video game Dota 2. That’s a big deal, because their victory required teamwork and collaboration – a huge milestone in advancing artificial intelligence. https://t.co/UqIUhh9xFc — Bill Gates (@BillGates) June 26, 2018 This is just one of many amazing projects I had a chance to see at @OpenAI, where they’re working to ensure as many people benefit from AI as possible. This is an incredibly important mission, and I’m excited to see more of their work. — Bill Gates (@BillGates) June 26, 2018 Dota 2 is one of the most popular MOBA games on the planet and the world’s best players compete for millions of dollars every year. AI bots have previously beaten some of those top players in one versus one matches but this is the first time that a team of bots has managed to defeat a team of humans. Christy Dennison, an Open AI machine learning engineer, has explained that the bots are currently playing against ameteur teams but the plan is to beat the best pro teams by the end of the year: “This year, we want to beat the best pro teams at the full game. To do this, we have built a new AI system which we spent the last few months training […] […] We are now starting to play against amateur teams to test our skill and to our surprise, so far, we have won our first games against every team we have tested”. The AI bots actually learn Dota by playing themselves and the “OpenAI Five” team is apparently able to play around 180 years of games every single day. With practice hours like that, it sounds like even the world’s best teams will struggle to stay ahead of the AI movement for much longer. More information on the OpenAI Five can be found in the video below.

Betsafe enter esports with three-year GODSENT CSGO sponsorship Betsafe/GODSENTOnline sports bookmakers Betsafe have made their first move into esports, sponsoring Swedish organization GODSENT. [jwplayer WGyDcVLl] The sponsorship will last for three years and see Betsafe serve as the exclusive betting partner of the org, as well as the headline sponsor of their Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. Betsson Group, the company behind the bookmaker, chose to focus on Counter-Strike as they claim it’s the most-watched esports title among bettors in Europe. The deal will see Betsafe financially support GODSENT, though the exact details have not been disclosed. It will also include “close collaboration and social media activation,” meaning fans of the Swedish team can expect more content surrounding their favorite roster. As of November 9, GODSENT rank 20th in the world in Counter-Strike according to HLTV. Betsafe are active in the world of traditional sports, having sponsored the likes of MMA star Conor McGregor, Formula 1 racing team Alfa Romeo, and English football club Manchester City. “Esports has been gaining a lot of momentum in the past couple of years and the global pandemic has further cemented its place,” commented Kim Ekelund, head of marketing in Sweden for Betsson Group. “With all major sporting competitions being postponed during spring, more attention was directed towards esports, adding to its mainstream appeal.” Betway are currently the most prominent bookmakers in Counter-Strike, sponsoring legendary team Ninjas in Pyjamas and tournament circuit BLAST Premier. They were a long-term partner of the ESL Pro League until recently, too. “We are very proud that Betsafe, with its long tradition of investing in extraordinary content and sponsorships, has signed this long-standing commitment with us,” added GODSENT CEO Ludwig Sandgren. “GODSENT is an extremely ambitious organisation and Betsafe matches that perfectly. They will become an important driver of our CS:GO division and will be a great strategic partner as we grow into a tier-one organisation.”

BallStreet Trading & Riot Games partner for TFT esports BallStreet/Riot GamesIconic game developers Riot Games have partnered with BallStreet Trading for the North American portion of their TeamFight Tactics esports scene, with BallStreet hosting host free-to-play contests during events. Predictions and fantasy sports have started to move into the esports scene in recent years. Platforms like Twitch have plugins for fans to predict certain scenarios in games, be it a player winning a round in CSGO or picking up a vital ability in League of Legends. Riot Games have also been at the forefront of that, with their own fantasy experiences centered around LCS and other leagues. Now, as their Teamfight Tactics scene begins to grow, the world-renowed game developers have partnered up with BallStreet trading and named them their Official Fantasy and Fan Engagement Partner for Teamfight Tactics North America Esports. The multi-year partnership between the two was announced on April 23, with BallStreet bringing a “never-before-seen product” to the esports space through their trading platform. The BallStreet platform will create a free-to-play real-time prediction market for fans to use and compete against each other during North American TFT events. Additionally, BallStreet will work with Riot and other parties to create rewards and prizes for viewers who tune into TFT events. These events are currently slated to start in late May to early June, so it won’t be too long a wait for fans eager to put their TFT knowledge and fandom up against others. Speaking about the partnership, Scott San Emeterio, BallStreet CEO, said: “We are elated for the opportunity to work with Riot Games and offer a real-time competitive experience to fans of North American TFT esports. Our focus will be on understanding the TFT audience and making sure we are enhancing their viewing experience. “Through BallStreet’s next-generation fantasy game, we hope to give competitive TFT fans an engaging platform where they can connect, compete, and win great prizes while watching live matches. We’re excited to help enhance the viewing experience of competitive TFT with a never-before-seen product in the space.” Additionally, the BallStreet noted to the EsportsObserver that he hoped this would serve as a launching pad and before long, we might see BallStreet in other esport scenes.

Astro Gaming & US Army vanish as CDL sponsors amid Activision Blizzard lawsuit Activision Blizzard / Pexels / Pixabay / US Army / Astro GamingThe Call of Duty League seems to have lost two more of its highest-profile sponsors, Astro Gaming and the US Army. This follows the loss of other CDL and OWL partners, suspected to be caused by fallout over the Activision Blizzard discrimination lawsuit. In late July, the state of California launched a labor discrimination lawsuit against Activision Blizzard centered around sexism and “frat boy culture” in the workplace. Around a week later, in early August, we noticed that one of the CDL and Overwatch League’s primary sponsors, T-Mobile, had suddenly disappeared. First absent from the CDL’s website, T-Mobile then mysteriously vanished from the broadcast (including branding taped over on player jerseys) during the league’s biggest event of the year: Major 5. CDL sponsor Astro Gaming disappears Now, both Astro Gaming and the US Army seem to be bowing out as well. Both sponsors took center stage during the 2021 season and are now missing from all web pages. ASTRO Gaming logo has disappeared from the #CDL2021 website. ASTRO was the presenting sponsor of the MVP awards, but the CDL site has updated to remove ASTRO’s logo completely. pic.twitter.com/zSbc2EyNvC — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) August 13, 2021 The most noticeable change is Astro Gaming. The partner was directly tied to the CDL’s MVP award and in-game “Astro Game Listen-In” segments, while also being worn by players for an exclusive headset collaboration. Not only has the Astro branding been removed from the website entirely (including the MVP pages), but the company has also taken down its page devoted to the CDL collection. US Army cuts ties As for the US Army, whose advertisements have felt omnipresent to CDL viewers, removal from the partnership section has been noticed. This leaves Zenni, SCUF, Game Fuel, and USAA as the lone remaining CDL sponsors. A similar purge has taken place on the OWL side of things, where brands and companies like Pringles, IBM, and State Farm have all disappeared. As of yet, there has been no response for comment from the league or company representatives. The most widely accepted reasoning is that these brands are distancing themselves from Activision Blizzard, whose responses to the ongoing lawsuit have been dubbed “abhorrent” by employees.

Astralis publish “satisfactory” 2020 finances with $8.5m loss AstralisDanish esports organization Astralis have revealed their financial performance for 2020 through their newly-published annual report. Astralis Group, the company behind the well-known brand that competes in multiple titles, is a public company and thus have to post their financial results publicly. Competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, and FIFA, the org is said to have generated total revenue of $8.26m — a figure that was “in line with expectations” according to the report. Their CS:GO division brought in almost $6m of revenue, with their LoL and FIFA teams generating around $1.3m and $240k respectively. However, despite raising millions of dollars, things don’t appear to be too great on the surface. The group saw a total loss of $8.5m and posted an EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) of -$2.3m. The group have invested in multiple leagues, acquiring long-term slots across two of esports’ biggest titles: Counter-Strike and League of Legends. They hold spots in CS:GO circuits BLAST and ESL Pro League, as well as the premier European League of Legends competition LEC. Astralis Group used to operate three brands — Astralis, Origen, and Future FC — but consolidated the teams under the Astralis brand in September 2020. Just one month later, their League of Legends squad was fined almost $6,000 by Riot Games due to alleged missed salary payments and “conduct unbecoming of an LEC Team Manager.” They have an interesting revenue split for the year, according to the report. 66% of revenue generated came from sponsorship, 27% from prize money and league revenue, 3% from merchandise, 2% from royalties, and the remaining 2% from “other revenue.” https://twitter.com/astralisgroup/status/1371400763319128066 Astralis Group established numerous new commercial partnerships throughout the year, undoubtedly helping them to minimize losses during a year where offline events were postponed or outright canceled. They also sold CS:GO player Patrick ‘es3tag’ Hansen to Cloud9 in a $2.1m deal just six months after signing him. They announced deals with the likes of wearable tech company Garmin, Universal Music Group, sports brand Hummel, audio brand Bang & Olufsen, bank app Lunar, market search firm Userneeds, and analytics firm Cavea.

New Astralis CMO explains why she left VICE’s Refinery29 for esports AstralisAstralis have bolstered their ranks outside of the server with a new hire, bringing in Samantha Yu as the new chief marketing officer of their parent company. The publicly-listed esports organization, much like other major companies in the industry, are placing importance on building their brand to stand out to fans and commercial partners alike even when they’re not competing. Yu’s experience in content and media aligns perfectly with this objective as in her role as chief marketing officer she will help Astralis Group with their commercial efforts, partnerships, and establishing a deeper connection with fans. She previously served as the vice president of brand and marketing at Refinery29, a publication owned by VICE Media, leading a team of creatives to deliver value to brands by effectively connecting them with the site’s readership. “I’ve been aware of the power and appeal of esports and its ability to bring people together since I was a teenager,” Yu told Dexerto in an exclusive interview. “I remember one summer, when I was visiting my grandparents in Seoul, one of the major malls had an area along a main walkway for people to play StarCraft. Big screens, gaming chairs, everything. I had been learning to play with my cousins, who were all obsessed, in the local PC bangs… but I was such a newbie. I was in awe of the crowds gathering to watch the competitions. There was a real buzz! “More recently, though, I’ve been curious about esports as a way to connect with audiences and about gaming as a way for people to find entertainment, self-expression, and community. Esports has been a hot topic of conversation for anyone interested in innovation, content, and connection. As a marketer, I’m always thinking about new ways of telling stories and serving audiences. News of exciting developments in gaming and esports, from brand campaigns to trend reports to partnerships, came across my desk regularly at Refinery29. So I was naturally intrigued.” Read More: TSM launches talent agency – Having been aware of esports for quite some time, the next question is why she chose to make the leap from a senior position in a major media group to Astralis Group. There are dozens of prominent organizations in esports that could benefit from her expertise. “Astralis is already a strong brand with a clear mission to champion the positive power of gaming and esports,” she said. “It’s an organisation that’s helped esports reach new audiences and shaped the landscape. I’m coming in with a genuine curiosity and respect for what’s been accomplished both in the esports industry and by Astralis Group.” Esports is gaining traction in the mainstream but it’s still a young industry that changes frequently. There are no best practices due to its infancy so creative leaders with fresh ideas have a lot of room to innovate. The media industry is similar in that its landscape is always changing as companies look for the best methods to monetize their audience without alienating them. With Yu’s nine years of experience at Refinery29, working her way up from an editorial associate to a VP, she’ll bring over a unique perspective from an industry that’s well-established yet full of challenges. “When I first started at Refinery29, my focus was on creating great content and building a mission-driven brand that our audience would love,” she said. “Eventually, I also added a commercial layer, thinking about how we could introduce brand partners into conversations in a genuine way. “Not only am I passionate about building brands and finding creative ways to connect with and engage global audiences, I also put a lot of care into the team that makes such incredible work possible. Creating an operation and a culture that enables the ambitions of the organisation to be met and the skilled people who are a part to feel fulfilled is extremely important to me. It’s not just about what we do but how we do it.” There are real challenges that must be overcome in esports for companies to thrive. It’s hard to monetize the act of competing and that’s why we’re seeing organizations act more like media groups. Just look at FaZe Clan and 100 Thieves to see this in action. Read More: Top 10 most valuable esports teams in 2020 – Astralis Group understand the importance of building a robust and fruitful commercial arm, having already forged successful partnerships with major brands Garmin, Logitech, hummel, HP, and Bang & Olufsen. Adding Yu to their ranks will likely to see things taken up a notch but there’s no blueprint on how best for them to move forward. Their future is in their hands. “Part of what got me so excited about the esports and gaming industry was the creativity and the personality that shone through the marketing and brand activations, from game releases to fashion partnerships to in-game activations,” Yu told Dexerto. “That creativity invites more fun and surprising thinking. “My main focus when it comes to partnerships will be to identify and create experiences that delight our fans where brands can play a genuine role. I’m always looking for that sweet spot where Astralis, our fans, and our partners can share in something greater than the sum of its parts. “We’re working — and eager to work — with partners who want to create engaging and memorable experiences for audiences old and new. Who are eager to be a part of culture through esports and, especially if they are new to the industry, trust Astralis as their guides for connecting with gamers and esports fans. Who think creatively and aren’t afraid to experiment and try something new. And who are interested in building long-term relationships not just with Astralis, but with the esports and gaming community.” Yu starts with Astralis Group on February 1 and will report to CEO Anders Hørsholt while working closely with other company leadership members chief revenue officer Jakob Lund Kristensen, director of communications Steen Laursen, and recently-announced commercial director Kasper Sindt.

Astralis to use Garmin’s esports smartwatch to improve their performance AstralisAstralis are the first organization to partner with Garmin after the tech brand announced their new esports performance smartwatch. [jwplayer E2QNjHVs] Earlier on October 22, the technology company unveiled the Instinct Esports Edition smartwatch that looks to offer information on sleep, energy, and stress levels. The partnership is described as “strategic” and “commercial” and will see Astralis’ players use the watch in training and performance sessions. They will promote the new watch to their audience, which spans across Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, and FIFA. The long-term deal will be “fully unfolded over the coming months and years,” though the exact promotional terms have not been released. Astralis’ CS team have won multiple majors and are well-known internationally, though especially in their home market of Denmark, so Garmin will look to utilise that star power to sell their esports-geared product. The Instinct Esports Edition smartwatch not only tracks health and performance metrics, but allows players to broadcast their heart rate and stress level while gaming on stream. This technology is called “STR3AMUP!” and seems to be the only feature that is included with gaming specifically in mind. This is the second instance of Garmin turning to esports and gaming to sell their products, following a partnership with Polish organization x-kom AGO being announced earlier this year in February. https://twitter.com/Astralisgg/status/1319247130456895489 “We have been looking into the gaming and esports market for a while, as we see a great potential to integrate the use of wearable performance tech in the strive to optimise performance and health for gamers and esports athletes,” said Garmin’s managing director in the Nordics, David Ekander. “Athletes all over the world use Garmin products to track and improve their performance. With the launch of our newest innovation Instinct Esports Edition, esports athletes can use the new feature to track and examine how their body responds to intense competition.”

Astralis to open gaming facility in Danish amusement park Astralis/TivoliDanish esports organization Astralis will be opening a facility in Tivoli Gardens, the third-oldest amusement park that’s still operating, in Copenhagen, Denmark. As part of a partnership between Astralis and the amusement park operator themselves, the facility aims to provide a deeper level of engagement for fans of the team. The venue, which is described as the organization’s “first-ever flagship store,” will play host to merchandise, gaming setups for over 130 people, VIP rooms, products from their partners, tournaments, viewing parties, and more. Located in the heart of Denmark’s capital city, the store is slated to open on June 1, 2021 and will be accessible both from the street and the amusement park itself. The partnership is said to be “scalable,” allowing for further facilities to be opened in other locations should there be enough demand and this initiative prove to be successful. Astralis are very well known in Denmark, mainly for their successes in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and it’s been said before that they’re at a similar level of fame as major athletes in their home nation. “The Astralis Flagship Store in Tivoli marks the first step in our strategy to become a larger and more valuable part of the fan experience,” said Astralis CEO Anders Hørsholt. “We want to offer something that both hard core esports fans, gamers and a more casual audience will enjoy, and we are extremely pleased to launch the strategy in a separate cooperation with the most iconic entertainment center in Denmark.” An official announcement from Astralis claims that “yet-be-release products” from their partners will be available at the store. While these items are unknown at the time of publication, it’s not too difficult to guess what’s to come. The team is associated with major companies like sportswear brand hummel, technology giants Garmin, audio brand Bang & Olufsen, peripheral manufacturers Logitech G, and HP’s OMEN line.

AS Roma taps ULTI Agency to run esports department ULTI AgencyULTI Agency has signed an agreement to become the official esports agency for Italian football club AS Roma, the two parties have announced. The deal will see ULTI Agency run Roma’s esports department and explore new strategic opportunities, including the possibility of expanding the club’s roster of esports titles. Roma currently competes only in eFootball after jumping into esports in 2017. The Italian club has partnered with other esports organizations in the past to help run its teams, including Fnatic and Mkers. Now, Roma have decided to hand the reigns of their esports operations over to ULTI, a Norwegian agency that represents over 60 athletes. Last year, ULTI played a key role in Cloud9’s signing of Gambit’s CS:GO team by acquiring the roster and then selling it to the North American organization. “AS Roma already has a strong legacy in esports, and we can’t wait to help them continue their growth within the world of gaming,” ULTI Agency CEO Asgeir Kvalvik said in a press release. “ULTI’s key roles in this collaboration will be to manage AS Roma’s esports teams and players and make sure the club’s values and image are taken care of in a professional manner. “In addition to this, we will be taking care of sponsorship opportunities connected to the esports department and explore other potential game titles that can be interesting for AS Roma to invest in.” ULTI Agency takes over AS Roma esports As part of this new collaboration, Roma’s eFootball players, Adrian ‘Urma43’ Urma, Salvatore ‘Gagliardo28’ Gagliardo, and Andrea ‘Stiffler’ Galimberti, have been invited to ULTI’s esports facility, located in Kristiansund, Norway, for a training camp in early 2023 in preparation for the looming season. Roma’s eFootball team has two Gfinity Elite Series championships under its belt, both from 2018.

Another Blizzard co-founder has left the company Blizzard co-founder Frank Pearce is the latest to leave the company that he helped start. This follows a continuing trend of Blizzard co-founders leaving the company that began with Mike Morhaime’s departure in October of 2018. Pearce announced his departure in a joint statement with Blizzard’s President J. Allen Brack. “The time has come for me to step away from Blizzard and pass the torch to the next generation of leaders,” Pearce’s statement said. “My journey as part of the Blizzard community began over 28 years ago. Allen offered me an opportunity to join him and Mike in their adventure and dream to make video games. Video games were a passion that we shared, and I had only a fleeting hope that I would have the opportunity to make games one day.” he stated. “The decision was easy for me – I did not have the benefit of internet searches to help start me down the path. Allen’s offer letter was the best and only chance I thought I might ever have. Looking back, I know how incredibly fortunate I was to have been a part of what Blizzard has become.” The co-founder went on to thank the people he had worked with and recounted fond memories of being with the company. “I have been lucky enough to work with J and Ray for many years, and now it is their responsibility to define how the adventure continues. They are game development leaders that are incredibly talented, experienced, and truly understand what is foundationally most important for Blizzard and our community. I know that the future of Blizzard will be amazing under their guidance,” Pearce added. “Blizzard is a special place and a special community, and everyone with whom you interact is important to the Blizzard journey as it continues forward. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful past I have enjoyed, and thank you in advance for the great future I expect we will share,” his message concluded. In his own statement, Brack recalled the first time he met Pearce. “I was nervous not only because I was excited about the opportunity to join a company I loved, but because I was sitting face-to-face with one of the founders of Blizzard,” he explained. “Frank can be intimidating, and sometimes comes across as a bit gruff. Underneath is a person of deep feeling, and of deep love for both the family of Blizzard, and the unique and caring community that has grown around Blizzard games. Frank is also a person I’m proud to call a close friend.” Brack concluded by praising Frank’s role at Blizzard and the work he has done over the years. Frank Pearce had been at Blizzard for 28 years. Earlier on, Pearce was a programmer and worked on classics such as StarCraft and Diablo.

Amazon reportedly overhauling Twitch Prime to Prime Gaming subscription AmazonAccording to a leaked document from Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau, Amazon is set to rebrand the gaming benefits of their Twitch Prime membership to Prime Gaming. As with most companies that have their eggs in more than one basket, rebranding and becoming more streamlined in the process is inevitable. And Amazon is no different. Their Amazon Prime membership offers an array of benefits, including one free monthly Twitch channel subscription and exclusive in-game content. But as it stands, the gaming rewards are labelled as Twitch-exclusive via the current branding. Although on August 9, Slasher revealed some confidential assets, which detailed the nature of the rebranding — and its purpose — while explaining the new features that will be available through the service. Twitch Prime to Prime Gaming So what’s the difference? Well aside from a fresh lick of paint, Amazon’s Prime Gaming will now also offer members “rotating packages of full PC games that can be owned and kept forever at no additional cost.” In terms of the games on offer, the assets detail these under ‘Functional Benefits’ and explain that these will be a mixture of games from indie developers and mainstream brands. Aside from that, the same benefits remain. Amazon teased “other surprise perks” at the tail-end of their Functional Benefits, but what those are remains to be seen. according to an email from Twitch to partners i’ve received, Twitch Prime rebranding to Prime Gaming will offer ‘more opportunities to grow viewership’ to streamers Amazon and Twitch have planned the announcement for tomorrow morning Monday at 11 AM PST/1 PM EST/19:00 CET pic.twitter.com/P0dlTPnWIe — Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 10, 2020 Twitch also explained that the change will render streamers with “more chances to grow your viewership across all types of gamers from the Amazon Prime member base and opportunities to be featured in future Prime Gaming promotions.” The branding will help Amazon better align the gaming portion of the Prime subscription with other services, such as Prime Music and Prime Video. At the time of writing, it is not yet known when the change will come into effect, but an announcement is expected on August 10 at 11:00 AM (PST) / 1:00 PM (EST) / 6:00 PM (BST).

Amazon’s Prime Gaming strike unexpected sponsorship with English football club Stevenage Stevenage FCAmazon gaming service Prime Gaming has entered one of the more stranger deals in the industry, sponsoring English football club Stevenage F.C. for the next two years. Competing in League Two, Stevenage F.C. are in the fourth tier of the English football pyramid, averaging a home-match attendance of 2,715 people in the 2018/2019 season. Now, they’ve received a financial boost from the fourth biggest company in the world — Amazon — through Prime Gaming, a “premium experience” on Twitch that’s included in Amazon Prime memberships. The two-year sponsorship agreement will see Prime Gaming’s logo front and center on the football club’s home and away kits, replacing the Burger King logo that was present in the 2020/2021 season. 🔥 It’s time to come home! 🔥 Return to The Lamex this Friday & watch Alex Revell’s men take on Patrick Vieira’s @CPFC as supporters return to SG2. 💪 — Stevenage FC 🔴⚪ (@StevenageFC) July 21, 2021 Stevenage’s new kit, complete with Prime Gaming branding, will be debuted on July 23, 2021, when they face off in a friendly match against Crystal Palace. “We are excited to partner with a club like Stevenage, that much like Prime Gaming, is ambitious, innovative and places an emphasis on being customer-obsessed,” said Prime Gaming’s general manager, Larry Plotnick. “Stevenage has a great reputation for building a passionate and loyal community which aligns very much with our ambitions. As customer-focused organizations both serving passionate communities, we think this is a great fit.” Burger King worked wonders as a shirt sponsor of Stevenage by making them popular in the football series FIFA, running an online campaign that encouraged players to upload their goals (while playing as the club) to social media for a chance to win food prizes.

Alliance let fans vote on future decisions with crypto partnership Alliance/SociosSwedish esports organization Alliance have entered a partnership with blockchain fan engagement platform Socios.com. [jwplayer WGyDcVLl] The agreement will see Socios.com launch a fan token for Alliance, which grants fans the ability to vote on future decisions made by the team. The first poll that will run for the former The International champions centers around which game they should expand into next. They currently field teams in Dota 2, Super Smash Bros., Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Trackmania. The fan token, named $ALL, will be available at a fixed price of $1 for the initial public offering. 5 million tokens will be available in total, and after the first sale the price will be determined by demand from fans. Alliance are the fourth esports team to partner with Socios.com, following Natus Vincere’s deal with the platform on November 4. Other associated teams include Spanish organization Team Heretics and European giants OG. The blockchain-fueled company have a major presence in sports, providing fan engagement possibilities for the likes of FC Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Roma, and the UFC. “I am extremely excited to announce that we are partnering with Socios.com to launch $ALL Fan Tokens,” said Jonathan ‘Loda’ Berg, CEO of Alliance. “We exist for our fans and we want to give them a direct say in key decisions, such as which games we pick up and what we feature on our team jerseys. $ALL Fan Token will also give Alliance fans the chance to win a tonne of rewards and unique VIP experiences. “The first poll, which will open as soon as we launch the $ALL Fan Token on Socios.com, is going to set a new milestone for fan engagement in esports. There’s going to be more details about the launch date and that huge first poll soon. Make sure you’re ready to cast your vote!” Alliance were founded in April 2013 by gaming peripherals brand Razer and Alex Garfield, the man who also created Evil Geniuses and esports technology and services company Popdog. In December 2016 Alliance parted with their parent company GoodGame, which was owned by Amazon through Twitch, opting to become “player-owned.”

Alissa Violet sues FaZe Clan over “promised shares” from $300m esports org Alissa Violet/FaZe ClanSocial media star Alissa Violet is suing FaZe Clan for shares she says she’s owed by the multi-million dollar esports org from a deal that happened back in 2018. This lawsuit from Violet, according to a report from the Washington Post, all stems from another series of lawsuits both she and FaZe were also involved in, against a company called Hubrick Limited. The influencer claims in her suit that, back in 2018, she made a deal with FaZe to trade shares in social media company Clout Gang (which Violet co-founded) for shares in Hubrick Limited, which was working with FaZe to “develop both businesses.” Things between the two didn’t exactly end on a high note, though. Later on in 2018 Violet, FaZe Clan, Clout Gang, and others sued Hubrick. claiming fraud. The company hit back with a counter suit, claiming the same thing. According to Violet’s suit, she and FaZe entered into an “oral agreement” to end this legal tangle with Hubrick that required her to give up her stock in the company. Once she did, FaZe allegedly promised her stock in the esports org to make up for that loss. Violet claims in her complaint that she never received the promised shares from Faze, which is the whole reason for this new lawsuit – which is for an undisclosed amount. “Faze Clan is being sued because it specifically promised to compensate Alissa when it asked her to relinquish her Hubrick stock and asked her to dismiss her claims against Hubrick and others,” Bryan Freedman, Violet’s lawyer, told The Washington Post. “If Faze Clan simply abided by its promise to compensate her, Alissa would not have had to sue Faze Clan.” We may not know how much is being asked for, but FaZe seems to think things will be resolved without any major drama, according to an email from the org’s CEO. “Stories get created out of any disagreement or dispute, big or small,” FaZe CEO Lee Trink told the post in an email “On this particular matter we’re in close communication and confident it’ll be resolved amicably.”

Alienware ends LoL Esports deal early due to Riot CEO allegations Yicun Liu/Riot GamesDell-owned computer hardware company Alienware has confirmed they’re terminating their deal with Riot Games due to allegations of sexual harassment surrounding the game developer’s CEO Nicolo Laurent. Alienware are currently a global sponsor of League of Legends esports, supporting leagues and tournaments such as the LCS, LEC, LCK, LPL, Mid-Season Invitational, and World Championship. It’s been stated that the deal was originally set to expire in January 2022 but the gaming hardware giants are reluctant to continue their association with Riot Games due to recent claims. The report from Dot Esports’ Jacob Wolf claimed that Alienware were in discussions with the game developer to cancel the wide-spanning partnership as soon as possible. It was later confirmed by Dell themselves in a statement to The Esports Observer. “Dell is no longer a Riot Games sponsor,” they said. Riot Games removed Alienware’s logo from their League of Legends broadcasts last weekend, giving credence to the original report. It was revealed in February 2020 that Riot Games were investigating Laurent for gender discrimination and sexual harassment claims following a filed labor lawsuit. The case, filed by former Riot executive assistant Sharon O’Donnell in January 2020, claims that she was wrongfully removed from work duties after declining sexual advances made by the company’s head. “Alienware has been a valuable partner to Riot since January 2019,” Riot Games told Dot Esports. “We can’t comment on our agreement with them at this time due to confidentiality obligations. As we continue discussions with them, we have removed their branding from our broadcasts.” How it started How it’s going Celebrating Season 10 of @lolesports #Worlds2020 pic.twitter.com/bShnRCCzgx — ALIENWARE (@Alienware) October 16, 2020 It was in January 2019 that Riot Games announced their multi-year partnership with Alienware that saw the company support League of Legends esports as its official “competition PC and display partner.” Their monitors and computers were utilized across the aforementioned competitions as part of the deal. It appears that Alienware will still have a presence in League of Legends. They’re a prominent partner with LCS team Team Liquid, owning the naming rights to the org’s facilities in Los Angeles and Utrecht, Netherlands.

Activision under fire for calling minority hiring requirement “unworkable” Pexels, @energepic / Activision BlizzardActivision Blizzard have begun receiving backlash across social media for rebutting a “Rooney Rule” diversity hiring proposal by suggesting it would ruin their chances to remain competitive in the gaming industry. Update, January 28: Activision has now responded, saying that the SEC filing has been “mischaracterized”. Their full statement is given below. The “Rooney Rule,” a 2003 program implemented by the National Football League, requires that teams must interview at least one non-white person when hiring a coach. In years since, that has extended to provide opportunities for women and for positions outside of head coach. Now, the largest American union conglomerate, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), has proposed a similar program to gaming giants Activision and Electronic Arts. While EA have suggested interest while remaining noncommittal, Activision’s legal team has already shot down the initiative. Suggesting that implementation would slow their business down at a detriment to competitiveness, Activision appears unwilling to adopt the program and their response has sparked backlash. Activision says having to interview at least one minority candidate for any hire is “”an unworkable encroachment on the Company’s ability to run its business”” Imagine admitting your rolodex is so homogenous that finding one minority person is unworkablehttps://t.co/dFtBjsdHI6 — Rami Ismail / رامي (@tha_rami) January 27, 2021 Vice’s Lauren Kaori Gurley and Patrick Klepek sourced details from AFL-CIO’s proposal and Activision’s response for an investigative piece that reveals why the company is so resistant. The suggested program would follow the Rooney Rule by implementing a policy that necessitates the interviewing of minority candidates (non-white and non-male) for open positions. In response, a spokesperson claimed that “talent is the lifeblood of Activision Blizzard,” that the company’s diverse employees reflect a global audience and that the company has numerous programs to promote diversity (e.g. “scholarship programs … and the Equal Justice Initiative”). Nonetheless, the company’s legal team more specifically responded to the proposal by stating that the Rooney Rule already exists for executive hires, but “implementing a policy that would extend such an approach to all hiring decisions amounts to an unworkable encroachment on the Company’s ability to run its business and compete for talent in a highly competitive, fast-moving market.” Community feedback to that statement has been negative. While some replies have centered around words like “horrific” and “yikes,” others have delved deeper by bringing up census data and industry examples. As mentioned by ‘MagusFirebeard,’ Santa Monica (where Activision is headquartered) has a sizable non-white population, suggesting that a pool of candidates is accessible. One user brought up Facebook’s 2015 agreement to a similar policy. This echoes Vice’s mentions of J.P. Morgan and Bank of America, who each agreed to AFL-CIO diversity hiring proposals earlier this month. Update, January 28: Activision responds In a statement, Activision Blizzard president and COO Daniel Alegre said: “Activision Blizzard is committed to inclusive hiring practices and to creating a diverse workforce; it is essential to our mission. Vice completely mischaracterized the SEC filing made by our outside attorneys. In fact, our hiring practices are rooted in ensuring diversity for all roles. We engage in this aggressively and successfully. Our objection was rooted in the fact that the AFL-CIO proposal failed to adequately consider how to apply these practices in all of the countries we operate in. “Our games have uniquely influenced popular culture and have helped to increase tolerance and inclusion through their connectivity as well as the heroes we portray and our stories that celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion in so many powerful ways. “In order to ensure that our games stay true to our mission–to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment – we require that all candidates of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, races and sexual orientations are considered for each and every open role. We aggressively recruit diverse candidates so the workforce provides the inspired creativity required to meet the expectations of our diverse 400 million players across 190 countries. We remain committed to increasing diversity at all levels throughout Activision Blizzard worldwide.”

Activision shareholders call for Bobby Kotick’s resignation amid new reports Activision BlizzardA group of Activision Blizzard shareholders is calling for CEO Bobby Kotick to resign as reports surfaced on November 16 that he was aware of sexual misconduct allegations for years. Activision has been entangled in a web of controversy for months now, resulting in lawsuits relating to sexual harassment and employees reportedly tied to the reports being let go. Following a Wall Street Journal report alleging that Bobby Kotick was aware of sexual misconduct happening in the company for years, the CEO refuted the claims as “inaccurate and misleading.” That didn’t stop 100 or so employees from holding a walk-out later in the day and now, a group with a total of 4.8 million shares from calling for Kotick’s resignation. Shareholders demand Kotick step down According to The Washington Post, Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) Investment Group wrote a letter to the board of directors calling for Kotick to resign. Additionally, they want the board’s two longest-serving directors Brian Kelly and Robert Morgado to retire before 2022, or they would not be voting for the reelection of current directors. Speaking to The Post, SOC executive director Dieter Waizenegger said it was “clear that the current leadership repeatedly failed to uphold a safe workplace” and pushed for a “reset button on the board.” I’m seeing a lot of big reactions to this story, but some important context: – This group, SOC, owns 4.8 million shares, or just 0.6% of Activision Blizzard – SOC has been criticizing Kotick for a long time. This isn’t a turnaround or shift in view from them https://t.co/Snuvaoqj5P— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 17, 2021 It should be noted, however, as pointed out by journalist Jason Schreier, that SOC owns only 0.6% of Activision Blizzard and the group has been critical of Kotick for some time. We’ll have to wait and see what ends up unfolding at Activision Blizzard as the fallout from recent reports continues.

Activision, Nintendo and more ask US government to shut down piracy & cheating sites Pixabay / Activision Blizzard / NintendoRepresenting game developers like Activision Blizzard and Nintendo, the ESA has officially called on the US Government to take action against websites offering game piracy and cheating services. There’s been a bunch of drama surrounding hackers and game ‘pirates’ in recent weeks. So it should come as no surprise that the ESA (the Entertainment Software Alliance) have looked to take on bad actors in such industries. As noted by TorrentFreak’s Andy Maxwell, the ESA have given the Office of the United States Trade Representative a list of sites worthy of the “notorious markets” label. This includes popular Warzone hacking websites. If successful, the classification of these websites could help international policymakers enforce laws protecting game developers. And, in regard to the hack providers, could also protect gamers. ESA ask US government to fight piracy and cheating websites The ESA (repping Activision, Nintendo, etc.) submitted a list of cheating & piracy sites to the US Gov. This includes sites like EO and would classify them as “notorious markets,” subject to further law enforcement. War against CoD hackers is happening on multiple fronts 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xJMNSdHNWd — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) October 18, 2021 As seen in the tweet, a popular Warzone hacking site is among those listed by the ESA. And, if you look at the full submission by the organization, it’s easier to understand why these sites are being brought to light. The introduction notes that the ESA hope to “shed light” on aforementioned services “that remain either sheltered from, or impervious to, the deterrent effects of enforcement actions.” The latter point reflects a difficulty in shutting down these websites, who often use a combination of cloud-based storage and international hosting to avoid permanent erasure. ESA (Entertainment Software Association) is asking for cheat sites to be added to the Notorious Markets List ESA is basically every big game company combined together they are attacking cheating websites and also websites like https://t.co/lK1aZK4NVl https://t.co/DnRJmrsOIg — Anti-Cheat Police Department 🕵️ (@AntiCheatPD) October 18, 2021 The list is not restricted solely to cheat providers either, as it also tackles a number of piracy-focused platforms. The ESA’s goal is for these sites to be classified as “notorious markets” so that they can be tackled by law enforcement overseas. As explained by the report’s conclusion, the list would theoretically enable “national and local policymakers, as well as law enforcement officials, in other countries to evaluate and fairly demand accountability from these markets.”

Activision in talks to reduce fees owed by CDL & Overwatch League teams Pexels, John Guccione / Activision BlizzardRecent reports from The Esports Observer indicate that Activision Blizzard are in the midst of discussions to possibly reduce the amount the amount owed by Overwatch League and Call of Duty League franchises as part of their entry fees. With all OWL and CDL plans derailed over the past year, Activision are reportedly trying to rework the hefty investments that organizations have made into their franchising opportunities. When the massive game development company pitched both leagues, neither was expected to be profitable in the short-term, but projections have taken an even greater hit due to current global restrictions. A groundbreaking esports concept centered around the city-based model that is used in traditional sports, Activision required $20 million entry fees for the OWL’s first 12 teams and then fees in the range between $30 to $60 million for its next eight. For the CDL’s inaugural season, 12 teams needed to put up at least $25 million apiece, even more for cities that were in high-demand. Now that the plans for local events have understandably shifted, neither league is expanding for their next season and ownership groups in both are looking for ways to save cash. As reported by The Esports Observer’s Adam Stern, this has engendered cost-cutting discussions with Activision’s latest new senior executive hire, Tony Petitti. Petitti, formerly Major League Baseball’s deputy commissioner, was hired by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick to a senior role involved with both of their leagues as the President of Sports and Entertainment. He joins Johanna Faries, a former National Football League executive, who brings a traditional sports perspective as the commissioner for both the CDL and OWL. Given their experience with city-based sports leagues, Activision is likely aware of the profitability challenges that their current esport and sport investment groups are facing. As such, it should be no surprise that they are willing to have conversations about concessions that can make current projections fit closer to the original expectations. As Stern reports, those discussions have included discounting some of the original entry fees: “one idea that is being weighed is reducing the amount of money they owe to the video game maker.” With Immortals Gaming Club selling their Los Angeles Call of Duty franchise to 100 Thieves and reportedly being interested in selling their OWL spot as well, many are wondering if franchise valuations have shifted. Fortunately, it appears that the profitability projections have remained somewhat consistent despite current predicaments. As reported by Forbes’ Christina Settimi, 100 Thieves COO John Robinson would not set an exact figure on their LA Thieves purchase, but suggested that “franchise values have held up.” Activision would likely want to avoid an exodus of owners, so these discussions to cut costs and protect brand health are reportedly ongoing.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick says reports he knew of sexual misconduct for years are “misleading” Activision BlizzardActivision Blizzard CEO, Bobby Kotick, allegedly knew “for years” about the sexual misconduct that led to the company being sued by the State of California. An article from Wall Street Journal alleges that Activision Blizzard’s CEO, Bobby Kotick, was aware of the sexual misconduct happening throughout the company, a claim that Kotick himself has refuted in a new statement. In his statement, Kotick says the article “paints an inaccurate and misleading view of our company, of me personally, and my leadership”, while the Activision Blizzard board has released a statement saying it is confident that Kotick “appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention.” The gaming behemoths were sued by the State of California in June 2021, for fostering a “pervasive frat-boy culture” within the workplace. Following this, officials claimed that the company had shredded documents pertaining to the lawsuit. Kotick has since been under scrutiny despite accepting a million-dollar pay cut in response to the ongoing issues, but WSJ reports that he knew about the issues and did nothing. Activision Blizzard CEO under fire Kotick allegedly claimed to company officials that “he wasn’t aware of many of the allegations of misconduct” and that he is “very committed to making sure we have the most welcoming, most inclusive workplace in the industry.” Former Blizzard Co-Leader, Jen Oneal, has called this into question, however, in an email reportedly sent to Activision’s legal team and shared with the Wall Street Journal. She claims that she was the victim of sexual abuse at the company, writing that “I have been tokenized, marginalized, and discriminated against.” She goes on to allege that she went to “a party for an Activision development studio she attended with Mr. Kotick around 2007 in which scantily clad women danced on stripper poles. At the same party, a DJ encouraged female attendees to drink more so the men would have a better time, according to another person who was present.” Also according to the Wall Street Journal, at a different event, another employee allegedly accused co-head of Activision’s Treyarch studio, Dan Bunting, of sexually harassing her. Activision Blizzard reportedly decided “not to terminate Mr. Bunting, but instead to impose other disciplinary measures.” He then apparently left the company following WSJ enquires. Update – Friday, December 24: Representation for Mr. Bunting has told Dexerto that “no such allegation” was ever made, and that “his departure resulted from unlawful actions by the company.” Kotick has apparently denied these events, noting that “if there are experiences people have in the workplace that make them uncomfortable, we’re much more adept at being able to respond to those.” Despite this, the CEO continues to come under fire for supposedly ignoring complaints. In 2020 a group of 30 female employees reportedly filed a report regarding harassment in the workplace, that Kotick was apparently aware of. His own behavior has also been called into question following an incident that allegedly occurred on his private jet in 2007. In the WSJ report, a flight attendant claims she was fired after being sexually assaulted by the aircraft’s pilot. Kotick apparently told the woman and her attorneys that “I’m going to destroy you” when she decided to sue, and the issue was settled in 2008 with a $200,000 settlement. Kotick responds to WSJ allegations In a November 16 blog post, Activision Blizzard have shared the transcript of a video message from Kotick to the company’s staff. Noting that “there’s an article today [November 16] that paints an inaccurate and misleading view of our company, of me personally, and my leadership,” he goes on to state that “anyone who doubts my conviction to be the most welcoming, inclusive workplace doesn’t really appreciate how important this is to me.” “As I have made clear, we are moving forward with a new zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behavior — and zero means zero. Any reprehensible conduct is simply unacceptable… Over the last few years, our industry has had an uncomfortable spotlight that’s been illuminating opportunities for us to change. And we must all, including me, embrace this need for change, so we can bring our very best selves to the very best place to work.” Activision board backs Kotick after allegations The Activision Blizzard Board of Directors released a statement hours after Kotick responded to allegations that arose from the investigative report. “The Activision Blizzard Board remains committed to the goal of making Activision Blizzard the most welcoming and inclusive company in the industry,” they said. “Under Bobby Kotick’s leadership, the Company is already implementing industry-leading changes including a zero-tolerance harassment policy, a dedication to achieving significant increases to the percentages of women and non-binary people in our workforce, and significant internal and external investments to accelerate opportunities for diverse talent. The Board remains confident that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention. “The goals we have set for ourselves are both critical and ambitious. The Board remains confident in Bobby Kotick’s leadership, commitment and ability to achieve these goals.”

Activision Blizzard took mind-boggling amount from US taxpayers in 2018 Blizzard EntertainmentVideo game publishing giant Activision Blizzard reportedly managed to not pay any United States federal income taxes in 2018, and even got a nice kickback from the federal government on top of it. A new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) listed 60 of the top companies in America that didn’t pay any federal income tax for 2018. Activision Blizzard is one of the first companies named, but the list also includes Amazon who owns the popular streaming platform Twitch. ITEP said that the companies in the recent report appeared to be “using a diverse array of legal tax breaks to zero out their federal income taxes.” According to the report, Activision Blizzard raked in $447 million in listed income for 2018, but paid no income tax and ended up getting $228 million in tax rebates, courtesy of US taxpayers. To look at it another way, the company managed to receive a -51% tax rate, which means their rebate was more than half of the listed income for the company in 2018. Amazon, who brought in over $10 billion during 2018, didn’t pay any federal income tax either, but only received a paltry $129 million kickback – a roughly -1% tax rate. Twitch was purchased by Amazon for $970 million in 2014, which makes it tough to distinguish the streaming platform’s revenue from that of its parent company. It’s crazy for many to think about how that these companies brought in so much money and didn’t have to pay a cent in federal income taxes – but under the current system, it’s all completely legal. According to ITEP, both Activision Blizzard and Amazon were able to reduce their income taxes in part by using what’s called a “tax break for stock options.” “This tax break allows companies to write off stock-option related expenses in excess of the cost they reported to shareholders and the public,” ITEP explained in their report. Amazon was able to reduce its income taxes by more than $1 billion in 2018 using the stock options tax break, and Activision Blizzard reported $58 million in tax breaks from the system, along with another $46 million tax credit for “Research and Development.” Activision Blizzard is on track for another good year in 2019, with the company reporting on December 18 that the newest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare title has brought in over $1 billion so far. It will be very interesting to critics to see what federal income taxes if any, they end up paying in 2019.

Activision Blizzard sued by California over “pervasive frat boy culture” Activision BlizzardActivision Blizzard, the giants behind titles like Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft, are being sued for fostering a “frat boy” culture where women in the workplace are sexually harassed and are given unequal pay. The lawsuit, filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), comes after a two-year investigation into the gaming giants. DFEH’s report into Activision Blizzard claimed working for the company “was akin to working in a frat house, which invariably involved male employees drinking and subjecting female employees to sexual harassment with no repercussion”. “In the office, women are subjected to ‘cube crawls’ in which male employees drink copious amounts of alcohol as they ‘crawl’ their way through various cubicles in the office and often engage in inappropriate behavior toward female employees,” it said. “Male employees proudly come into work hungover, play video games for long periods of time during work while delegating their responsibilities to female employees, engage in banter about their sexual encounters, talk openly about female bodies, and joke about rape.” One example outlined how a woman committed suicide on a work trip after her male supervisor “brought butt plugs and lubricant with him”. “At a holiday party before her death, male coworkers were alleged to be passing around a picture of the deceased’s vagina,” it said. The lawsuit also names former Senior Creative Director of World of Warcraft, Alex Afrasiabi. The legal document alleges Afrasiabi was “permitted to engage in blatant sexual harassment with little to no repercussions”. “Afrasiabi was so known to engage in harassment of females that his suite was nicknamed the Crosby Suite [sic] after alleged rapist Bill Crosby,” the lawsuit said. Afrasiabi left Blizzard in June 2020. Women make up 20% of Activision Blizzard’s workforce according to the report, but face challenges in breaking into the company’s hierarchy. “Activision Blizzard’s double-digit percentage growth, ten-figure annual revenues, and recent diversity marketing campaigns have unfortunately changed little,” the department alleged in their filing. “Very few women ever reach top roles at the company. The women who do reach higher roles earn less salary, incentive pay and total compensation than their male peers.” The lawsuit cited several instances of women being denied promotions over male counterparts, despite having more credentials, experience, and time in their role. It also outlined examples of women being offered lower base pay and less stock rewards for their work. Male employees were also cited as having delegated tasks to women so they could instead play games on the job. Women of color were disproportionately affected. Activision Blizzard have released a statement since the lawsuit being filed, claiming the DFEH report “includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard’s past.” “Over the past several years and continuing since the initial investigation started, we’ve made significant changes to address company culture and reflect more diversity within our leadership teams.” An Activision Blizzard spokesman sent me a lengthy statement calling the allegations “”distorted, and in many cases false”” and referring to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing as “”unaccountable State bureaucrats.”” pic.twitter.com/L9RINw0uZ9 — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) July 22, 2021 The Activision Blizzard lawsuit is similar to claims filed against other gaming giants Riot Games and Ubisoft. The makers of League of Legends originally agreed on a $10 million settlement to as many as 1,000 employees after a class-action lawsuit was filed in 2018. It alleged that Riot had facilitated a “bro culture” that led to the harassment of women in the workplace. A third-party investigation cleared CEO Nicolo Laurent of any wrongdoing in 2021 after the company forced the case into arbitration. Ubisoft were put under the spotlight in 2020 after executives at the company were investigated for sexual harassment. A new lawsuit was filed in France just a week ago by the Solidaires Informatique union, claiming CEO Yves Guillemot enabled “institutional sexual harassment” at the company.

Activision Blizzard sued for allegedly “misleading” shareholders over California lawsuit Blizzard EntertainmentBlizzard has found itself slapped with another lawsuit, this time from shareholders. They say the publisher failed to inform them of the ongoing issues and accuses them of being “false and misleading.” Blizzard continues to navigate legal action brought before them with new lawsuit on August 3. According to a report from Kotaku, a new suit has now been filed against the company. Filed on behalf of shareholders, it accuses Blizzard of keeping the reasons and issues for the first lawsuit secret, to let stock value continue to rise. The news of the lawsuit broke the same day as Blizzard’s Q2 earnings call; which happened after days of declining stock prices related to the lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Since the news of the latest lawsuit came out, stock price has been steadily falling, and shareholders who filed the suit claim they wouldn’t have invested if they’d had the details. While at the same time they also accuse Blizzard executives of trying to keep things under wraps. The Rosen Law Firm, which is filing the case on behalf of investors, might be a familiar name if you’ve paid attention to video game litigation in 2021. They’re the ones handling a case against CD Projekt Red following the release of Cyberpunk 2077, as well. Activison Blizzard Execs in the crosshairs The plaintiffs for Blizzard’s latest lawsuit can be anyone who traded the company’s stock in recent years. More specifically, anyone who did between August 4, 2016 and July 27, 2021. This latest suit from doesn’t just take aim Activision Blizzard as defendant either, but also CEO Bobby Kotick, CFO Dennis Durkin, and former CFO Spencer Neumann. According to the Rosen Firm, these three executives were “instrumental in the spreading of false information,” as reported by Kotaku. This is a developing story and we’ll update this piece with more info when it becomes available.

Activision-Blizzard stockholders sue to try and stop Microsoft merger Activision-BlizzardActivision-Blizzard is set to be sold off to Microsoft for nearly $70 billion in a monumental shift for gaming. However, two stockholders are trying to halt the deal, suing Activision-Blizzard for violating the Securities Exchange Act. Activision-Blizzard’s sale to Microsoft took the gaming world by storm in January 2022. With the purchased valued at nearly $70 billion, the tech giant will bring both studios underneath its ever-expanding Microsoft Gaming wing. The deal came by quickly, according to SEC filings, and there was stiff competition from other buyers. However, two stockholders are trying to thwart it all by suing Activision-Blizzard and putting an end to the purchase. Kyle Watson of Tennessee and Shiva Stein have filed two separate suits against Activision-Blizzard. Both suits claim proxy statements made are “materially incomplete and misleading.” Watson claims “the Activision Board failed to create an independent committee composed of disinterested directors to run the sales process,” and instead “the Board has entered into the [merger] to procure for themselves…significant and immediate benefits.” If the sale goes through, executives at Activision-Blizzard will get anywhere up to $30 million of compensation, with current CEO Bobby Kotick getting $15 million, according to the SEC filing. Their lawsuit also alleges the statement made to the SEC is “materially deficient” and lacking information “necessary to make an intelligent, informed and rational decision of whether to vote [for the merger].” Watson has filed for costs, as well as asking the court to stop the merger and asking Activision-Blizzard to rewrite their SEC filing to include specific information. Stein’s lawsuit is much the same. However, Stein is also highlighted as being one of the most “prolific” securities plaintiffs in the US, filing more than 100 lawsuits from 2018 to 2020. The merger between Activision-Blizzard and Microsoft, while widely publicized, still isn’t completed yet. A vote between stockholders to be held later in 2022, as well as an antitrust investigation clearing the deal, will ultimately determine its fate. In a statement to Polygon, an Activision-Blizzard spokesperson said: “We disagree with the allegations made in this complaint and look forward to presenting our arguments to the Court.”

Activision Blizzard shareholders pen open letter demanding changes after California lawsuit Activision-BlizzardAmid the allegations again Activision Blizzard that have taken the gaming community by storm, shareholders of the mega-corporation have put out a statement demanding action within the company. The alarming lawsuit filed against Activision Blizzard on July 22 sent ripples across the gaming community, with accusations against former employees and company leadership triggering a wide array of responses. With the outcome of the suit still up in the air, new questions are being asked about Activision Blizzard, as shareholders of the company are demanding changes internally. Changes that call for more women to be added to the board of directors, among other actionable goals. Shareholders demand changes to Activision Blizzard Not only have there been multiple companies withdrawing their sponsorships within the CDL and OWL, but calls for changes within the publisher are being made by one of its investment partners. This comes in the form of an open letter to Activision Blizzard filed by SOC Investment group, who have called out the response, or lack thereof, by executives. The letter details numerous problems that they’ve had with the handling of the lawsuit, noting how CEO Bobby Kotick hasn’t made significant changes to fully “address the deep and widespread issues with equity, inclusion, and human capital management.” The letter, shared by Axios’ Megan Farokhamnesh, and can be viewed down below. Activision Blizzard shareholder/investment group SOC released a letter today demanding changes following management’s “inadequate response” to the company’s ongoing culture problems https://t.co/R0rmImcISB pic.twitter.com/NeeTGiPLo4 — Megan Farokhmanesh (@Megan_Nicolett) August 10, 2021 The allegations against the company are large in context but was found to foster “pervasive frat boy culture” from within and undermining or harming women employed at Activision Blizzard. The shareholder’s letter has pinned some points they want to be made. The investors are calling for Kotick and other executives to “increase board diversity and equity by adding a woman director – preferably one with a history of advocacy for marginalized people and communities.” While we doubt this is the last we’ll hear regarding the Activision Blizzard lawsuit, it puts the ball into the executive’s court to determine how they’re going to restructure their culture from here.

Activision Blizzard shareholders approve $70B Microsoft acquisition Activision Blizzard/Flickr: Gordon TarpleyActivision Blizzard has announced that shareholders have officially approved the acquisition by Microsoft which is reported to be worth $70 billion. In January 2022, Microsoft shocked the gaming world with the announcement that they are planning to acquire Activision Blizzard, the publisher behind the world-famous Call of Duty and World of Warcraft series. Now, almost four months since the announcement, Activision Blizzard has confirmed that more than 98% of shareholders have voted in favor of the purchase from Microsoft, as the tech giant continues to expand its gaming umbrella. Activision Blizzard shareholders approve acquisition Despite the proposed transaction being expected to close in June next year, in an April 28 announcement, it was revealed that the majority voted in favor of the acquisition during a Special Meeting of Stockholders held earlier in the day. “Today’s overwhelmingly supportive vote by our stockholders confirms our shared belief that, combined with Microsoft, we will be even better positioned to create great value for our players, even greater opportunities for our employees, and to continue our focus on becoming an inspiring example of a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive workplace,” said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. Additionally, the shareholders agreed to payouts in the range of millions of dollars for top executives at the company. NEW: Activision Blizzard shareholders approve Microsoft’s acquisition of the company. pic.twitter.com/8vmxlUhvz2 — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) April 28, 2022 If the sale becomes official current CEO Bobby Kotick, who is rumored to be leaving the company after the acquisition, will get upwards of $15 million according to an SEC filing. The next step in the process for the $70B deal to complete will involve government approvals, including for the buyout to pass inspection by the FTC. However, it is expected that there will be some pushback from regulatory groups which could ultimately lead to it all collapsing.

Activision Blizzard Report Increased Revenue, But Confirm Fortnite Battle Royale Has Impacted In Activision Blizzard’s May 3rd earnings call, they directly recognized the impact of popular battle royale games, particularly Fortnite, on their business. The main titles in Activision Blizzard’s range include Overwatch, Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, as well as a wide range of other titles across console and PC. Fortnite Battle Royale has of course become the most popular game across these platforms, and so it would come as little surprise that Activision is very much aware of its success. However, it was maybe less expected for Activision to directly acknowledge the rise of Fortnite as ‘impacting’ their revenues. The earnings call was made shortly after Activision Blizzard released their quarter one report for 2018, which did show impressive record revenues at an increase of 14% over last year, up to $1.97 billion GAAP net. But where Fortnite and other battle royale games could be hurting Activision is by pulling away users. The report shows that the monthly active users were down 13% overall compared to last year. During the call, the question was asked if Fortnite’s successful free to play model could signal a shift away from the tried and tested ‘$60 game’ model. “We think in a growing industry like ours there is room for multiple business models.[…] We do believe $60 games will continue.” So while some games in Activision Blizzard’s portfolio may be seeing less engagement and monthly active users, it is certainly still making the money that Activision will hope for, and that will satisfy the investors. However, they will be acutely aware that if Fortnite continues on its path of wreckage in the industry, combined with big releases to come (Red Dead Redemption 2), a game plan change may be in order. Activision $ATVI 2018 Q1: CEO Bobby Kotick commented right off the bat on Fortnite. “It’s helping to grow gaming.” Then pivoted to saying the company’s games also retain players. WoW is on a “strong trajectory.” Candy Crush is also.. crushing it. (Sorry.) pic.twitter.com/NUZMEHNvYD — Dom (@DomsPlaying) May 3, 2018 Battle Royale already features in Call of Duty Online – a version of the game only available in China, and there are rumors that Battle Royale will feature in the upcoming Black Ops 4. The potential also exists of course for Activision to create their own Battle Royale game, but with the strength of their existing IP’s, it is more likely it is tacked on to one of these recognized titles.

Activision Blizzard employees file federal labor complaint over intimidation concerns Blizzard EntertainmentActivision Blizzard’s workers have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the company of intimation and union busting. The company was sued by the state of California in July over their “pervasive frat boy” culture of discrimination. The employees, backed by the Communication Workers of America (CWA), have filed their own complaint to the NLRB claiming Activision Blizzard “is engaging in unfair labor practices”. The CWA states they represent “the communications and information industries”, and are helping support employees affected. “Activision Blizzard management is using coercive tactics to attempt to prevent its employees from exercising their rights to stand together and demand a more equitable, sustainable, and diverse workplace,” a statement from CWA reads. In partnership with CODE-CWA, we’ve filed an unfair labor practice suit with the National Labor Relations Board: https://t.co/meGNFYcWJY — ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) September 14, 2021 According to the labor complaint, which was filed on September 10, Activision Blizzard has “repeatedly engaged in unlawful conduct by threatening employees in the exercise of [their] rights.” The charge claims Blizzard has stopped employees from talking about wages or working conditions, enforced “an overly broad social media policy”, and has been surveilling and interrogating employees who have spoken out against the company. “Management could have responded with humility and a willingness to take necessary steps to address the horrid conditions some ABK workers have faced,” CWA Organizing Director Tom Smith said. “Instead Activision Blizzard’s response to righteous worker activity was surveillance, intimidation, and hiring notorious union busters.” It comes after a lawsuit was filed in July by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing which stated working for Activision Blizzard “was akin to working in a frat house.” The report outlined claims of sexual harassment against women at work, discrimination based on race and sex, and a culture that saw “male employees proudly come into work hungover, play video games for long periods of time during work while delegating their responsibilities to female employees.” The lawsuit was expanded in August to include temporary workers. Blizzard was allegedly not cooperating with DFEH’s investigation, shredding critical documents. Blizzard is yet to make a statement on the recent labor board filing.

Activision Blizzard sued for “wrongful death” as family claims sexual harassment led to employee suicide Activision Blizzard / PixabayActivision Blizzard has been sued for “wrongful death” by a former employee’s family, who are reportedly alleging that workplace sexual harassment led to the employee’s suicide in 2017. In July 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (CDFEH) filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard accusing the company of allowing “sexual harassment with no repercussion.” That filing also referenced a female employee’s suicide in 2017, which is now the focus of its own lawsuit – as reported by the Washington Post‘s Gus Garcia-Roberts and Shannon Liao. According to the new WP report, the victim’s parents are filing a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. Their complaint “claims that sexual harassment was a ‘significant factor’ leading to her suicide.” Activision Blizzard sued by family of employee who died of suicide BREAKING: Activision Blizzard has been sued for wrongful death by the family of the woman who committed suicide and was named in the California state agency lawsuit from last July. https://t.co/yqZD5yC9Xt — Shannon Liao (@Shannon_Liao) March 4, 2022 In the original CDFEH lawsuit, it was alleged that the employee – Kerri Moynihan – was the subject of sexual harassment by a male supervisor. As the complaint explained, inappropriate pictures of her were allegedly shared around a holiday party and the supervisor brought inappropriate items with them on a business trip prior to her death. According to WP, the family’s lawsuit both accuses workplace sexual harassment for leading to Moynihan’s death and claims the supervisor, Greg Restituito, “lied to detectives about his relationship with her.” Further, the lawsuit alleges that Activision Blizzard denied police access to Moynihan or Restituito’s company-issued laptops or cellphones. The Post were unable to reach Restuito, who stopped working for Activision Blizzard in May 2017 (a month after Moynihan’s death) for comment. They did reach the company, though, who explained that they “will address the complaint through the legal process as appropriate.” This is the latest in a series of legal developments for Activision Blizzard, who are still contending with the CDFEH lawsuit and a US Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into CEO Bobby Kotick.

Activision Blizzard investigation finds “no widespread harassment” at Activision Blizzard Activision BlizzardActivision Blizzard has revealed the results of its internal investigation and review of workplace issues, concluding that there is “no widespread harassment” at the company. This follows a lawsuit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleged workplace harassment in their offices back in July 2021. Since then, they have been accused of shredding documents related to the case and sued for allegedly misleading shareholders regarding the lawsuit. The long-awaited results of the internal review were published on June 16, showing the findings that had been collected by the Board and its Workplace Responsibility Committee of independent directors. A statement said: “At the Board level, we have also undertaken an ongoing, thorough review to ensure that we made our own determinations, with the assistance of external advisors. These advisors have been tasked with conducting their own objective review of past incidents as well as identifying areas for further improvement.” The results of such inquiry suggest that, despite multiple lawsuits alleging the contrary, there is “no widespread harassment” or pattens of harassment in Activision Blizzard’s workplaces. Activision Blizzard publishes results of workplace investigation Former Chair of the EEOC, Gilbert Casellas, was brought in to independently assess the claims made in relation to gender harassment, and other alleged workplace issues that had been documented in a previous lawsuit. In the report, it states: “Mr. Casellas concluded that there was no widespread harassment, pattern or practice of harassment, or systemic harassment at Activision Blizzard or at any of its business units during that timeframe. Mr. Casellas further concluded that, based on the volume of reports, the amount of misconduct reflected is comparatively low for a company the size of Activision Blizzard.” Reforms announced The company has also set out a number of “comprehensive” reforms that have been actioned, in relation to best practices and pay equality: Broadened the Employee Relations Team to align the results of investigations with recommended actions and communication back to affected employees; – Quadrupled the size of Activision Blizzard’s Ethics & Compliance team since July 2021; – Tripled investment in anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training resources; – Announced the launch of a new Company-wide zero-tolerance harassment policy; – Expanded the “Way2Play Heroes” program, created in 2018, which consists of volunteers who help other employees understand their reporting options, champion speaking up, and provide feedback and advice on how to strengthen Activision Blizzard’s overall ethics & compliance program. – More to follow…

Activision Blizzard face another lawsuit over “rampant sexism” in the company Activision Blizzard/Flickr: Gordon TarpleyActivision Blizzard are facing yet another lawsuit over alleged “rampant sexism” within the company, following a string of legal disputes throughout 2021 In July 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard after a lengthy two-year investigation into what was described as a “pervasive frat-boy culture.” In October 2021, the company revealed that over 40 employees had been disciplined and more than 20 fired, as internal investigations continued. On Wednesday, March 23, Activision Blizzard was hit with a new lawsuit alleging that a current employee experienced sexual harassment and discrimination and was retaliated against for speaking out about her experiences. I represent a Blizzard employee who alleges she’s a victim of sexual harassment. Our press release for our press conference tomorrow at the Irvine headquarters where we will demand accountability for the victims who have been subjected to harassment at the video game company: pic.twitter.com/0PisZ1Zomr — Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) December 7, 2021 The reports from Bloomberg describe the employee, referred to as Jane Doe, detailing what she called an “alcohol-soaked culture of sexual harassment.” On her first day with the company, at an “initiation lunch,” Doe was reportedly pressured to do shots of tequila and was told that as part of her initiation she needed to share “an embarrassing secret” to everyone. Doe alleges she was often pressured to drink alcohol and participate in “cube crawls” where women were groped and faced sexual comments from male co-workers. These cube crawls were also part of the complaint from July 2021. The new lawsuit also says that she complained about the excessive drinking and sexual advances made by supervisors, but was told that “it was just her leadership being nice and trying to be friends with her.” Doe reportedly attempted multiple times to get new roles at open positions in other departments of the company, and was only offered one — with a significant salary decrease — after complaining to then-president Allen J. Brack. The lawsuit seeks various court orders including requiring Activision to implement a rotating HR department to avoid conflicts of interest with management, to retain a neutral investigation firm, and to fire CEO Bobby Kotick.

Activision Blizzard exec leaves to join Bored Ape NFT creators Yuga Labs Daniel Algere/Bored ApeActivision Blizzard COO Daniel Alegre announced he’s stepping down to join Yuga Labs in 2023, home of popular Bored Ape and CryptoPunk NFTs. Daniel Alegre’s run as both the President and Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard is coming to an end. Alegre announced that at the end of Q1 2023, he’ll be stepping down from the company he’s worked at for only two years. After stepping down from ActiBlizz, he’ll be joining the world of Web3 as the head of Yuga Labs. Activision COO stepping down for NFT company Alegre will serve as the CEO of Yuga Labs, which is the parent company of Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks NFTs. In his announcement, Alegre said:” I am very proud of the exceptional work and dedication the teams at Activision, Blizzard, and King have brought to our world’s players over my three years here at the company.” In Yuga’s own announcement, the company praised him as a “seasoned, visionary executive who shares our passion for innovation and creativity,” and lauded his “vast experience scaling media and gaming companies.” Specifically, Yuga pointed to the company’s success with games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Call of Duty. Alegre will almost certainly exit the company ahead of its acquisition by Microsoft, which still has no official date. With the loss of its COO and impending absorption into Microsoft’s ecosystem, Activision Blizzard continues to be a company in major flux.

Activision Blizzard ends work-from-home – sparking employee revolt Activision/ABK Workers AllianceThe Activision Blizzard King (ABK) Workers Alliance have issued a statement, implying that “soft layoffs” would be coming at the company, as some employees will have no choice but to leave over a new mandate removing work-from-home options for employees. On November 30, Quality Assurance employees at Activision in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo were informed that hybrid work will no longer be an option in January. This came just months after the hybrid work policy was implemented, after which “hundreds” of employees attempted to seek permanent work from home arrangements due to issues with finances or disability, among other reasons. As a result of this change, many employees are reportedly planning to leave Activision. The full statement from ABK Workers Alliance, published on December 18, read as follows: “On November 30th, Activision QA employees in Minneapolis, Austin, and El Segundo received an email announcing that hybrid work will be ended in January and employees will be expected to fully return to the office with zero work from home days. The company will be offering severance to affected employees who choose to end their employment with Activision as a result. “The job security of many QA employees was already on shaky ground due to the announcement of hybrid work earlier this year. Since then, hundreds of employees have been in correspondence with the Accommodations team to try to receive permanent work from home arrangements due to disability, financial issues, or other factors. Many of these requests have been outright denied and many more have been offered in-office accommodations that do not adequately meet the needs of employees. “This has resulted in many employees being forced out of the company in a soft layoff. It is our belief that the removal of hybrid work will result in many, many more employees being forced out of the company and into a desperate situation. This decision also leaves our most vulnerable employees behind, especially our disabled and medically vulnerable employees, many who have had their work from home accommodations requests denied with inadequate reasoning, even when they provided medical paperwork. With sick season in full gear and all Covid precautions removed, this creates a dangerous situation for all employees, but especially for disabled and immunocompromised employees, as well as medically vulnerable family members and roommates. “It is also important to us that we recognize the financial impact this decision will have on employees. Many employees that were hired during the height of WFH live a significant distance from the offices. The employees affected who remain at the company have been commuting significant distances to the office and have felt the financial impact of doing so in regards to gas prices. But also, these long commutes mean that affected employees have less work-life balance, spending most of their time commuting and working and less time with their families, loved ones, and other aspects of their life. “Taking away the one day that affected employees had to work in an environment that was better for their health, mental health, finances, and work-life balance means that more employees will be forced out of the company. “However, this decision also affects employees who choose to stay at the company. With many employees being forced out, their responsibilities will fall on the ones who will remain, creating a more stressful environment and lower quality products. “A one-size-fits-all mandate harms us all. Everyone loses: the company, the products, the players, and, most of all, the employees. We stand firm in our resolve that the decision to WFH or RTO should be made on an individual basis with consideration to the needs of each employee.” The company will be offering severance to employees who choose to leave due to this new policy change. Whether this statement encourages Activision executives to change their mind on the new return-to-office policy remains to be seen.

Activision Blizzard employees walk out and demand Bobby Kotick’s resignation Activision Blizzard / PexelsActivision Blizzard’s employees are officially walking out on November 16 and calling for CEO Bobby Kotick to be “replaced.” This quickly followed after he responded to allegations laid out against him in a new report. The Washington Journal opened November 16 with a report alleging that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick was aware of sexual misconduct happening in the company “for years.” In response, Kotick delivered an internal address refuting those allegations as “inaccurate and misleading.” While Kotick continued on to reaffirm his and Activision Blizzard’s commitment to fixing the company’s behavior, employees remain dissatisfied. The employees have, in turn, enacted their own “zero tolerance policy.” As such, they are walking out and calling for Kotick to be replaced as CEO — among other wishes. Activision Blizzard employees call for Bobby Kotick’s “replacement” We have instituted our own Zero Tolerance Policy. We will not be silenced until Bobby Kotick has been replaced as CEO, and continue to hold our original demand for Third-Party review by an employee-chosen source. We are staging a Walkout today. We welcome you to join us. — ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) November 16, 2021 Past the walkout and calls for Kotick’s ousting as CEO, the employees have also demanded further review of the company. Specifically, they maintain a “demand for Third-Party review by an employee-chosen source.” Read more: Activision CEO Bobby Kotick says reports he knew of sexual misconduct for years are “misleading” – As mentioned, the request for Kotick’s replacement followed a WSJ article detailing further instances of misconduct. These included allegations that the company’s 20-year CEO was aware of sexual harassment and rape, but did not act to punish those responsible. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick told an employee he would have her killed. He kept an exec from being fired after a sexual harassment claim. He didn’t tell his board of alleged rapes and other misconduct. Our @WSJ investigation @benfritz @saraheneedleman : https://t.co/Q4t24qWxxC — Kirsten Grind (@KirstenGrind) November 16, 2021 After Kotick defended himself, and the company’s progress, against these allegations, a number of employees reportedly agreed to walk out and call for his removal. This walkout, and its accompanying demands, were reported by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier and announced by the company’s “Workers Alliance.” So far, neither Kotick nor Activision Blizzard spokespeople have responded to the new developments. We will update this story if they do.

Activision Blizzard employees to strike outside HQ over fair treatment BlizzardActivision Blizzard employees will stage a walkout on Wednesday, July 28, in protest of the company’s response to the discrimination lawsuit, organizers have said. In a Bloomberg report, employees signaled the intent to walkout of the Blizzard HQ in Irvine, CA, to reinforce their support of the lawsuit by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing against Activision Blizzard. An open letter was signed by more than 2,600 current and former Activision Blizzard staff as of July 27, roughly 27% of the 9,500 employees the company filed to the state, a CNN report says. Organizers for the walkout scheduled the one-day strike from 10am to 2pm PST, while a virtual walkout will also take place for employees that can’t be present on campus from 9am to 6pm PST, IGN reports. The report also includes a list of four actionable employee demands, one of which wants to end “clauses [that] protect abusers and limit the ability of victims to seek restitution.” Activision Blizzard employee demands: An end to mandatory arbitration clauses in all employee contracts, current and future. Arbitration clauses protect abusers and limit the ability of victims to seek restitution. – The adoption of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and promotion policies designed to improve representation among employees at all levels, agreed upon by employees in a company-wide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion organization. Current practices have led to women, in particular women of color and transgender women, nonbinary people, and other marginalized groups that are vulnerable to gender discrimination not being hired fairly for new roles when compared to men. – Publication of data on relative compensation (including equity grants and profit sharing), promotion rates, and salary ranges for employees of all genders and ethnicities at the company. Current practices have led to aforementioned groups not being paid or promoted fairly. – Empower a company-wide Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion task force to hire a third party to audit ABK’s reporting structure, HR department, and executive staff. It is imperative to identify how current systems have failed to prevent employee harassment, and to propose new solutions to address these issues. – This follows a litany of action from Activision Blizzard staff members against the studio after a DFEH lawsuit detailed the “frat boy” culture and those it harmed inside the company. Former company leaders like Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime published a statement saying he had “failed” the women at the company during his time there. The walkout by Activision Blizzard employees comes after an official company response to the lawsuit claimed the allegations against it were “distorted, and in many cases, false.”

Activision Blizzard employees decry company’s “abhorrent” responses to lawsuit in open letter Activision Blizzard / Pexels, AmineNearly 1,000 current and former Activision Blizzard employees have signed an open letter decrying the company’s responses to the recent Californian civil lawsuit — which alleges discrimination in the workplace. On July 22, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a civil lawsuit against gaming industry giant Activision Blizzard describing a “pervasive frat boy culture” and rampant incidents of sexual discrimination. In the days since, employees at the company have revealed work stoppages while official social media channels have gone mostly silent. Additionally, amidst further accounts of sexist culture in the company, the company has shared internal statements responding to the allegations. Dissatisfied with those responses, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has reported on an open letter petition signed by hundreds of both current and former employees of the company. Within the document, staff outline their values and denounce the company’s responses. NEW: Nearly 1,000 current/former Activision Blizzard employees have signed an open letter calling the company’s response to the discrimination lawsuit “abhorrent and insulting.”” “”We will not be silenced, we will not stand aside, and we will not give up”” https://t.co/cIWYSinPhw — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) July 26, 2021 As Schreier notes, the brunt of the backlash from Activision Blizzard employees centers on dissatisfaction with the company’s statements. Discussing responses from both company representatives and legal counsel, staff describe them as “abhorrent and insulting.” Additional details can be found in the full open letter, which is embedded below. Current and former employees of Activision Blizzard have signed a letter to the company’s executives calling out the statements issued over the California lawsuit. Here’s the letter that over 1,000 current/former employees signed. (source: @jasonschreier/ Bloomberg) pic.twitter.com/RL9KibyxYR — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) July 26, 2021 As seen in the employees’ open letter, there is a general sense of disappointment in their employers’ reactions to the lawsuit: “To put it clearly and unequivocally, our values as employees are not accurately reflected in the words and actions of our leadership.” At present, the publicly traded company’s channels remain muted and there has yet to be an official statement made available. We will keep tabs on the situation as it continues, as early reactions are in support of employees who are speaking up and pushing for accountability from Activision Blizzard.

Blizzard employee claims company demoted her after reporting sexual harassment Pexels, Shora Shimazaki / ActivisionAn Activision Blizzard employee has claimed the company retaliated against and demoted her after she reported sexual harassment. She claims she was subjected to “unwanted sexual advances” and “invited to have casual sex” by supervisors while working there. On the steps of Activision Blizzard’s offices on December 8, an employee named Christine, alongside attorney Lisa Bloom, shared her story of sexual harassment at the company for the first time. Christine has worked at Activision Blizzard for four years, and is still employed there today. It was her “dream job”. However, her experience at the company, which has been embroiled in controversy over its “frat boy culture” in 2021, has reportedly been filled with sexual harassment. “When I first heard about all the talented people working at Blizzard, I knew that was somewhere I wanted to work and somewhere I could excel in my career. I was excited to be a part of a community that seemed to care so much about their employees,” Christine said. “Unfortunately, that didn’t happen to me.” “I’ve been subjected to rude comments about my body, unwanted sexual advances, inappropriately touched, subjected to alcohol-infused events and ‘cube crawls’ [an act outlined in the Californian DFEH lawsuit against the company], invited to have casual sex with my supervisors, and surrounded by a frat boy culture that’s detrimental to women.” Christine claims after she reported the claims of sexual harassment, Activision Blizzard retaliated against her. She was reportedly demoted, further harassed, denied full profit sharing, denied shares in the company, and had minimal raises. The company posted a $639 million profit in the third-quarter of 2021, plus a 22% increase in net revenue in the Blizzard division alone to $478 million. “When I complained to my supervisors, I was told ‘They were just joking’ and that I should get over it,” she said. “I was told not to go to HR. I was told that the harassing men were ‘just trying to be friends with me.’ I was told, ‘They did nothing wrong by law.’” “Fighting to keep my job in this toxic workplace culture has taken a severe toll on my mental health.” View this post on Instagram Christine’s attorney, Lisa Bloom, stated at the December 8 press conference that “sexual harassment victims at Activision Blizzard have been ignored”, and the company’s attempts to try and fix the problem have been insufficient. “Given that there are hundreds of victims, I think we can all agree the $18 million number is woefully inadequate,” she said, talking about the company’s current discrimination fund value set by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Bloom outlined three demands, on behalf of all Activision Blizzard employees, not just Christine. The attorney requested Blizzard increase their legal fund to “in excess of $100 million”, and let “victim advocates participate in setting the rules” of settlements. She also demanded the company releases a “real apology” to Christine and other victims of sexual harassment and retalization, as well as a review by a “neutral third-party” to determine the career damage employees have suffered as a result of sexual harassment. Workers at the company filed a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) complaints in September over fears of intimidation. “We demand that Activision Blizzard prioritize its sexual harassment victims beginning now. We don’t need more corporate ‘blah blah blah’. It’s time for action.” In a statement to Polygon, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said: “We appreciate the courage of our current and former employees in coming forward with reports of misconduct, and we are truly sorry for any victims of people whose conduct did not live up to our values. “As we have continued to reaffirm in our recent communications, such conduct is not consistent with our standards, our expectations, and what the vast majority of our employees meet on a daily basis. “The company is committed to creating an environment we can all be proud of. We are in the process of implementing significant changes and improvements to the scope, structure and efficiency of our compliance and human resources teams, reporting systems, and transparency into our investigation process.”

Activision Blizzard earned $1.2 billion from microtransactions in just 3 months Activision / PexelsDuring their Q3 2021 financial call, Activision Blizzard reported earnings of $1.2 billion in microtransactions alone from July to September. This covers all games, including Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and Warzone purchases. A lot has been made of microtransactions and their place in the gaming ecosystem. In the past, everyone from Destiny 2 fans to FIFA fans have called the system into question over “gambling” concerns. But if you were wondering why microtransactions are so popular with game developers despite the backlash, there’s a simple answer: profitability. During Activision Blizzard’s Q3 2021 earnings call, the company revealed that they earned a whopping $1.2 billion from just microtransactions in three months. This means that, from July to September 2021, their games pulled in that much money from just downloadable, additional content. Activision Blizzard pull in $1.2 billion from Warzone and other titles’ microtransactions Activision Blizzard generated $1.20 billion in revenue from microtransactions during Q3 2021 (July – September) across all of their franchises. — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) November 2, 2021 As tweeted by CharlieIntel, the company told shareholders of its financial success in Q3 2021. And, according to the replies, people are astounded by the number. While many wondered how much of that money could be spent on helping Warzone’s hacking problems, others simply focused on just where that money is coming from. With games like Overwatch and World of Warcraft not providing a ton of new content, Warzone is assumed to be the chief provider. Warzone microtransactions help Activision reach $1.2 billion in three months? One user responded directly to the backlash and Warzone’s content: “Everyone complains about microtransactions but then they see Ghostface or Rambo or a*shole guy and they need their mom’s credit card.” It remains unclear exactly what percentage of profits were made from each game, but it’s still an eye-opening number.

Activision Blizzard donates $1 million to Women in Games International organization Activision Blizzard, Women in Games InternationalActivision Blizzard has given a $1 million grant to Women in Games International, and joined in partnership with the organization. Activision Blizzard was sued in July, 2021, by the state of California for fostering a ‘pervasive frat boy culture’ within the workplace. Among the accusations leveled at the company are claims that an employee took her own life after a manager shared private images of her in a work group chat. Additionally, the company was also sued by shareholders for supposedly being “misleading,” quickly followed up by claims that documents pertaining to the lawsuit had been intentionally destroyed. As the publisher attempts to recover in the wake of the internal issues, they’ve partnered with Women in Games International (WIGI) and, in turn, given the company a $1 million grant, the “largest” in their history. Activision Blizzard partner with Women in Games According to a press release from WIGI, Activision Blizzard has partnered with the organization in order to “fund professional development and mentorship programmes.” Former Blizzard co-leader Jen Oneal, who resigned as the company’s figurehead on November 2, will “leverage her 20+ years of experience in game development to help guide the planning and roadmap for the programs.” “Our goal with this grant is to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion within our industry,” Oneal said. “This donation from Activision Blizzard is an investment in the future of women in games, and a great step toward lasting, impactful change.” Activision also features on the organization’s extensive list of sponsors, which includes fellow game industry titans such as Ubisoft, Capcom, and Square Enix. After being named as a resource by the employees of @ATVI_AB, the company has selected WIGI as a partner in a landmark $1mil grant to fund and increase professional development, diversity, self advocacy, and safe spaces in the global video game space.https://t.co/oMV0UvqKQD — Women in Games International (WIGI) (@GETWIGI) November 3, 2021 WIGI CEO Joanie Kraut said, “in July, we were honored to be named by the Activision Blizzard employees as a resource to combat discrimination, harassment, and inequality, and we were humbled by the overwhelming response of support from individual donors and partners. “With the funds from Activision Blizzard, we can significantly support the advancement of women in the global games industry by continuing to develop and administer impactful programs and workshops focused on mentorship, self-advocacy, and career advancement.” If you are looking to donate, the link to WIGI is right here.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick’s ‘friends’ accused of $60m insider trading Wikimedia Commons/Steven SimkoThree men considered to be friends of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick are under investigation for insider trading in regards to the purchase of the company by Microsoft. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard sent shockwaves throughout the game industry, giving the Xbox platform a plethora of new exclusive IPs such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft to help build its brand. The purchase was also quite lucrative for those with Activision stock, so much so that there is a new controversy that once again involves embattled CEO Bobby Kotick. Film exec David Geffen, Fox co-founder Barry Diller, and Alexander von Furstenberg bought $108 million worth of shares just days before the Microsoft purchase to the tune of $60 million in profit – something that is being investigated. Friends of Bobby Kotick investigated for alleged insider trading According to the Wall Street Journal, Kotick is a “long time friend” of Barry Diller while Geffen is friends with Diller who in turn is married to fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg – whose son is Alexander. These ties have earned the attention of the US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission who are “looking into whether any of the options trades violated insider-trading law.” However, Diller has denied the allegations, calling the $60m profit a “coincidence” and a “lucky bet.” Additionally, he said that the trio “acted on no information of any kind from anyone.” This was echoed by von Furstenberg who noted he bought shares in the company in the past and acted under the impression that “Activision at some point would either go private, or would be acquired at some point.” We’ll have to see how this investigation unholds, but given the amount of money, it may be a while before we learn if the men are guilty of insider trading or just incredibly lucky.

Activision-Blizzard blames Microsoft merger after breaching California diversity law BlizzardActivision-Blizzard has blamed the Microsoft merger for failing to comply with a California workplace diversity law and appoint a third woman to its board of directors. The company has had since 2019 to do so, with the new requirements coming into effect at the end of 2021. Activision-Blizzard’s near $70 billion merger with Microsoft has dominated gaming headlines since it was revealed in January 2022. Microsoft promised the acquisition would allow the company to make “gaming safe, inclusive, and accessible to all” following multiple lawsuits being filed for workplace harassment and discrimination against Activision-Blizzard. However, according to the company’s 2021 Annual Report filed in late February, Activision-Blizzard has failed to comply with a Californian law requiring them to put a third woman on their board of directors. The Corporations Code and its “Women on Boards” requirement stated companies with an executive office located in California required a minimum of three women if the total number of directors was six or more. The requirement came into effect at the start of 2019, giving companies three years notice. Activision-Blizzard, at the time of publishing, has 10 board members. Only two of them — Reveta Bowers and Dawn Ostroff — are women. Elaine Wynn was previously a director on the board but left in 2020 and was replaced by Ostroff. The company blamed its upcoming merger with Microsoft for failing to comply. “Under current California law, we were required to add an additional female director to our Board of Directors by the end of 2021. To meet this requirement and improve the diversity of our Board of Directors, the Company retained a search firm and began interviewing potential additional female directors in 2021,” it stated. “However, since the Company’s current directors would cease to continue to serve on our Board of Directors upon consummation of our proposed transaction with Microsoft, we were unable to conclude the process in 2021. We will be continuing our efforts to appoint a new female director.” The company maintains it has “worked to address concerns raised regarding our workplace and related matters.” This includes implementing an independent committee to oversee the implementation of new workplace policies, and the continued investigation of harassment and discrimination following the lawsuit. Activision-Blizzard also claimed “since 2016, the number of women in our game development leadership roles has more than doubled”, with 24% of their employees identifying as women or non-binary. The company aims to increase that by 50% over the next five years. It is unclear if Activision-Blizzard will face any sanctions for breaching the Corporations Code.

Activision Blizzard announce plans to combat harassment and discrimination Upcomer/Parkes OusleyActivision Blizzard has revealed its next step towards eliminating harassment and discrimination in the workplace, following lawsuits that were launched against the company back in July. Activision Blizzard has been in the spotlight nearly non-stop since allegations of multiple types of harassment and discrimination were launched against the company last summer. The gaming industry titan has now updated the public on their plans to address these concerns and explained exactly how their new changes aim to improve “workplace culture.” Activision Blizzard’s new culture committee The company announced the launch of the Workplace Responsibility Committee, headed by former CW Television Network president Dawn Ostroff, organizational consultant Reveta Bowers, and a “new, diverse director” when the time comes. In the address, AB states that it recognizes the need for increased engagement with these matters: “Formation of the Committee and additional future changes will help facilitate additional direct oversight and transparency and ensure that the Company’s commitments to Activision Blizzard’s workforce are carried out with urgency and impact.” This new committee will hear reports directly from CEO Bobby Kotick, as well as the Chief People Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. The new plan has already come under scrutiny for Kotick’s involvement, as the public perception around the Chief Executive Officer has taken a major hit since the process began. Fans have even launched a petition in hopes of removing the CEO from his position, which at the time of writing, holds 27,000 signatures. That sentiment has been echoed by workers as well, as seen when employees organized a walkout in hopes of drawing his resignation on November 13. Both Xbox’s Phil Spencer and Playstation’s Jim Ryan have previously made statements questioning the response to Kotick’s involvement in the allegations, with Spencer saying that Xbox is “evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments.”

Activision Blizzard claims over 40 employees have been disciplined following lawsuit Activision BlizzardActivision Blizzard has stated at least 40 employees have been disciplined — with more than 20 being fired — following multiple lawsuits regarding their workplace culture. The company stated “we need to do more, and with a renewed urgency”. Activision Blizzard are currently facing multiple lawsuits — one from the State of California and another labor complaint from the Communication Workers of America union — surrounding their “pervasive frat-boy culture”. The first lawsuit, filed in July, followed a two-year investigation which claims the company “was akin to working in a frat house, which invariably involved male employees drinking and subjecting female employees to sexual harassment with no repercussion”. Since then, the company has undergone numerous personnel changes and promised to implement new policies to combat workplace harassment. In an October 19 internal memo, Activision Blizzard’s Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Fran Townsend, said “we are working tirelessly to ensure that, moving forward, this is a place where people are not only heard, but empowered.” Activision Blizzard’s new policies reportedly increase transparency The company has highlighted three key themes they must address: Firing employees “who fail to contribute to a positive culture”, being transparent, and investing resources into training. Townsend claimed over 40 Activision Blizzard employees had faced some form of “disciplinary action” following the initial set of reports. More than 20 of those have left the company. Activision Blizzard is also working to be more transparent about those investigations. “We know there’s a desire to know about the outcome when misconduct is reported. Sometimes, there are privacy reasons we can’t share. But where we can, we will be sharing more information with you,” Townsend said. The third arm of Blizzard’s new policies is training employees at all levels in a “meaningful” way. “We are preparing to triple our investment in training resources…covering bystander training, speaking up, and training managers to recognize concerns and understand their obligations to escalate situations urgently and appropriately,” Townsend said. Blizzard claims workplace harassment reports have increased Townsend’s memo also claimed that reports of harassment at Activision Blizzard have also increased in recent months. “People are bringing to light concerns, ranging from years ago to the present. We welcome these reports, and our team has been working to investigate them, using a combination of internal and external resources.” The company plans on implementing more changes in future months based on employee feedback.

Activision Blizzard agree to $18 million fund to settle discrimination claim Activision BlizzardActivision Blizzard reached an agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that will create an $18 million fund to settle discrimination and harassment claims while promising to update company policies as a result. According to a NYT report, the EEOC filed their own civil-rights complaint against Activision Blizzard alleging gender-based discrimination and harassment against employees, joining multiple branches of US agencies with similar inquiries looking into the publisher. Hours later, Activision Blizzard announced its settlement via consent decree with the EEOC, to be approved by a judge, to create new initiatives within the company in combating workplace harassment and discrimination, as well as paying out “eligible claimants.” “Activision Blizzard has committed to create an $18 million fund to compensate and make amends to eligible claimants,” a company press release said. “Any amounts not used for claimants will be divided between charities that advance women in the video game industry or promote awareness around harassment and gender equality issues as well as company diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, as approved by the EEOC.” CEO Bobby Kotick made a statement on Activision Blizzard’s new settlement amid the other lawsuits the company still faces. “There is no place anywhere at our company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind,” Kotick said. “And I am grateful to the employees who bravely shared their experiences. I am sorry that anyone had to experience inappropriate conduct, and I remain unwavering in my commitment to make Activision Blizzard one of the world’s most inclusive, respected, and respectful workplaces. “We will continue to be vigilant in our commitment to the elimination of harassment and discrimination in the workplace. We thank the EEOC for its constructive engagement as we work to fulfill our commitments to eradicate inappropriate conduct in the workplace.” An unnamed third-party equal opportunity consultant, who must be approved by the EEOC, will oversee Activision Blizzard’s compliance with the agreement. The terms of the agreement, unless stated otherwise, will last for three years. The EEOC had been investigating the company since 2018, and the agreement comes in light of their formal complaint against Activision Blizzard earlier today. By agreeing to the $18 million settlement, Activision Blizzard does not admit guilt to any wrongdoing of what the civil complaint claims and won’t face a jury trial demand made by the EOCC after its three-year investigation. Activision Blizzard still faces lawsuits from California’s DFEH and the SEC, among others.

Italian football giants AC Milan enter esports with QLASH partnership AC MILAN QLASHSerie A football club AC Milan have officially entered the esports industry through a partnership with Italian organization QLASH. [jwplayer q2PHNyT5] As expected, the club will initially compete in EA SPORTS’ FIFA — however, they will also field competitors in mobile game Brawl Stars for the World Finals later in November. The team will be named AC MILAN QLASH for the foreseeable future, showing that this is a joint venture for both companies rather than a takeover or acquisition. FIFA fans will be able to watch the Serie A giants compete in the esports equivalent of their domestic competition, titled eSerie A TIM, as well as in the wider FIFA Global Series. Interestingly, Inter Milan entered esports in February 2020 through a very similar deal with QLASH. The partnership saw the co-branded team compete in both FIFA and eFootball PES. This isn’t a complete merger between AC Milan and QLASH. The Italian organization also houses teams outside of FIFA and Brawl Stars, including Fortnite and StarCraft II. Earlier this year, they exited both Call of Duty and League of Legends. Beyond a partnership that sees QLASH’s players in FIFA and Brawl Stars represent AC Milan, terms of the agreement between the two parties have not been disclosed at the time of publication. We can’t wait to turn the Esports world Rossonero: we’re #ReadyToQLASH ➡️ https://t.co/YNJbMsBJ83 🔴⚫ @TeamQLASH #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/b5aT5gN3is — AC Milan (@acmilan) November 2, 2020 “We’re happy to announce this brand-new partnership with QLASH, said Casper Stylsvig, AC Milan’s chief revenue officer. “This agreement is another important step in our Club’s modernization and innovation path. “We are sure it will be an exciting and incredible experience, both for us and for our fans around the world, and we’re delighted to be embarking on this new adventure in the world of Esports in partnership with a leading company like QLASH.”

3D Aim Trainer sets sights on expansion with $1.2m investment 3D Aim Trainer3D Aim Trainer, a company that aims to help first-person shooter fanatics improve their gameplay, have raised over $1.2m in investment. With over 700,000 monthly users, 3D Aim Trainer are in a competitive market of helping gamers to improve their accuracy. This investment is set to help them establish a larger footprint among competitors. They launched in July 2019 and, as well as establishing a healthy core user base, have launched a mobile application for both Android and iOS users. The app has received over 1,000,000 downloads, according to a press release. Venture capital fund Freshman led the new round of investment after taking part in the initial funding raised by the training platform around the time of launch. Other investors included former Activision president Ron Doornink and Jean-Bernard Moens, VP of gaming and business at Activision-owned King. The new-found capital will help 3D Aim Trainer to expand their team, deliver their product to other (unspecified) platforms, and with their mission to “make ‘aim training’ fun.” Those behind the company believe the last element is key in helping the product grow. Read More: North cease operations – “3D Aim Trainer’s mission is to inspire gamers to go next level,” said CEO Miquel Matthys. “We are blessed with an incredible audience of hard-core gamers who are dedicated to improving their aim. But we want to support all gamers around the globe, regardless of their skill level, to get better at what they love doing. “For certain users, this means more expert training exercises, challenging targets, and deeper insights into their performance. For others, this means more guidance, a step-by-step approach, and realistic goal setting, to keep motivation high and make aim training rewarding.” The platform has training guides for major shooters like Fortnite, Valorant, Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive; and several training modes to suit different players’ needs.

100 Thieves’ Valkyrae reveals new skincare line for gamers and streamers RFLCT YouTube100 Thieves co-owner Valkyrae has launched her own skincare line. Called RFLCT, it is aimed at PC gamers, content creators, and heavy screen users in general. As a content creator herself, Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter knows what it’s like to be exposed to blue light pollution that comes from staring at mobile phones, PC monitors, and TVs. While blue light pollution isn’t known to be harmful, it has been linked to skin aging, and the streamer wants to do something about it. Valkyrae’s RFLCT skincare Valkyrae’s skincare line launched on October 19. Speaking about her new brand, she explained why she felt it was necessary to release new products aimed at heavy screen users. “I’m a full-time content creator and streamer,” she said. “My entire career depends on me being glued to a screen. All of that screen time started to take a toll on my body and my skin. “So I did something about it. Screen time is a part of our world, but the negative effects don’t have to be.” Valkyrae’s RFLCT products Valkyrae and her partners are touting their trademarked BLPF (Blue Light Prevention Factor) and RE3 (Rice Extract) technologies as the primary ingredients that will “shield your skin from blue light damage and boost its natural strength.” RFLCT’s launch products include a Facial Gel Cleanser, a Face Moisturizer, Eye Gel treatment, eye masks, and lip balm. Prices range from $12 for the Lip Guard Moisture Balm to $24 for the Face Moisturizer.

100 Thieves join Dr Disrespect & Ninja on CAA talent agency 100 ThievesEntertainment company and esports organization 100 Thieves have signed with talent agency Creative Artists Agency, better known as CAA. [jwplayer EgytOyjv] As per a report from The Hollywood Reporter, the signing will see 100 Thieves work with CAA across areas such as digital content, talent, film, television, and podcasts. It’s clear that the organization is looking to bolster the content arm of the business, which is one of three pillars alongside apparel and esports. On the competitive side, they just announced their departure from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Other gaming and esports figures who are signed to CAA include Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who recently joined from Loaded, and Herschel “Guy” Beahm IV — better known as Dr Disrespect. Since the launch of their YouTube channel on October 18, 2017, 100 Thieves have amassed almost 950,000 subscribers and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. The organization has signed creators such as Rachel “Valkyrae” Hofstetter, Jack “CouRageJD” Dunlop, Brooke Ashley “BrookeAB” Bond, Nicole “Neekolul” Sanchez, Mohammed “Yassuo” Abdalrhman, and The Mob to grow content efforts. Series created by 100 Thieves so far include League of Legends docuseries ‘The Heist,’ ‘Run It Up’ hosted by Yassuo, ‘TBH with JHB’ hosted by intern JhbTeam, and Crash the Compound based out of the organization’s Cash App Compound in Los Angeles. They also have podcasts like The CouRage & Nadeshot Show, Selfmade with Nadeshot, and The MobCast. 100 Thieves are not the first esports organization to place a huge emphasis on content, with the likes of OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan starting that trend over a decade ago, but with business moves such as signing with CAA they’re certainly looking to push the envelope. With a new emphasis on film and television, we could see 100 Thieves follow a similar path to FaZe Clan, who are gearing up to release their first movie on October 29.

100 Thieves Announce Partnership with StockX as Nadeshot Finally Gets Their League of Legends Team Yeezys as Promised North American esports organization 100 Thieves have announced Stock X as their newest partner. Stock X becomes the third major sponsor of the org, joining NBA franchise Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans, and Razer. Often referred to as the “online stock market for sneakers,” Stock X is live, bid/ask marketplace for buying and selling limited edition, high demand sneakers and other lifestyle items. The company has grown a strong reputation for its business model, which involves them providing live pricing data for thousands of items and also as acting as a middleman that authenticates shoes resold by third party sellers to third party buyers. The partnership was officially announced on June 28th via a post on the 100 Thieves Twitter page. “If we beat OpTic in our first LCS match ever, I’ll buy the whole team Yeezys.” We’re so thrilled today to announce our partnership with @StockX, the stock market of sneakers, streetwear and things. Big shoutout for helping us fulfill our promise. Watch: https://t.co/F3fAyuMxIx pic.twitter.com/CNIswYPEjp — 100 Thieves (@100Thieves) June 28, 2018 Included as part of the announcement was a YouTube video in which 100 Thieves founder and CEO Matt ‘Nadeshot’ Haag revealed that the idea to do business with StockX originated from a promise he had made to their entire League of Legends team and staff. “A long, long, long, time ago a promise was made to our professional League of Legends team. At the beginning of our season, our first match ever, inaugural season, 100 Thieves, Spring Split 2018, I told every individual on our roster that ‘if you beat OpTic Gaming in our first match ever, I’m going to buy you a pair of Yeezy 350 Boosts.’ So has history unfolded, as you guys know, we finished the Split in first place. That first match ever, we defeated OpTic Gaming. I was going to buy the Yeezys with my own money! I was going to buy them, I had no problem doing that! […] With that being said, I am excited to announce that 100 Thieves has officially partnered with StockX. […] They were offering to help me deliver the sneakers to the players. […] We actually finally got the players the sneakers. I’ve never seen the players have that much emotion, I swear to God. When they walked through that door and finally saw the sneakers sitting on the table thanks to StockX, they were so happy and excited.” The partnership between 100 Thieves and StockX certainly makes; the org and Nadeshot are known for their focus on high end merchandising and lifestyle, something which the sneaker distributor can supplement well. “At the end of the day, what seals the deal, is the sneakers that I’m wearing. Because that’s what’s going to make me look fresh, that’s what’s going to make me feel special, that’s what’s going to make me feel different.”

100 Thieves announce new “luxury” partnership with Lexus 100 Thieves100 Thieves, fresh off a collaboration with Gucci, are going the extra mile with a new partnership. The gaming and esports org named Lexus as their “official luxury automotive partner” on July 23. This new collaboration marks the first between 100T and a car company, as Lexus look to further involve themselves in the gaming world. Touching on the partnership, representatives from both organizations emphasized shared appreciations for “quality and innovation.” As part of the deal, the 100T content house will be renamed the “Lexus Content House” and 100T streamers, Rachel ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter and Leslie ‘Fuslie’ Fu will become Lexus brand ambassadors. It remains unclear if these changes will mean 100T-branded cars for the two creators, but both orgs have focused on innovation — so never say never. As 100T founder and CEO Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag explained, “both of our brands focus on quality and innovation within each of our industries.” And, on Lexus’s end, Marketing VP Vinay Shahani expressed that the company “sees an authentic connection between vehicles, culture, and premium lifestyle.” This deal follows shortly after 100T’s collaboration with Gucci, marking a quick and lasting dip into the luxury market for the brand. Known as a gaming and esports org committed to lifestyle content and merchandise, this is a step toward the upscale. And, for Lexus, a step toward a “younger audience.” With brands like Balenciaga beginning to advertise on Twitch, this 100T and Lexus partnership is evidence of gaming’s continued push into newer markets. For now, fans are probably just happy to wait and see if Rae and Fuslie start driving around in Lexus Thievemobiles.

100 Thieves announce new headquarters and retail location following $35 million funding round 100 ThievesPopular esports organization Fortnite, League of Legends, and Call of Duty, alongside their impressive apparel arm, which produces streetwear-inspired clothing that regularly sells out minutes after release. Now, 100T have announced that they are continuing their rapid expansion, bringing on Artist Capital Management chief Josh Dienstag as a member of their Board of Directors after leading a $35 million Series B funding round. In a video uploaded to the 100 Thieves YouTube channel, CEO Matt ‘Nadeshot’ Haag and COO John Robinson confirmed that they had used some of the funding to purchase a new 15,000ft Los Angeles headquarters. The new headquarters will be home to all of 100 Thieves’ business ventures, and will also house their competitive teams, with Robinson stating that the plan “is to bring everyone under one roof.” 100 Thieves also intend to design all their apparel from the new headquarters, and state that it will “serve as a retail storefront for the brand’s upcoming drops,” although there was no mention as to when we would see new clothes from the company. The funds will also go towards 100 Thieves’ expansion plans, with Nadeshot confirming that they intend to branch into a number of new esports titles throughout the next year, with reports from June suggesting that 100T were aggressively seeking funding as they tried to secure a spot in Call of Duty’s franchised league. The value of 100 Thieves has skyrocketed in the past year, with reports suggesting that the company is now worth $125 million, a jump of $35 million from its October 2018 valuation. The organization already has some big-name investors behind it, with music producer Scooter Braun and rapper Drake joining the company’s Board of Directors back in October.

100 Thieves acquire gaming peripherals brand Higround 100 ThievesNorth American esports organization, media company, and apparel brand 100 Thieves have made their first-ever acquisition, purchasing gaming peripherals company Higround. 100 Thieves have made a name for themselves largely through tapping into ‘hypebeast’ culture, building excitement and anticipation for limited edition apparel collections. They’ve now made their first acquisition, taking on Higround in a move that shows they’re sticking to these roots. The company are known for making custom gaming peripherals, such as keyboards, and they recently collaborated with Apple’s Beats on a limited range of branded products. Teased on social media on October 12, this business move was first reported by The Verge. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Welcome @Higround to 100 Thieves! Higround is a lifestyle brand whose unique keyboards sit at the intersection of peripherals, collectibles, and gaming culture. Higround is our first-ever acquisition & we’re excited to help them build for years to come.#100T #LookBetterUpHere pic.twitter.com/c7KOlWVCXH — 100 Thieves (@100Thieves) October 13, 2021 While 100 Thieves made $2.5m in the first month of their Foundations apparel line, a collection that’s always available for purchase, it’s apparent that the org aren’t steering away from their exclusive approach to products. It’s reported that while 100 Thieves will own Higround, the peripherals brand will operate as an independent outfit. “We don’t want to take over their identity, we don’t want to go too far deep into 100 Thieves injecting its DNA into Higround,” 100 Thieves founder and CEO Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag told The Verge. .@100Thieves x Higround Capsule. Limited run. 10/15 12PM PST.https://t.co/lZi0sb9WckMerging two brand identities into a cohesive design inspired by gorpcore. #100Thieves #LookBetterUpHere pic.twitter.com/tPUaNIxBlI — Higround (@higround) October 13, 2021 “From my perspective, unless you’re a keyboard enthusiast, if you’re a casual gamer and you go to the store, there are only like two products that are offered: a black keyboard and a white keyboard,” Haag said. “And there are a lot of brands that I have a ton of respect for, but I still think that there’s room in the market for there to be a marquee brand that everybody gravitates towards because of the stories that they tell and the image that they portray.”

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xQc says there’s “no shot” Mike Tyson wins Jake Paul boxing match Twitch: xQc / Instagram: jakepaulStreaming star xQc isn’t convinced that Mike Tyson will take the W in his upcoming boxing match against Jake Paul, saying the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ is just too “old.” Jake Paul is taking his boxing endeavors to the next level with a fight against none other than ‘Iron Mike’ Tyson, which will air live on Netflix this July. The massive announcement was met with a good amount of shock and speculation among combat sports fans, who are largely divided on who they think will come out on top. Those in Jake’s corner believe that 57-year-old Tyson is too simply old to hold up in the ring, while others believe his skill and experience far outweigh Jake’s youthful strength and speed. For instance, boxing legend Amir Khan claimed Tyson could still “really hurt” Paul, while Logan Paul claim’s his little brother’s opponent is too “senile” to fight. It seems that popular streamer xQc is in agreement with Logan’s stance on the subject after he reacted to Mike Tyson’s training footage with a friend during a March 13 stream. xQc casts doubt on “old” Mike Tyson’s boxing skills After taking a look at Iron Mike’s boxing skills these days, xQc made it clear that he thinks the legendary fighter is simply too “old” to win a fight against Jake, who boasts a 9-1 record, knocking out his last two opponents in the very first round. “I’m a Mike Tyson expert, and I’m telling you right now, I’m pretty sure he’s gonna kill him,” the streamer’s buddy said. “Yeah, but he’s old, though,” xQc argued. “Like, how do you know he can do this for a long time, with how old he is? He has physiological limitations at his age that are undeniable.” “I just think he has a certain technique that’s gonna hurt a lot,” his friend shot back — but xQc wasn’t convinced, saying there’s “no shot” Mike takes the W over Jake on July 20. For now, the jury’s still out on which fighter will win. That being said, the news has certainly sparked up a heated debate online as these two boxers gear up for one of the biggest exhibitions we’ve seen thus far.

WWE icon Triple H hails “genius” Jake Paul move for Mike Tyson fight YouTube: IMPAULSIVE/NetflixWWE veteran Triple H has hailed Jake Paul as a “genius” for streaming his fight with Mike Tyson on Netflix, rather than as a typical pay-per-view. Paul and Tyson step into the ring on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Speaking on Logan Paul’s IMPAULSIVE podcast, Triple H revealed his initial shock at hearing the fight would be shown on Netflix, going on to praise Paul for the decision to do so. “When I first heard that deal and I saw the announcement, just like everybody else did, I was like, ‘He’s going to fight Tyson?’ And then just in my mind, I was like ‘Oh that’ll be a good pay-per-view, that’d be cool’,” Triple H said. “Then when I realized, no it’s just on Netflix. Oh my, kid’s a genius. That’s gambling on yourself and taking it to another level. It’s really smart.” Topic starts at 40:10 Paul’s fight with Tyson has split opinion in the world of boxing. Tyson Fury has insisted that the bout is “fantastic for boxing”, while Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, labeled it a “freak show“. Some of the biggest concerns regarding the fight are over the 30-year age gap between the pair, with fears touted by some that Tyson could potentially suffer brain damage. Tyson’s trainer, Rafael Cordeiro, has dismissed fears concerning the boxing legend’s health, insisting that the 57-year-old is in great shape.

Women’s influencer boxing pound for pound rankings: Poca and Brooke dominate YouTube: Seconds OutThe fact that influencer boxing has its own pound for pound rankings is a testament to its growth as both a sport and a business. But only one fighter can come out on top, and with the likes of Jully Poca and Elle Brooke both aiming to be the best, it is a very competitive list. Influencer boxing has taken off in the past five years. What was once dismissed as just another attempt to create more content, has become a beast of its own with millions tuning in worldwide to catch the latest fight. With that in mind, we have taken a look at the best influencers making waves on the boxing scene and put them in our very own pound for pound rankings. Women’s pound for pound influencer boxing rankings 5. Nikki Hru (3-0) The Misfits Boxing women’s lightweight champion, Nikki Hru has beaten both Brooklyn Barwick and Alexia Grace by unanimous decision as she quickly asserted her dominance at 112 pounds. A fight with AJ Bunker could be up next for Hru after the pair got into a war or words following her win over Grace. Watch this space. 4. Alaena Vampira (2-1) As will prove to be a common theme on this list, Vampira’s sole loss has come at the hands of Jully Poca. She has beaten both Lindsay Flanders and Fangs on her way to a 2-1 record, with an upcoming fight against LOZA on the Elle Brooke vs Paige VanZant undercard to remind the world of her talent. 3. 6ar6ie6 (2-1) A unanimous decision defeat to Jully Poca at Misfits X Series 14 stands as 6ar6ie6’s only blemish on her boxing record. Having previously beaten Emily Brooke and Whitney Johns, working with the likes of Malik Scott and Deontay Wilder – ‘Barbie’ has made other sit up and take notice of her inside the ring. 2. Elle Brooke (4-1-1) With only one defeat to her name, Elle Brooke slots in at number two on this list. She has beaten AJ Bunker (twice), but was unable to get past Jully Poca when they met in July 2023. Brooke’s latest fight saw here take on former UFC star Paige VanZant at Misfits Boxing X Series 015. The Brit dominated the fight early on as she knocked down the American inside the first round. Yet she was unable to capitalise on her momentum as the contest ended up going the full five rounds, with the judges ultimately ruling the bout as a split-decision draw. The die-hard Man City fan retained her status as middleweight champion and has proved herself as a serious fighter and a worthy number two spot in the rankings. 1. Jully Poca (4-0) Coming in at number one on our list is the undefeated women’s cruiserweight Misfits Boxing champion, Jully Poca. The Brazilian has beaten the likes of Brooke, Vampira and 6ar6ie6 on her way to 4-0 and has shown no signs of giving up her crown anytime soon. For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule. Check out our men’s pound for pound rankings, or head over to our influencer boxing hub to stay tuned to all the best fights.

Who is Turki Alalshikh? The man behind Saudi Arabia’s boxing revolution DAZN/Associated PressTurki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, controls the largest purse strings in boxing. It is no coincidence that the sport’s biggest fights – such as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight champion of the world clash – are taking place in Riyadh. But who is the man that ended the feud between Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren to give fans some of the best fights in boxing history? Who is Turki Alalshikh? Turki Alalshikh (Al-Sheikh), 42, is a Saudi adviser to the Royal Court and current chairman of the General Entertainment Authority. He has been tasked with bringing some of the biggest sporting and cultural events to the Kingdom and has looked to make Saudi Arabia synonymous the new home of boxing. His Excellency – a title given to members of the extended Royal Saudi family, of which Alalshikh is one – is no stranger to shaking things up in the world of sport. Whether it’s the controversial breakaway LIV golf movement, bidding for the FIFA World Cup in 2034 or Saudi Arabia’s increased involvement in F1 – his work behind the scenes has been pivotal in the country’s attempts to shape its image as a sporting and cultural powerhouse. It must be said though that not everything Alalshikh touches, turns to gold. The 42-year-old owns Spanish top-flight soccer team, Almeria. Having bought the club in 2019, they finished stone last this season and have been relegated to the national second division – two years after making it into La Liga. But without question, Alalshikh has changed the face of boxing as we know it. Ending Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn’s feud Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren – the two biggest promoters in the sport – did not get along. Well, that is, at least publicly, no longer the case thanks to Turki Alalshikh. The rival promoters did not speak for years and likely still would not if it were not for the involvement of His Excellency. It was even reported that the pair had never met in person until 2023. Yet on June 1, Warren’s Quensberry Promotions and Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing will put on a mouth-watering five-versus-five card to take place in Saudi Arabia, including Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang. “We should have really done this a long time ago in all honesty,” Hearn told TNT Sports about his rivalry with Warren; “It has taken His Excellency, who could not care less [about our rivalry] and told us to move the sport forward.” “This is not a guy [Alalshikh] asking what he has got to do and how to bring boxing to Saudi Arabia,” he added. “He is telling us that he likes this guy and that guy, and how about this guy versus that guy. “We are looking at the undercards, and traditionally, we would look at an undercard as a business and say, ‘That’s enough’ [financially]. He is the opposite. He wants more and more, and that is amazing for fight fans.” His Excellency has given fans undercards full of world title fights and genuine coin-flips that could go either way, especially in the heavyweight division. Boxing’s biggest fights As Hearn has said, Turki Alalshikh has produced some mouthwatering boxing cards for fans. Last year’s ‘Day of Reckoning’ in Saudi Arabia saw Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker, Daniel Dubois, Jarrell Milller, Filip Hrgovic and Otto Wallin all fight on the same card. His Excellency has promoted Joshua’s last two fights (Wallin and Ngannou), as well as Fury’s (Ngannou and Usyk) – with fans now hopeful that there is a long-awaited pathway for AJ and The Gypsy King to go toe-to-toe. And for those hoping that a bout could be held in Wembley, London – not in Saudi – Alalshikh has proven that his reach extends beyond Riyadh. Terence Crawford’s upcoming fight with Israil Madrimov will take place in Los Angeles on August 3 with another blockbuster card including the likes of Andy Ruiz, Tim Tszyu and Jarrell Miller. But His Excellency is not done there, eyeing up what would be a hugely popular fight between Crawford and Canelo Alvarez. Ahead of Anthony Joshua’s upcoming fight in September, likely against the winner of Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic, Alalshikh wants Naoya Inoue to feature, while a super fight with Gervonta Davis also waits in the wings. Turki Alalshikh’s promoted fights Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou – Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin & Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou – Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – Matchroom vs Queensberry five v five (incl. Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang) – Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov – For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule.

Who is Amadeusz Ferrari? Misfits X Series 14 fighter explained YouTube: Fame MMAAmadeusz “Ferrari” Roślik will step into the influencer boxing realm at Misfits X Series 14 with a world-famous TikToker set to stand across from him. Amadeusz Ferrari carved out a place in the combat sports world by signing on with Fame MMA in 2018 and competing in several mixed martial arts matches over the next five years. Now, Ferrari has his sights set on the popular TikTok star Nathaniel “Salt Papi” Bustamante. Salt Papi is coming off two straight losses, but given his never-say-die fighting style, victory won’t come easy for Ferrari. The two will meet in the boxing ring on May 11 at Misfits X Series 14. Here is everything you need to know about Ferrari. Contents Who is Amadeusz Ferrari? – What is Amadeusz Ferrari’s career MMA record? – Has Ferrari ever boxed professionally? – Why Ferrari vs. Salt Papi promises excitement – Who is Amadeusz Ferrari? Ferrari is a former Fame MMA standout who earned acclaim for his powerful striking. Four of his six career mixed martial arts wins have come via knockout. What is Amadeusz Ferrari’s career MMA record? As an MMA fighter, Ferrari holds a career 6-5 record. His most recent victory came in a unanimous decision against Kacper Bloński at Fame 18. Ferrari has another decision victory under his belt, but the other four MMA wins all came via ref stoppage — specifically from punches. Has Ferrari ever boxed professionally? Yes. Ferrari has two career boxing matches. He lost to Adrian Polański in March 2022 but bounced back in September 2023 with a victory against Kornel Regel. Ferrari also has experience in kickboxing, with one official match on his resume — a loss to Maksymilian Wiewiórka. His last two fights have come in the form of exhibition kickboxing. Why Ferrari vs. Salt Papi promises excitement Ferrari’s trademark power and Salt Papi’s eagerness to chase knockouts undoubtedly make for an exciting matchup that should feature fireworks early and often. Although Ferrari has experience in the ring, his fight vs. Salt Papi is his first real foray into influencer boxing. For more influencer boxing matches taking place this year, including the upcoming bout between Salt Papi and Ferrari, be sure to check out our hub on Dexerto for the latest news.

When is Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith? Ringwalk times and undercard ahead of world title fight Sigmund/UnsplashArtur Beterbiev will put his WBC, IBF and WBO world titles on the line this weekend when he defends his light-heavyweight world titles against Callum Smith in Canada’s Quebec City. The two hard-hitting fighters will finally meet five months after they were originally supposed to meet in August after Beterbiev had to pull out of the fight with a jaw infection. Beterbiev has been dubbed by some experts as the scariest fighter in boxing and has stopped all 19 of his opponents during his professional career. This will be the Russian’s ninth world title fight since beating Enrico Koelling for the vacant IBF strap in 2017, adding Oleksandr Gvozdyk’s WBC title in 2019 and Joe Smith Jr’s WBO title in 2022 to his collection along the way. However, a back and forth fight with Britain’s Anthony Yarde last time out in January 2023 has offered hope that Smith could be the man to finally dethrone the 38-year-old light-heavyweight king. Smith, who held a world title at super-middleweight between 2018 and 2020 before losing to pound-for-pound superstar Canelo Alvarez, has won both of his fights at light-heavyweight via stoppage. The winner could well go on to fight WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light-heavyweight titles later this year, with Saudi Arabia reportedly keen to stage the bout. Here is everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s fight between Artur Beterbiev and Callum Smith. When is Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith? Beterbiev vs Smith will take place on Saturday, January 13, at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada. Coverage is due to begin at 1am GMT on Sunday, January 14 (6pm PT, 8pm CT, 9pm ET on Saturday). What time will the ringwalk be for Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith? No time has yet been announced for the main-event ring walks. How can I watch Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith? The fight will be available to stream on ESPN+ in the U.S, while Sky Sports will broadcast the fight in the UK. Who is on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith? Artur Beterbiev (champion) vs Callum Smith (WBC, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles) Jason Moloney (champion) vs Saul Sanchez (WBO bantamweight title) Christian Mbilli vs Rohan Murdock (super-middleweight) Imam Khataev vs Rodolfo Gomez Jr (light-heavyweight) Christopher Guerrero vs Sergio Garcia Herrera (welterweight) Mehmet Unal vs Dragan Lepei (light-heavyweight) Leila Beaudoin vs Elizabeth Chavez Espinoza (women’s super-featherweight) Moreno Fendero vs Victor Hugo Flores (super-middleweight) Wilkens Mathieu vs TBA (super-middleweight) What are people saying about Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith? Artur Beterbiev (champion) “One category lower he was champion,” Beterbiev said of Smith to Sky Sports. “First of all, he’s coming up to our category. “175lbs is 175lbs and we’ll see what happens there. Maybe in the lower category, he’s good there but here it’s 175. After we can say how is he. We’ll see. We’ll see. “Like all my opponents, he’s a good boxer. He’s a good fighter, a good challenge for me. Like everyone. I try to be ready for this challenge 100 per cent, like usual. “I know he will bring everything for this fight and I bring everything for this fight. And we will see who is better.” Callum Smith (challenger) “He’s a very good fighter, his record speaks for itself, but he’s not invincible, he can be hit and he can be hurt, we’ve seen that,” Smith told ESPN. “I believe he can be hurt and he can be put over. I know I can put him over and we have worked on that, I believe I can finish Artur Beterbiev. “I don’t watch him thinking I can’t beat him. I believe the best version of me can beat him and I believe the timing is right on my side. We don’t know if he’s aging yet, but I just know that I’m in with a big puncher and because of that he keeps me more switched on.” Dmitry Bivol (WBA world champion) “For me, Beterbiev is the favourite,” he told Sporting News. “I see he has more experience and he’s strong. Callum Smith is tall but he doesn’t use his height. He doesn’t do this. “He’s trying to get inside his opponents. If we see the fight close, of course Beterbiev is better at close distance. That’s how I see it, maybe I’m wrong.” Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing chairman and Smith’s promoter) “I’m going because I fancy it, I really fancy it. We signed Callum Smith 13 years ago. I’m going because I’m supporting him, and I also believe he’s going to win,” Hearn told Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel. “I see him knocking Beterbiev out. It’s a tough task. Beterbiev is a monster, arguably the number one light-heavyweight in the world. We think it’s Dmitry Bivol or maybe even Callum Smith. Those three. You’ve got Yarde. We’ve got some great light-heavyweights. “It’s doable. I can see it. Every time I think about the fight, I can see it, and if he does do it, it’ll be a massive, massive win for a British fighter, and it’ll take him straight to the undisputed shot against Dmitry Bivol.”

Vasiliy Lomachenko next fight: Shakur Stevenson front runner amid lucrative options Associated PressVasiliy Lomachenko announced his return to top level boxing on Saturday with a destructive win over George Kambosos Jr to win the vacant IBF lightweight world title. Lomachenko stopped the Australian in the 11th round to become a four-time, three-weight, world champion in Perth, to move his professional record to 18 wins and three losses in 21 fights. As such, the 36-year-old now has a multitude of options at his disposal for a lucrative next fight. After boasting an incredible 396-1 amateur record, the Ukrainian is keen to further cement his legacy in the professional ranks, and wants to fight the best possible opponents as he enters the final stages of a decorated career. Here is a look at four exciting options Lomachenko could look towards in his next fight. Contents: Shakur Stevenson unification – Legacy fight with Gervonta Davis – Third unification option – Chase Teofimo Lopez or Devin Haney rematch – Shakur Stevenson unification One of the biggest fights out there for Lomachenko is a unification fight with WBC world champion Shakur Stevenson. Like Lomachenko, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist is also a three-weight world champion, and, crucially, both boxers fight under the Top Rank promotional banner. As such, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum has talked up the possibility of a fight between the pair, should Stevenson win in his next title defense against Artem Harutyunyan. “I have this other fighter Shakur Stevenson, who is also a great technician,” Arum said prior to Lomachenko’s win over Kambosos Jr at the weekend. “So if Lomachenko wins and Shakur, who is scheduled to fight in July wins, then for the fall to do a Lomachenko-Shakur fight, every serious boxing fan will be watching that in awe between two great technicians fighting for a unified title.” Legacy fight with Gervonta Davis Another option would be a unification fight with WBA champion Gervonta Davis. ‘Tank’ is one of the biggest names in boxing and is fresh off a very impressive win over Ryan Garcia last year. Should Davis successfully defend his title against Frank Martin next month, talk of a fight between the pair will inevitable ramp up. The 29-year-old tweeted: “He’s next,” after Lomachenko’s win on Saturday and while a fight between the pair would be one of the biggest in boxing, their promotional agreements may scupper any such plans. Davis is promoted by Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions, while Lomachenko is promoted by Top Rank. An agreement between rival promoters and broadcasters would have to be reached to get the fight over the line. Third unification option A more realistic back-up option to the Stevenson fight would be a unification fight with the WBO champion. The belt is currently vacant but there will be a new champion on Saturday evening as Denis Berinchyk takes on Emanuel Navarette for the vacant strap. Both fights would sell as a fight against Berinchyk would represent an all Ukrainian unification bout, while a Navarette win would see him become a four-weight world champion and present Lomachenko with a significant challenge. Avenging Haney or Lopez defeat A fourth wildcard option, albeit an unlikely option, would be a rematch against Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez that would give Lomachenko a chance to avenge losses against the pair. His loss to Haney, particularly, was controversial but any rematch with the pair would involve Lomachenko stepping up to super-lightweight, given both fighters have moved up in weight and are now world champions at 140 pounds. Lomachenko has already moved through the lower weights to reach lightweight and a step up to super-lightweight would likely prove a bridge too far. To keep up to date with all of the latest boxing fights and results, follow our 2024 boxing schedule.

Vasiliy Lomachenko boxing record: Major fights, opponents and results so far Associated PressVasiliy Lomachenko defeated George Kambosos Jr on Saturday, May 11, to claim the IBF lightweight title Perth, Australia and add to his already illustrious career. Here is the Ukrainian’s boxing record in full after his latest bout. Kambosos (21-3), had threatened to send Lomachenko into retirement when the pair met Down Under. However, the 36-year-old reminded the world why he is a master of his craft as he dominated the fight from the outset, before turning the screw later on. After the contest, we have taken a look at some of the biggest fights in Lomachenko’s career to date, alongside his overall boxing record. Contents Overall boxing record – Gary Russell, 2014 – Roman Martinez, 2016 – Jorge Linares, 2018 – Teofimo Lopez, 2020 – Devin Haney, 2023 – George Kambosos Jr, 2024 – Vasiliy Lomachenko boxing record Overall, Vasiliy Lomachenko’s boxing record stands at 18-3 with 12 KO victories to his name. His three defeats have bookended his career; the first coming in his second ever professional fight, with the other two taking place in his last five fights. As a three-weight champion, there is no doubt that Lomachenko is well on his way to securing a place in the boxing hall of fame whenever the 36-year-old decides to hang his gloves up. Gary Russell, 2014 Even as a two-time Olympic gold medallist, Lomachenko forced the world to sit up and take notice after he won a world title in his third ever professional fight. Putting in a masterful display to down the previously unbeaten Russell, the then-26-year-old dominated the latter rounds to win by majority decision. Despite boasting a jaw-dropping 396-1 amateur record, Lomachenko announced his arrival in the professional arena in some style. Roman Martinez, 2016 Lomachenko was relentless in his pursuit of success, and this was proven after he beat Roman Martinez to become the fastest boxer to win world titles in two weight divisions. In what was just his seventh professional fight, the Ukrainian stepped up to 130 pounds and knocked Martinez out in the fifth round in front of a baying New York Crowd at a packed out Madison Square Garden. A left uppercut followed by a right hook left his opponent flat on the canvas, unable to beat the referee’s count in the fifth. After the bout, Lomachenko said he needed more fights to become better as a boxer – and true to his word, he was not done yet, far from it. Jorge Linares, 2018 Lomachenko made history yet again when he stopped Jorge Linares in the 10th round to claim a world title in a third weight division. After hitting the canvas in the sixth, he roared back into the fight and hit his opponent with a vicious left hand to the body to record a TKO win. In true Lomachenko style, he came to life as the fight drew on and punished Linares for not getting the job done earlier. After picking himself up from the floor, ‘The Matrix’ opened a cut over the Venezuelan’s eye and went after it in brutal fashion. But it was a sickening body shot that stopped Linares in his tracks, ensuring Lomachenko took the WBA lightweight world title on his first attempt. Teofimo Lopez, 2020 Lopez and Lomachenko came into their fight on October 17, 2020 in Las Vegas with all the belts. The American with the IBF; the Ukrainian with the WBA, WBO and WBC titles. Despite being marked as the underdog for their clash, it was Lopez who outboxed and outfought his opponent on the way to a comprehensive unanimous points decision win. The then-23-year-old, undefeated heading into the fight, dominated the early rounds as a late flurry from Lomachenko did not do enough to win over the judges. In the end, the scorecards backed up Lopez’s performance as they recorded his 116-112, 119-109 and 117-111 win. In truth, it was a crying shame that the fight took place without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an all-timer and the crowning of the youngest ever four-belt undisputed champion deserved a worthy audience. Devin Haney, 2023 The championship rounds looked like they had done the business for Lomachenko when he came up against Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney. There is no denying that the American is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, but he was put through his paces by the boxing veteran who turned the screw as the fight drew to a close. The history books will show that Lomachenko lost the fight by unanimous decision, but ask anyone who watched the contest and most would be hard pushed to agree with the judges. Lomachenko’s manager labeled the decision “the biggest robbery”, as the Ukrainian dominated the final rounds. Sadly for the 36-year-old it was not enough to win over the judges on the night, as he fell to his third defeat of his professional career. George Kambosos Jr, 2024 It was a masterclass from the start by Lomachenko, as he controlled the fight in the early rounds and waited for the opening that he knew would eventually reveal itself. It came in the eighth round when a brutal left hook opened up a cut near Kambosos’ eye, before Lomachenko floored the man six years his junior early on in the 11th round. Despite beating the count, the Australian’s team threw in the towel following a flurry of punches, handing the IBF lightweight title to the decorated Ukrainian. Despite being in the twilight of his career, the performance was a sharp reminder to the world as to why he is a four-time world champion across three weight divisions. For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule.

UFC champ so concerned for Mike Tyson in Jake Paul fight he refuses to watch NetflixMike Tyson’s return to the ring against influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul has one UFC champion so concerned about ‘Iron Mike’ that he won’t be tuning in to see the result. Jake Paul is slated to fight his biggest opponent yet this summer when Mike Tyson returns in Netflix’s first-ever live boxing event, but UFC star Tom Aspinall doesn’t think it’s a good idea. According to DAZN, the interim UFC Heavyweight Champion believes that, while it’s good to see Mike training for his big comeback match, he doesn’t want to see Tyson, who will be 58 when the fight happens, to take Paul’s big punches. “Training for a fight gives you so much discipline and health and confidence and all that good stuff, so if Mike Tyson’s training that’s fantastic, because he obviously is getting up there in age, but he still looks great,” Aspinall explained. “But as far as getting punched in the head, after all the getting punched in the head he’s done over the years, I’d rather not see it I guess,” he added. “It’s meant to be entertainment I guess, but it’s not my scene.” The UFC champ went on to compare the fight to how some people enjoy watching tennis, but for him, this type of match is something he wants no part of. “I’m sure people will watch, but I don’t enjoy this stuff,” the KO specialist remarked. Aspinall is hardly the only fighter to take issue with Jake Paul and Mike Tyson agreeing to face off. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland also called out ‘The Problem Child’ for the fight and said the match itself is “pathetic.”

Tyson Fury slams Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul haters amid ongoing backlash to fight Netflix/TNT SportsTyson Fury has hit back at critics of Mike Tyson’s bout with Jake Paul after he stated that the fight is “fantastic for boxing”. Fury, 35, was asked for his thoughts on the fight ahead of Manchester United’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals. The bout, set to be streamed live on Netflix, has faced criticism from some fans as they question just how good the fight will be between the pair who have a 30-year age gap between them. Yet Fury was adamant that it will only be a good thing for the sport, insisting that the level of intrigue in the fight will drive a massive audience. Fury: Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul “fantastic for boxing” “I think it’s fantastic for boxing,” Fury told the The Stomping Ground. “You’ve got a legend in Mike Tyson. You’ve got a YouTube boxer, he has come into the game and blew it up and he’s got millions of followers and millions of views and millions of eyes. “Good, bad, or indifferent. Some people love him, some people hate him. So, I think it’s a really good spectacle for boxing.” Topic starts at 5:56 “It’d be fantastic for the guys, both getting paid, both going to put on a show,” he added. “I just don’t know what’s not to like? “Okay, [Tyson’s] 57-years-old, but he’s a former undisputed world heavyweight king, and [Paul] plays computers for a living and he’s come to boxing about a year ago. So, [a] pretty even match! “From being a kid on the Disney Channel to fighting Mike Tyson. Who wouldn’t want to do that? “People say, ‘Oh, it’s s***’, this, that and the other. But, I bet they still watch it. Who’s not intrigued?” Fury, meanwhile, is gearing up for his fight with Oleksandr Usyk on May, 18. The initial February date for the bout was postponed after Fury suffered a freak injury in sparring that left him with a cut eye needing 11 stitches. But the Gypsy King has promised fans that he will be fighting no matter what, after he provided an update on the injury ahead of Anthony Joshua’s demolition of Francis Ngannou.

Tyson Fury shuts down retirement talk as he names Anthony Joshua in five fight plan Instagram/WikimediaWorld heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has shut down any talk of retirement and has outlined a five-fight plan he has in his sights. The WBC world champion was scheduled to fight WBA, IBF and WBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title next weekend but he was forced to pull out after suffering an injury on Friday. Fury, 35, suffered a nasty cut above his eye during a sparring session and the fight has now been rearranged for Saturday, May 18. Fury outlines five fight plan His decision to postpone the original fight date has provoked plenty of reaction, with theories emerging on social media that the British fighter is contemplating retiring from boxing. But, taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Fury has shot down any suggestion of retirement and outlined a five fight plan that includes two bouts with Usyk, as well as British rival Anthony Joshua, as well as a rematch with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. “I keep hearing talk of people saying I should retire or I am going to retire soon. I am not retiring anywhere,” Fury said. “I have got two fights with Usyk for the undisputed twice. Then I am going to fight AJ at least once, maybe twice if he wants it again after the first battering I am going to give him, and then I am going to fight Ngannou again.” “That is just the start, so there are five little fights for you to whet your appetite with. I ain’t going nowhere. Nowhere. I am 35-year-old and in the prime of my life.”

Tyson Fury reveals update on eye injury ahead of undisputed world title fight YouTube: Matchroom BoxingTyson Fury has insisted he will be fighting Oleksandr Usyk “cut eye or not” after he picked up the injury in sparring last month. Fury and Usyk were due to clash in a huge fight on February 17 in Saudi Arabia. However, the injury sustained by the the Gypsy King in sparring meant he needed 11 stitches as the bout was postponed. The fight has now been rescheduled for May 18, with Fury commencing his training camp at the end of the month. Fury has flown out to Saudi Arabia ahead of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou, lending his support to Roman Fury, his younger brother, ahead of his bout against Martin Svarc. And during Wednesday’s press conference, Fury was asked for an update on his injury. Tyson Fury provides update on cut eye “I’m not concerned I never was concerned about the cut,” he told DAZN. “It was from cut date to fight date 15 weeks. A cut heals in about eight, nine weeks, I had plenty of time. “And if the cut opens, opens in the fight, f**k it. It’s gonna be blood everywhere. “So why not, don’t stop the fight, let it continue. It’s an undisputed heavyweight championship fight.” Asked if his eye was likely to cause any further issues ahead of the fight, Fury was adamant it would not hold him back. “When I start camp at the end of March I’ll be ready for sparring,” he added. “It was a freak accident. You know, I think he just threw like a hook…but make no mistake…I will be fighting – cut eye or not.”

Tyson Fury refuses stare-down with “scary looking” Oleksandr Usyk YouTube: DAZN BoxingTyson Fury kept things simple at the pre-fight press conference ahead of his unification bout vs Oleksandr Usyk. But he still left fans with a memorable moment during the face-off. The final press conference ahead of boxing’s first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the century took place on May 16 in front of a rowdy Saudi Arabia crowd. Fury, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, will unify his title with Usyk’s WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO belts in a 12-round matchup. The much-anticipated pre-fight presser had many boxing fans glued to the screen for any semblance of trash talk between the two main eventers. Alas, Usyk only gave a couple of statements, while his counterpart, Fury, kept it short and sweet as well. He wished his opponent well and said that the talking was over — nothing more, nothing less. The two came face to face in the classic pre-fight stare-down — at least, that’s what was supposed to happen. Instead, Fury refused to even look at Usyk. While the Ukrainian star didn’t take his glare off Fury once, the British boxing champion was busy smiling, waving, and flexing at the camera. This hilarious turn of events was far from the first time Fury has made fans laugh at a press conference, as he has a history of entertaining in the days leading up to a fight. Following the strange press conference, Fury met with a reporter who asked why he wouldn’t make eye contact with Usyk. “That’s a scary lookin’ dude,” Fury said in an honest assessment of the situation. It’s hard to blame ‘The Gypsy King’ there because Usyk’s stare was downright terrifying. Still, as formidable of a foe as Usyk is, Fury promises he’s ready. And he won’t accept anything short of referee Mark Nelson raising his hand at the end. Fury wants to follow in the footsteps of his fellow Brit Lennox Lewis as the boxing world’s first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.

Tyson Fury backs Mike Tyson to KO Jake Paul & breaks mold with fight opinion YT: Damon Elliott Show; Associated Press; YT: NetflixTyson Fury has backed Mike Tyson to KO Jake Paul and has disagreed with criticism from the boxing world over the July 20 mega fight. The WBC world champion spent time on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani ahead of his heavyweight championship unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk. In the interview, Fury spoke of his anticipation for the historic fight. He complimented Usyk’s resume, but promised to leave the ring victorious on May 18. Toward the end of the segment, Helwani mentioned the upcoming Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing match set for July 20 in front of a worldwide Netflix audience. Although many have criticized the Paul vs Tyson matchup, Fury disagreed with the detractors. He says that it’s “fantastic” for the sport. “I think it’s fantastic. This creates a lot of money for Texas, selling out all those tickets, which means drinks, alcohol, food, beverage, and everything from the local area. “All of Mike’s team are being fed. And all of Jake’s team is being fed out of it. So, a lot of mouths are being fed, and many people’s rents are being paid. I don’t know what’s to be negative about it. “I’m looking forward to it. I get to see the legend Mike Tyson back in the ring in my era. Fantastic. I get to see him live and exclusive as an adult. What a treat.” Fury then came to the defense of the Paul brothers specifically, stating that they’ve both been a positive gain for the combat sports world. “I know we’ve got a rivalry going on with Tommy [Fury], but I got to speak it how I see it. Jake and Logan have done absolutely fantastic for themselves. “I know they’ve got a lot of haters. However, I am not one of them. I’m a fan. I support people going and making lots of millions of dollars out of boxing. “It only makes it better for young people who don’t get paid because more people will see the fight and be interested in it. So, more eyes to the game, and it’s better.” Tyson Fury predicts Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson Helwani explained that Paul vs Tyson is a professional boxing bout, not an exhibition, and asked for the champion’s prediction. “Listen, if Mike Tyson hits anybody, I don’t care if he’s ninety, he’s going to knock him out, isn’t he? He’s ’Iron’ Mike Tyson, the baddest man on the planet. “And Jake Paul, he’s very experienced now, and he’s had a lot of tough fights and good fights. And he’s probably a quarter of the man’s age. “But obviously, I have to back Mike Tyson; I’m named after the legend. I’m backing Mike for the knockout! Come on, Mike!” Fury’s father, John Fury, named his son after Tyson, whom he was a massive fan of during the emergence of ‘Iron Mike’ in the 1980s and 1990s. The lineal and WBC champion gets a chance to handle business against Usyk on May 18, then he’ll be free to watch his namesake take the ring vs Paul on July 20.

Tyson Fury offers cheeky Manchester United advice amid Oleksandr Usyk fitness update ITV FootballTyson Fury has stated that he will be “fit and ready” for his fight with Oleksandr Usyk, as he cheekily told Manchester United to follow his lead and “go out and attack” in their FA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool. The Gypsy King, a huge Manchester United fan, was at Old Trafford for their highly anticipated clash with Liverpool. A trip to Wembley awaits the winner, the kind of stadium that Fury well accustomed to throughout his career in boxing. The 35-year-old has now started his training camp for the bout with Usyk, admitting that he will be raring to go come May, 18. Tyson Fury “fit and ready” for Oleksandr Usyk fight “Very fit,” Fury told ITV when asked whether he was fit and ready for his fight with Usyk. “I’ve got nine weeks to go so you can ask me again in nine weeks. I’ve just started camp nine days ago so I’ll be fit and ready by the time the fight comes for sure.” Fury and Usyk’s initial February date for the fight was postponed after a freak sparring injury left him with a cut eye needing 11 stitches. The 35-year-old has since provided a positive update over his injury. Speaking ahead of kick-off, Fury was asked if he had any advice for his team and what approach Man United should take heading into the game with Liverpool. “Just go out there and attack,” he said. “Put pressure on them, put your best foot forward and get stuck right in because that usually works. “It’s worked for me anyway, 35 times in a row, so that’s a good tactic.” Hopes of a possible fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua could depend on the Gypsy King’s bout with Usyk, after Eddie Hearn made a passionate plea to Fury to win the fight to set up what the promoter called “the biggest fight in the history of the sport“.

Tyson Fury next fight: Oleksandr Usyk rematch confirmed by Turki Alalshikh Associated PressTyson Fury’s next fight has been confirmed by Turki Alalshikh as the highly anticipated rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, set to take place later this year. Fury and Usyk will once again go toe-to-toe in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this December following their showdown in May that saw the Ukrainian become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since 1999. Here is all we know about Fury and Usyk’s rematch after the bout was given the green light by the man who holds the biggest purse strings in boxing. Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk rematch confirmed Turki Alalshikh has confirmed that Fury and Usyk will fight again on December 21, 2024. The rematch will take place during Riyadh Season, seven months after the pair last went toe-to-toe in Saudi Arabia. Usyk, who holds all the belts, has requested that he be allowed to keep the IBF title for his rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21, setting up another undisputed heavyweight title fight. This comes after Daniel Dubois beat Filip Hrgovic to become the mandatory IBF challenger. He is set for a fight with Anthony Joshua in September this year, but the Ukrainian wants his rematch with Fury to be for all the titles once again. If Hrgovic had won, that request could well have been turned down given that the Croatian had been waiting for two years for a crack at the belt. But now Dubois has beaten him, a six-month wait does not pale in comparison to Hrgovic’s purgatory. How Fury vs Usyk unfolded Fury came out dancing as he entered through the tunnel, with a giant smile on his face, looking as relaxed as we’ve ever seen him while walking to the ring. The British star eventually made it to the squared circle, and with the legendary Michael Buffer on the mic, Fury met Usyk in the center of the ring as referee Mark Nelson read the rules. As the two men departed to their respective corners, the tension in the Kingdom Arena could be felt through the television screen. The opening bell rang, and the fight was underway. Fury’s size advantage — in terms of height and reach — was apparent early in the match, as the much larger fighter controlled the ring by keeping Usyk at a safe distance. Around the midway point, things began to shift in Usyk’s favor. He had the referee on the verge of calling the fight after stumbling Fury with a sharp left hand in the ninth frame. ‘The Gypsy King’ bounced around the ropes before eventually succumbing to the damage, leading to the start of a ten-count from Nelson. Fury answered the bell, but Usyk maintained control of the fight during the final nine minutes. The 10-8 ninth round really turned the tides on Tyson. That said, one judge saw it in Fury’s favor, and for what it’s worth, I had the same 114-113 scorecard. Alas, the two other judges gave it to Usyk, leaving the Brit with the first loss of his legendary career. Anthony Joshua awaits winner of Fury/Usyk rematch Even though this first Fury vs Usyk battle is over, a rematch awaits the two men. However, Anthony Joshua expects a shot at the undisputed crown in 2025. When asked about Joshua sneaking his way into the fold, Fury shut that notion down. “There’s not much he can build because we got two-fight deals. “So he can build up what he wants to, he has to wait until it’s all over. Then, we can negotiate or whatever.” Joshua’s camp has confirmed they want to fight the winner of Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic first, meaning AJ wouldn’t be a viable option for Fury in 2024 anyway. But a fight between Joshua and Fury is inevitable if Tyson notches a win in his rematch vs Usyk. Joshua, as expected, was in attendance watching the fight. He chummed it up with football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. ahead of the Fury vs Usyk war. Final thoughts on Fury vs Usyk Although I had Fury winning the fight, it was a close enough matchup to accept a split decision. One thing everyone can agree on is that a rematch is necessary. Fury and Usyk both wanted it and were contractually obligated to make an immediate follow-up match, so boxing fans will get another chance to witness greatness vs greatness in December this year. Until then, Usyk sits atop the boxing world as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. It’s up to Fury to snatch that crown. Tyson Fury’s professional boxing record Fury was dealt a loss for the first time in his storied career. He now sits at 34-1-1 and will look to avenge this lone defeat in a rematch against Usyk later this year. Prior to the defeat to the Ukrainian, the only other blemish on Fury’s record came from a 2018 draw vs Deontay Wilder. Otherwise, ‘The Gypsy King’ had always left the ring with his hand raised in victory. Alas, that all changed when Usyk took home the undisputed heavyweight championship on the back of a split decision from the three judges at ringside.

Tyson Fury manager insists he’ll fight Anthony Joshua regardless of Oleksandr Usyk result Associated PressTyson Fury will fight Anthony Joshua regardless of whether he beats Oleksandr Usyk, a lineup that will please millions of boxing fans around the world. This is the view of Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, who is adamant that Turki Alalshikh – the man who controls the biggest purse strings in boxing – will want Fury to fight AJ no matter the outcome on Saturday, May 18. “It doesn’t matter whether Tyson wins, loses or draws, it doesn’t matter – Turki Alalshikh still wants him to fight Anthony Joshua,” he told OLBG. “Simple as that – whether he wins, whether he loses, or whether he draws, the fight he wants is that fight [against AJ], so he will go after that fight.” “I’m sure we will see Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua. When Tyson beats Usyk that fight is enormous, it’s bigger than big, isn’t it? “The Saudis have mentioned it to me – and mentioned it to all of us – the first one would be in Riyadh and if there was a taste for a second one, they would put it on at Wembley. Imagine that.” “I don’t think Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, in my opinion, will happen next because we have a rematch clause with Usyk. But it’s all down to Turki’s wallet. “We’ve got a few scenarios here, is Usyk vs Joshua a fight we want to see again? Or do we all want to see Fury vs Joshua? When Usyk loses, does he say ‘I’ll take the step aside and then fight the winner’? Personally, probably yes.” The winner of Fury vs Usyk will become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis achieved the feat in 1999. With all four belts on the line, as well as both fighter’s flawless records, the contest is set to be the biggest fight of the year. For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule. Please note that if you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Tyson Fury makes bold prediction for Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight YouTube: Jake Paul/IFL TVBoxing superstar Tyson Fury has made a bold prediction for Jake Paul’s fight with ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, as he believes it could be bad news for the YouTuber-turned-boxer. When Jake Paul and Mike Tsyon first announced that they’d be boxing, many boxers, pundits, and fans were skeptical. Not only is there a massive age difference between the two, but Tyson hasn’t fought in four years, while Jake has remained active in his bid to become a champion. The fight was supposed to take place in mid-July, however, that was scrapped after ‘Iron’ suffered an ulcer flare-up during a flight to Miami. It has since been rescheduled for mid-November, with the boxing legend already back in training. Many of those early critics have continued to question why the fight is taking place, and if Tyson will be able to roll back the years to compete with Jake. Well, former Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury not only believes that his namesake is going to win, but that he’ll embarrass Jake in a fashion that he hasn’t suffered yet. “Listen, if Mike Tyson hits anybody, I don’t care if he’s 90, he’s gonna knock them out cold, isn’t he?” Fury said in a YouTube short shared by MMAREAD. “Obviously I have to back Mike Tyson. I’m named after the legend and I’ll back him. As he always backs me I’m backing Mike for the knockout. Come on, Mike!” While many boxers, including Fury, want Tyson to win to ‘defend’ their sport, much of the logical thinking is on Jake’s side. The ‘Problem Child’ has the advantage of being the younger fighter. While he may not have Tyson’s natural skills, Jake can go longer, move quicker, and throw punches with more regularity. ‘Iron’ Mike isn’t the only fight that Jake has on the table, though. Boxing cult hero Butterbean has offered him a $2m “winner-takes-all” clash and the WBA is open to seeing Jake take on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for a championship.

Tyson Fury launches explosive “facts” rant to explain why he’ll beat Oleksandr Usyk YouTube: Queensberry PromotionsTyson Fury has launched into an impassioned rant about boxing history to underline why he believes he will beat Oleksandr Usyk to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Fury will unify his WBC belt with Usyk’s WBA, IBF and WBO straps on Saturday, May 18, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as both fighters put their unbeaten records on the line in the pursuit of greatness. The “Gypsy King” is renowned for his trash talk in the pre-fight build-up but was at pains during Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference to declare his respect for the achievements of Usyk. The Ukrainian fighter was undisputed cruiserweight world champion in the past and is looking to become the third fighter in the four-belt era to become undisputed world champion at two different weight classes. But in a fiery rant, Fury quickly followed up his respect for Usyk by dubbing himself “an encyclopaedia of boxing”, claiming history shows that cruiserweights eventually get “found wanting” against elite heavyweights and has predicted Usyk will suffer the same fate against him. “This is not personal,” Fury said. “It is strictly business for both fighters. I don’t hate him, he is a good husband, a good, God-fearing man, so I respect him as a man and as a fighter. “He is undisputed cruiserweight champion and the unified heavyweight champion so anybody would have to respect the man’s achievements. “He is a good fighter and it is a tough challenge I have in front of me. But I am very confident in my ability and very confident I will beat the guy. “That is not to say he is s**t because he loses to me. Everybody I have beaten before, even long-reigning, lineal champions like Wladimir Klitschko, after I beat him everybody was like: ‘he is a piece of s**t him’. “Wilder, all of these guys after I’ve beaten them, they say is a piece of s**t. So please don’t say Oleksandr Usyk is s**t after I beat him because he is not. He is the unified heavyweight champion and undisputed cruiserweight champion. “But my personal opinion of it is we have weight divisions for a reason. Me being an encyclopaedia of boxing who has studied every heavyweight and cruiserweight who has ever lived, when the cruiserweights step up to the big boys they get found wanting. “Even the greatest cruiserweight who ever lived, Evander Holyfield, when he stepped up to the big boys like “Big Daddy” [Riddick] Bowe and Lennox Lewis, he was found wanting. “You can beat the average big ones but not the elite big ones because size really matters. We have weight divisions for a reason and he is going to be found wanting when he fights me on May 18. “Look at David Haye. He was an explosive, good cruiserweight and a good heavyweight. When he fought average heavyweights, he could beat them. When he stepped up to face Klitschko, it wasn’t really a contest. “Tomasz Adamek. A good light-heavyweight, a good cruiserweight, he beat some good heavyweights. He stepped up to the big boys [and was] beaten. The same thing will happen to Oleksandr. “Sultan Ibragimov. Olympic silver-medalist, was 20-0 and beat Shannon Briggs for the world championship. He was found wanting by Wladimir Klitschko. I could keep going on and on and on. I am not slagging anyone off, these are facts. “I have studied this game all my life and you cannot prove me wrong. This is my time, my destiny, my era and my generation. Facts.”

Tyson Fury injury that saw undisputed world heavyweight title fight rearranged left wife “shaking” The MMA Hour/TwitterWBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s eye injury, that has seen his undisputed world title fight with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk rearranged, left his wife, Paris, ‘shaking’. Fury, 35, was forced to pull out of the mega fight that was originally slated for Saturday, February 17, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after suffering a cut above his eye in sparring on Friday. Organiser Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s general entertainment authority, confirmed that the entire February 17 show has been postponed, ending speculation Usyk could fight a different opponent. The fight will now take place on Saturday, May 18, at the same venue, while it was also confirmed Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev have agreed to fight in an undisputed light-heavyweight world title fight in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, June 1. Tyson Fury’s injury left wife, Paris, ‘shaking’ It was confirmed on Friday that the original fight date was postponed after Fury suffered a nasty cut above his eye. Explaining how he suffered the injury, Fury said in a press conference: “I arranged to spar 12 rounds with four different guys. “In round five I got an elbow in the eye, a split eye, and obviously I’ve been to the hospital and had 11 stitches.” When his wife Paris saw the severity of his injury, she claims it left her ‘full body shaking’. “My full body was shaking with nerves when he showed me the cut, because I wasn’t there with him,” Paris said on her Instagram Story. “He sounded so p****d off and disappointed but this is boxing and these things can happen.”

Tyson Fury boxing record: Oleksandr Usyk defeat rocks Gypsy King Associated PressTyson Fury lost his undefeated record after Oleksandr Usyk’s split-decision victory on Saturday, May 18. After the fight, here is a look at The Gypsy King’s boxing record overall and some of his biggest bouts to date. Fury and Usyk (22-0) went toe-to-toe in Saudi Arabia as the Ukrainian became the first undisputed heavyweight king since Lennox Lewis last achieved the feat in 1999. Both men came into the fight with an undefeated record and a stellar list of opponents that they have overcome on their way to the very pinnacle of the sport. Here’s a look at Fury’s biggest fights and overall boxing record after a contest that will go down in history as an epic of the heavyweight division. Contents Wladimir Klitschko, 2015 – Otto Wallin, 2019 – Deontay Wilder 2, 2020 – Deontay Wilder 3, 2021 – Oleksandr Usyk, 2024 – Overall boxing record – Wladimir Klitschko, 2015 So extreme was Klitschko’s dominance of the heavyweight division, Fury was written off by many before the fight had even begun. The then-27-year-old had tried to tell the world that an upset was coming, but few truly believed him. That was until The Gypsy King outboxed the Ukrainian great on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Fury had gotten under the skin of the self-confessed control freak before the fight had even started. Whether it was having a layer of foam removed from under the canvas, or ensuring Klitschko re-wrapped his gloves with a member of their camp present, the man from Morecambe had taken control from the start. In truth, the fight was a messy affair, but even a points deduction in the 11th round for hitting his opponent in the back of the head – something Fury has been accused of in the past – could not stop the judges from ruling in favour of the Brit. Otto Wallin, 2019 Nearly four years later, and the first of three fights with Deontay Wilder dealt with (more on him later), Fury took on Otto Wallin. On paper, Fury was expected to walk through the Swede and move on to bigger and better things – namely a rematch with the Bronze Bomber – but if the then-31-year-old thought he would be in for an easy night, he had another thing coming. A punch from Wallin in the third round drew blood above Fury’s right eye, something that would later require micro-surgery on cuts both above the eye and on the eyelid. The Gypsy King was repeatedly checked by the ringside doctor as blood poured from the wound, stunning the Las Vegas crowd into moments of silence as concerns grew. However, if you ever needed proof that Fury is a warrior in the ring, it was shown in spades that night. Fighting fire with fire, Fury stood his ground, planted his feet and looked to hit, and hit hard. The ninth round cemented a shift in momentum as he caught Wallin with a right hand that led to a flurry of shots with the Swede stuck on the ropes. Fury won the fight by unanimous decision as he came through a battle of literal blood, sweat and tears. Deontay Wilder 2, 2020 When you think of the best boxing trilogies of all-time, fights such as Ali vs Frazier, Pacquiao vs Marquez and Leonard vs Duran come to mind. Recency bias is of course a factor, but you would be hard pushed to deny Fury vs Wilder a place among them. Having battled to a split-decision draw in their first fight back in 2018 – a contest that many believe Fury should have won – The Gypsy King made sure there was no doubt come the rematch. The 31-year-old floored Wilder in the third and fifth rounds before the Bronze Bomber’s team threw in the towel in the seventh. Fury dominated from the start and never took a backwards step, dictating the tempo and forcing the American onto the ropes at will. It was a boxing masterclass from Fury who made light work of one of the deadliest punchers in the division. Deontay Wilder 3, 2021 Every story deserves a good ending and boy did fans get what they had hoped for when the pair met for the third and final time. A year and eight months after their last bout, Fury and Wilder produced another fight for the ages in front of an electric Las Vegas crowd. An upset appeared to be on the cards when Wilder sent Fury to the canvas, not once, but twice, in the fourth round, as the Bronze Bomber’s fabled right hand reminded his opponent of the power he carried. Yet, as Fury said after the fight, “When the chips are down, I can always deliver.” The Gypsy King did just that as he roared back into the fight and eventually had Wilder hanging on before being knocked down in the 10th, getting the job done in the 11th with a booming right hand of his own that brought the fight to a close. Wilder has since called for a fourth contest with Fury, but that chapter appears to be well and truly closed. Oleksandr Usyk, 2024 Two undefeated fighters walked into the ring looking to leave as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, but it was Usyk that made sure he had his ‘0’ intact come the final bell. The Ukrainian started strong, controlling the ring and outboxing Fury for the opening rounds. But the Gypsy King grew into the contest as he started to build momentum heading into the middle rounds. But in the ninth, Usyk rocked Fury with a flurry of punches as he had his opponent quite literally on the ropes, ultimately securing a knockdown on the scorecards. Fury beat the count, but the bell at the end of the round stopped what looked set to be an impending TKO or KO. Usyk won via split decision after the fight went the distance. Two of the three judges scored it 115-12 and 114-113 to Usyk, while the final scorecard had it 114-113 to Fury. Tyson Fury boxing record Overall, Tyson Fury’s boxing record stands at 34-1-1 with 24 KOs along the way. His split-decision draw with Wilder during their first fight in 2018 and the defeat to Usyk are the only blemishes on an otherwise perfect record. For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule.

Tyson Fury best ring walks: Gypsy King promises “surprise” entrance vs Oleksandr Usyk TNT SportsTyson Fury has produced some of the best ring walks boxing has ever seen. The Gypsy King has treated fans to the sublime, bizarre and everything in between during his time at the pinnacle of the sport. Fury (34-0-1) now faces Oleksandr Usyk (21-0) for the chance to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. The Brit has dubbed it the biggest fight of his life, but if you think that means we will get a toned down entrance to the ring, think again. “I’m always on the wind up, aren’t I? I think I was born winding people up,” said Fury. “Keep tuned and keep your eyes peeled, we’ve got some big stuff coming over the next few days. “I always have a crazy little ring walk and you wouldn’t expect anything different for the biggest fight in my life, would you? “I don’t think it’s ever been done before so it’s definitely going to be a surprise.” Ahead of what promises to be another all-time ring walk from Fury, Dexerto Sport have taken a look at five of the most iconic entrances from the boxing legend. Contents Deontay Wilder rematch: King Tyson Following a controversial draw in his first fight against Wilder, the pair squared up again in Las Vegas for what would be the second bout of their epic trilogy. Fury would get the job done on the night, stopping the Bronze Bomber in the seventh with a flurry of punches that led to Wilder’s team throwing the towel in. But The Gypsy King’s entrance to the ring would be just as memorable as his performance. Fury was carried on a throne, dressed as a king with a golden crown and scarlet red robe. He was calmness personified as the dulcet tones of Patsy Cline’s ‘Crazy’ welcomed him into the ring for one of the most memorable ring walks of his career. Tom Schwarz: USA! USA! USA! Another Las Vegas fight and another iconic entrance from Fury. Dressed in an all-black robe, hood up, head down, it was a strangely solemn march to the ring. But as he entered the arena, Fury’s Apollo Creed character came to life. Off came the robe, replaced with a star-spangled USA outfit adorned with a matching top hat. Accompanied by James Brown’s ‘Living in America’, the man from Morecambe paid homage and then some to the country playing host to the contest. Once again, Fury would get the job done in the ring, winning via a second round TKO. Otto Wallin: Viva La Mexico A Brit and a Swede fight in Vegas, so out walks Fury dressed head to toe in a Mexican-inspired outfit – obviously. But, there was method in Fury’s madness. The fight, taking place on September 15, 2019, is celebrated as Mexican Independence Day. Not one to let the moment pass him by, plenty of preparation went into his ring walk as he wore a poncho with the colors of the Mexican flag, along with a sombrero to round off the outfit. And if that wasn’t enough, even his boxing gloves had the red, white and green stripes running through them. Dillian Whyte: Wem-ber-ley On April 24, 2022, Fury walked out to take on Dillian Whyte in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley Stadium – the largest crowd for a boxing fight in Europe. The fight-going fans were not disappointed as Fury, dressed in a robe resembling the English flag, walked out to ‘Juicy’ by The Notorious BIG, belting out the words as he threw shadow punches to get himself pumped up. As he slowly made his way to the ring, a switch up would see Kings of Leon’s ‘Sex on Fire’ blare out, while Fury, sat on another throne, watched as fireworks lit up the night sky over the arena. The then-33-year-old later admitted that he got his timings wrong, having to get a jog on to make it to the ring in time. But he shouldn’t have worried, as he knocked out Whyte in the sixth round with plenty of time to spare. Francis Ngannou: Return of the Gypsy King In Fury’s latest fight, against Francis Ngannou, there was another throne and another iconic entrance from Fury. Accompanied by pyrotechnics, Fury was sat on a throne soaking in the atmosphere and staring out at the crowd in Saudi Arabia. Roy Orbison’s ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ then came over the speakers as Fury got to his feet and started jogging around the stage in time to the song. The fight would not go as smoothly as his entrance, however, with Fury relying on a split-decision victory to beat the former UFC fighter. For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule. Please note that if you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Tyson Fury best press conference moments from Batman stunt to American Pie singalong Associated PressTyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will come face to face later today as the pair take part in the final press conference before their undisputed world heavyweight title fight on Saturday, May 18. Fury puts his WBC belt on the line against Usyk, who will defend his WBA, IBF and WBO world titles in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as boxing will crown its first ever four belt undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. In a fight week which has already been spicy, with Fury’s father, John Fury, clashing with a member of Usyk’s camp, there are expected to be fireworks as the pair look to gain the upper hand on one another in the verbal mind games. Fury, 35, is famous for winning the fight outside of the ring, as well as inside the ropes, but, as of yet, no fighter has managed to draw Usyk into any pre-fight mind games. As the pair put their undefeated records on the line, fans will be eager to see if Fury can get under Usyk’s skin and add another iconic press conference moment to his already impressive collection. As we build up to the pre-fight press conference, Dexerto Sport has taken a look back at some of Fury’s most famous press conferences. Contents Trash talking David Haye – Batman and the Joker – Topless vs Klitschko – Deontay Wilder mind games – Singalong with Bob Arum – Trash talking David Haye Haye is well known, not only as a former two-weight world champion, but as one of the best self-promoters in boxing. But he met his match with Fury, ahead of their proposed 2013 heavyweight bout, as the world found out just how good of a trash-talker the “Gypsy King” really was. Haye was the favorite, having previously been a world champion, against the unbeaten Fury who had impressed at domestic level but hadn’t faced anybody of the caliber of the “Hayemaker”. Although the fight never happened due to an injury to Haye, the pre-fight press conferences were certainly memorable. When being introduced by Sky Sports presenter Adam Smith, Fury asked him to add ‘and sexy’ to his description of achievements in the game before he launched into a rant ridiculing Haye for the opponents he had faced at heavyweight. “I’m glad this little b***h has signed the contract, there was a lot of messing around,” Fury said. “He is a big t**t, David Haye. I’ve given him everything he wants, so I’m glad he’s actually here and I want him to be the champion in this fight. “Because it’s the last time he’s ever going to get claim to fame or glory or be a champion in history again. “He’s had a bit of fun time fighting that (Nikolai) Valuev guy who can’t get out of his own weight, fights an old man in John Ruiz and takes nine rounds to get him out of there – over the hill. “Then who does he fight? Audley Harrison – come on, people. Then he goes in there and gets bullied and played with like a little kid by Wlad (Wladimir Klitschko), the robotic Wlad. “Haye’s got the explosive power, the movement, the head speed but he can’t hit a robot. Good work David. Good work, sir.” The previously outspoken Haye looked lost for words and while the fight never happened inside the ring, Fury certainly got the better of the battle outside of the ring. Batman and the Joker Fury finally earned his shot at the world heavyweight title in 2015 when he challenged WBA, IBF and WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf, Germany. Klitschko had not lost a fight for over 11 years and was seen as one of the most dominant champions in heavyweight boxing history. But while many of his opponents had lost the fight before they had even stepped into the ring, Fury’s belief he would beat the Ukrainian remained unshaken. Instead of allowing Klitschko to win the pre-fight mind games, Fury set about trying to get under his skin and rendered his opponent speechless when he pulled off a Batman and the Joker stunt at his pre-fight press conference. Fury turned up in a yellow Lamborghini and got out the car dressed as Batman. During the press conference, Fury jumped over the table and wrestled with a man dressed as the Joker. After Fury got the better of the exchange, he turned to Klitschko and shouted: “You, next, this is a fool just like you are. “Look at him, this is how you’ll be looking when you face me on October 24. You’ll look up on your back like that you old idiot, you old fool. “You’ve taken too many punches, I didn’t understand anything you’ve just said, so repeat your speech again as nobody heard it.” A bemused Klitschko looked on in dismay. Fury would go on to win the fight via unanimous decision and change the landscape of heavyweight boxing. Topless vs Klitschko After Fury’s win in the first fight, the pair were slated to fight again in a rematch the following year. Fury’s well documented struggles away from the ring put paid to that but that didn’t stop some pre-fight shenanigans in the press conference. Klitschko’s usual calm pre-fight demeanor was nowhere to be seen and he launched into a tirade about controversial comments Fury had made in the past. Fury slammed his rival for his bitterness and ridiculed him for losing to a ‘fat’ man, before pulling his shirt over his head and slapping his bare belly. “He got beat the first time around fair and square,” said Fury. “He got beat on his own turf, you got whooped. You will have to come 1,000 times better because you landed about four times in 12 rounds against a big fat gypsy. ‘”You are a hall of dog s**t fighter in my mind. I’m going to knock him out inside a round just to show how s**t he is, and no 40-year-old is going to beat me, 27-years-old.” Deontay Wilder mind games Fury made a heroic return to boxing, after suffering from depression, as well as cocaine and alcohol abuse. He got back in shape, lost 10 stone in weight and returned to the ring with routine wins over Sefer Seferi and Francesco Pianeta in 2018. Then, a shot at regaining the world heavyweight title came calling when WBC champion Deontay Wilder challenged Fury in a voluntary defense. The pre-fight build-up lit the blue touch paper for an incredible trilogy between the pair and if the hard-hitting Wilder thought Fury was going to be a light touch on his return, he was sorely mistaken. Fury would get the better of the pre-fight verbals and Wilder routinely lost his cool in the build-up to both of their first two fights. On one occasion, the American shoved Fury and the pair had to be separated after a scuffle which sent two security guards to the floor. “That was a 10-8 round out there,” Fury said after the altercation. “I saw fear in his eye and his backside was flapping. “He came here today to be cool, calm and collected to make a joke of things but I didn’t come here to joke. I’m here to get in his mind and put it right on him and I’ve done it over three dates. “I’ve won every single competition. The mind games are mine, I am the master of the mind.” The first fight ended in a contentious draw, but Fury made sure the judges weren’t needed in their second fight – stopping Wilder in the seventh round. Wilder, who hadn’t previously been beaten, sacked a member of his backroom team for throwing the towel in to stop the fight and blamed his pre-fight costume as the reason he lacked energy in the ring. A third fight would follow and instead of engaging in the pre-fight verbals, Wilder remained completely silent in a bizarre pre-fight press conference. It didn’t work, though, as despite knocking Fury down twice in the fourth round, the Gypsy King knocked out Wilder in the 11th round to put the seal on their rivalry. Singalong with Bob Arum Top Rank CEO Bob Arum may well be in his nineties now but Fury still managed to get a singalong out of the veteran promoter after his win over Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas. Fury serenaded the world’s media with a rendition of “American Pie” and Arum, as well as Fury’s British promoter Frank Warren, both joined in, in a clip that will live long in the memory of boxing fans. To watch Fury vs Usyk, book the fight on DAZN PPV, here. The fight will cost £24.99 for UK fight fans and $69.99 for fans in the USA. Please note that if you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission. For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule.

Tyson Fury backed to cancel Oleksandr Usyk fight and take on Anthony Joshua instead Associated PressTyson Fury could be set to bail on his upcoming bout with Oleksandr Usyk and instead clear a path to take on Anthony Joshua in a fight that would have boxing fans around the world on the edge of their seats. That is the view of former WBA super-middleweight champion, George Groves. The 36-year-old, who went toe-to-toe with the likes of Carl Froch and Chris Eubank Jr before retiring in 2019, believes that the Gypsy King may not make it into the ring to fight Usyk on May 18. “I’ve said since the start – I’ll believe it when I see it,” Groves told Betway. “I don’t think Fury has ever fancied the Usyk fight. He’s talking about having 10 more fights, but if he loses to Usyk how does that work? It’s a massive risk for him to fight Usyk. He’s probably really hoping that Usyk can’t take a body shot.” Fury was initially due to take on Usyk in February, but a freak accident suffered in sparring left him needing 11 stitches following a cut to his eye. Groves believes that the aftermath of that incident told him all he needed to know about Fury’s intentions of stepping into the ring. “When the fight got postponed after the cut, I wasn’t surprised,” he added. “It gave me the feeling that this fight will never happen… “We saw Eddie Hearn [Joshua’s promoter] almost say that Joshua vs Fury trumps Fury vs Usyk after AJ beat [Francis] Ngannou. I thought to myself, I bet Fury would rather have a bit of Joshua than Usyk because he’ll see that as an easier fight.” Hearn has indeed pleaded with Fury to beat Usyk when the two meet next month. Joshua’s promoter believes that a showdown between the two British giants would be one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport. Joshua beat Ngannou with a devastating knockout in the second round when the pair took to the ring in March, but Fury needed a split decision from the judges to seal victory over the same opponent when they fought last October. Groves believes that the different performance levels from the pair in their respective fights against Ngannou will have fans thinking that AJ can now beat Fury, something the latter will want to rectify the only way he can. “People are starting to consider that AJ beats Fury after both of their performances against Ngannou,” Groves said. “It would not be a surprise if Fury wants to set the record straight and fight Joshua next and leave Usyk out. “Usyk is probably thinking ‘I don’t know if this guy is going to show up’ because there’s still a chance Fury pulls out.” All the eyes of the boxing world are on Fury and Usyk ahead of their fight at the Kingdom Arena, Saudi Arabia, next month. Despite Fury being initially forced into postponing the first scheduled date for the fight, the WBC champion has reiterated his commitment that he will be touching gloves with Usyk “cut eye or not”. Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, has also warned his fighter that the Ukrainian will target the cut on his eye, despite backing him to get the job done over Usyk within 12 rounds.

True Geordie will make Misfits Boxing debut on one condition after Tempo callout Fred Talks Fighting/True GeordieTrue Geordie has said that if he is ever going to fight on a Misfits Boxing card, it will be “on his terms”, after he brutally responded to being called out by Tempo Arts. Tempo, 19, claimed the Misfits heavyweight title last October with a split-decision victory over Chase DeMoor. The result of the fight proved to be a controversial one, especially as the American had his British opponent under severe pressure towards the end of the contest. After winning the bout, Tempo called out True Geordie, but the die-hard Newcastle United fan has shrugged off the challenge, insisting that his fellow Brit needs to prove to the world that his victory over DeMoor wasn’t a fluke before talk of a fight between the pair becomes serious. “He did call me out, bless him,” True Geordie told Misfits Boxing. “I do like him so it’s a weird thing when someone calls you out and you kind of like them. “But then he did another interview, like, ‘Is he [True Geordie] making excuses [not to fight]’, and I’ll be honest, if I was advising this guy, I would say: ‘Call out people who you might be able to actually fight one day. “‘You’ve got your opportunity, the whole world is around you, finally giving you some attention, you’ve got a chance to build a fight.’ Chase DeMoor – the whole heavyweight division – think that he probably won that fight [against Tempo]. “In my opinion, I thought Chase DeMoor beat him. Go and reclaim that win. Actually do something that you can do. “If I am ever going to fight on Misfits, it is going to be on my terms. He’s [Tempo] a 19-year-old kid, I’ve never seen one of his YouTube videos, I don’t know anything he does. I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but there’s big fish and then there’s people who – I don’t even see you, pal. “Get yourself in there with Chase DeMoor and actually beat the s**t out of him, and then make yourself the actual heavyweight champion.” For more influencer boxing matches taking place this year, be sure to check out our hub right here on Dexerto to stay tuned to all the best fights.

Tommy Fury sent brutal callout by ex-world heavyweight champion’s brother Associated PressTommy Fury has been called out by the brother of former world heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, Muhsin Cason. Fury, who is the younger brother of current WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, is on the lookout for his next opponent after high profile wins over both Jake Paul and KSI in his last two bouts. And internet personality, Cason, has thrown his hat into the ring and believes the fact both fighters have brothers who have been world heavyweight champions, as well as exposure from influencer boxing, would make for a perfect mix. “I think it would be good for television, it would be good for social and it would be good for boxing,” Cason said. “Both of our brothers are [heavyweight] world champions. We are both, per se, trying to get to a world championship. I think it would be a legacy fight. “You are going to get paid more for being a personality than being a professional boxer. So what I did was – I said I am going to be both. “I am going to have the skills [of a professional boxer], but I am going to have the personality to be on the platforms like Jake Paul’s cards and be on influencer cards as well because I know where the money is.” Cason, who boasts a record of 11-0, is next in the ring later this month when he fights on the undercard of Andrew Tabiti’s fight with Junior Wright in Philadelphia on April 27. Should he emerge victorious, he is targeting a fight with Fury and he has poured scorn on the younger Fury’s boxing ability, despite him boasting a perfect 10-0 record of his own. “I just think he has a lot of money, he talks this talk like he is a real boxer, but he has only faced [limited competition],” Cason added. “He has never faced a real boxer like that, and I think if he got in there with me, Viddal Riley, someone like that he’d get [hurt], and I definitely think he has used his brother’s [Tyson Fury] platform and likability in order to get [his big fights]. “To call yourself a real boxer, and the next world champion – and to never fight an actual prospect. You have yet to even challenge yourself against a real fighter.” Rahman famously won the heavyweight world titles in 2001 with a shock knockout win over Lennox Lewis, before he lost the belts in a rematch with the British great. Meanwhile, Tyson Fury is currently undefeated and will fight WBA, IBF and WBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk next month for the right to become undisputed world heavyweight champion. Should Cason and Tommy Fury, there will be family legacy on stake as well as the unbeaten record of both fighters.

Tommy Fury references Jake Paul as he makes Conor McGregor demand Associated PressTommy Fury has called out Conor McGregor to be his next opponent in the boxing ring as he made reference to Jake Paul’s upcoming fight with Mike Tyson. Fury, 24, is eyeing up a return to boxing after his majority decision win over YouTuber KSI last October. Lending his support to brother Roman, who won his bout against Martin Svarc on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou undercard, Fury took the opportunity to call out the Irishman. Tommy Fury wants Conor McGregor fight “I’m looking to get this [hand injury] out the way, nice and recovered,” Fury told DAZN Boxing. “I’ve seen that Jake Paul is fighting Mike Tyson, I mean why not me and [Conor] McGregor next? I’ve got a comeback fight and I’d like him for my return so McGregor, get in touch.” Fury picked up a hand injury during his win over KSI but it is clearly not stopping him from looking ahead to his next opponent. And it seems as if the blockbuster announcement of Jake Paul’s fight with boxing legend Mike Tyson – to be shown live on Netflix – has played a part in his desire to call out McGregor. Paul will go toe-to-toe with Tyson on July 20 in Dallas as the former YouTuber turned boxer looks to take on one of the all-time greats of the sport. Most Valuable Promotions’ co-founder Nakisa Bidarian believes the bout will be the “most watched event in modern boxing history”, while Paul has described the bout as a “fight of a lifetime”.

Tommy Fury finally breaks silence on Jake Paul rematch after $20m offer Instagram: Tommy Fury/BT SportTommy Fury has finally broken his silence on a rematch with Jake Paul after the YouTuber-turned-boxer floated a massive $20m fight offer. When Jake Paul started targeting fights with ‘real’ boxers, he immediately set his eyes on Tommy Fury. Despite also being a British reality TV star, Tommy ticked the boxes for Jake given his family background in boxing. The pair finally stepped into the ring together in February 2023, and despite Jake scoring a knockdown in the latter rounds, Tommy controlled the fight, scoring a split-decision victory and breaking the ‘Problem Child’s’ unbeaten run. There had been rumors that the pair would have their rematch in the summer of 2023, but that came and went without happening. Tommy ultimately fought, and beat, KSI at the end of 2023, but came through with an injury. Tommy Fury wants to rematch Jake Paul after injury Since then, Jake has continued to float the idea of a rematch, including a double-header inside the MMA cage that would coincide with his PFL debut. That, he claimed, would be worth up to “20 million” in guaranteed money for Tommy, despite the boxer having no mixed martial arts experience. He has now lifted the lid on his thoughts about a rematch with Jake. “I’m out for a good 6 months but after that, I’m looking to get it on. Me and Mr. Paul have some leftover business, we’ll tend to that,” Tommy said. A six-month wait for Tommy to return to training would, realistically, put them in a position to fight at the backend of 2024. Jake is slated to fight again on April 26 against an, as of yet, unnamed opponent as he looks to stay active. He is also looking to make his MMA debut in 2024, so that could create some issues when it comes to a rematch with Tommy.

Terence Crawford mocks Teofimo Lopez after controversial points win over Jamaine Ortiz Twitter/ESPN RingsideTerence Crawford mocked Teofimo Lopez on social media after his controversial points victory over Jamaine Ortiz in Las Vegas. All three judges scored the fight in Lopez’s favour (115-113, 115-113, 117-111) but the decision was booed by those in attendance at the Michelob Ultra Arena. Crawford had posted on X prior to the judge’s scorecards being revealed that he believed Lopez had lost and that it was time for him to go ‘back to the drawing board’. Lopez’s post-fight reaction However, despite seemingly being outboxed, a visibly emotional Lopez was awarded the decision. Lopez’s tears provoked mockery from 36-year-old Crawford, who wrote: “He got a gift and he know it that’s why he crying.” The defeated Ortiz made it clear he did not agree with the judges’ scorecards, saying: “I stuck to the game plan, I listened to my corner, my team. I thought I was winning. “I think I won the fight. What can I say? He couldn’t hit me, I was making him miss all night. 117-111 is just ridiculous.” Lopez, meanwhile, has his eyes firmly fixed on a showdown with Crawford, adding: “I’ll fight Crawford at a catchweight. I’m here, I’m ready. I’m hungry, I’m younger, I’m prettier.”

Teofimo Lopez’s possible next opponents after Jamaine Ortiz win YouTube/Top Rank BoxingTeofimo Lopez’s performance in victory over Jamaine Ortiz in Las Vegas was uninspiring but the fight did not go down without drama or controversy. The New Yorker was outboxed by Ortiz but somehow all three judges scored the bout in his favour, with two scoring it 115-113 and the other 117-111. Ortiz labelled the 117-111 scorecard ‘ridiculous’ while the announcement of the result prompted boos from those in attendance. Possible next opponents Lopez was in tears as the result was read out before telling fans they could ‘boo all they want’ in his post-fight interview. Although the underwhelming nature of Lopez’s performance will be the talking point in days to come, attention will soon turn to what’s next for the 26-year-old. Lopez was quick to call out Terence Crawford after the win over Ortiz but Crawford appeared to shut that down on X, saying Lopez was just ‘trying to use my name for promotion’. Keyshawn Davis was ringside for the Lopez-Ortiz fight having recorded a victory himself on the night, beating Jose Pedraza in the co-main event, and he and Lopez were involved in a fiery exchange afterwards. Speaking to ESPN after that interaction, Lopez appeared to shut down the idea that Davis would be his next opponent. “We’re talking about a lightweight!” Lopez said about Davis. “We’re talking about a lightweight over here. He hasn’t done anything. “Just like Vasiliy Lomachenko told me — if you want to fight me, you got to get a title. Get a world title. If you want to fight the king, go ahead and get the world title. I’m not going to give it to you guys… for what? You guys want it easy! Everybody wants it easy!” A possible meeting with with Devin Haney or Ryan Garcia could be off the cards for the foreseeable future too, with multiple reports claiming those two fighters are set to face each other in Vegas on April 20. Other potential opponents at light-welterweight include Rolly Romero and Subriel Matias while a rematch with George Kambosos Jr at welterweight could also be an option.

Teofimo Lopez next fight: Steve Claggett bout confirmed with mega fight waiting in wings Associated PressTeofimo Lopez is one of the biggest names in boxing right now and there is much intrigue about his next steps, following his June 29 title defense against Steve Claggett. Should ‘The Takeover’ get past Claggett unscathed, the WBO super-lightweight world champion will have a number of lucrative options at his disposal. Lopez announced himself at the elite level with a shock shutout victory over three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko to become the WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight world champion. However, in an even bigger shock, he lost those belts in his next fight when he dropped a split decision to Australian fighter George Kambosos Jr. Lopez has since rebuilt his career at super-lightweight and after wins over Pedro Campa and Sandro Martin, he became a two-weight world champion by dethroning former undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor. He has since successfully defended that belt with a win over Jamaine Ortiz and there is much intrigue over how far Lopez’s career can take him. A number of big name fighters currently operate around the super-lightweight and lightweight divisions, and Lopez will not be short of offers. As such, we have looked at what the immediate future looks like for the 27-year-old. Steve Claggett bout confirmed Lopez’s next fight has been confirmed as a WBO world title defense against veteran Canadian boxer Steve Claggett in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, June 29. Claggett has won his last nine fights but, on paper, shouldn’t pose a problem to Lopez given he has lost seven times in his 47 fight career. The 34-year-old is ranked as the WBO’s number 10 contender and it should present a routine voluntary title defense for a fighter of Lopez’s stature. Unification fight next? Should he get past Claggett, Lopez has three potential routes to a unification fight at 140 pounds. The fight which would be the biggest, and make the most financial sense, would be with WBC champion Devin Haney. Haney has largely fought under the Matchroom Boxing promotional banner but is a free agent who has worked with Top Rank, who promote Lopez, for his win over Lomachenko for the undisputed lightweight world title in May 2023. If Haney wanted to make a unification fight with Lopez, there is precedent to show he would be willing to do so on a Top Rank promotion. Out of all three champions, he also remains the biggest, most lucrative name for Lopez to fight, despite his loss to Ryan Garcia in April. Garcia has since tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Ostarine and Haney retained his world title after ‘King Ry’ missed weight. Should a fight with Haney not materialize, he could also look to unify with the WBA champion or the IBF champion. Isaac Cruz will defend his WBA title in August on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s fight with Israil Madrimov, and he has fought on a number of different promotions. As such, a fight could well be made between the pair, should he defend his title against Jose Valenzuela. Then there is a fight against the IBF champion. Subriel Matias defends his belt against Liam Paro in June, with both fighting under the Matchroom Boxing promotional banner. Should Lopez go down that route, conversations between rival promoters and broadcasters will have to take place and compromises will have to be made. Lucrative lightweight options include Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson There are also three pay-per-view stars in the lightweight division who could fancy a step up to super-lightweight to challenge Lopez. WBC world champion Shakur Stevenson has already stated his desire to fight Lopez and has claimed it would be an ‘easy’ night’s work. Both men are promoted by Top Rank so it shouldn’t be too difficult of a fight to make. Similarly, IBF world champion Lomachenko is promoted by Top Rank and would be keen to avenge his loss to Lopez at lightweight. Given the Ukrainian has risen through three weight divisions and is aged 36, a move to super-lightweight may prove too much to challenge Lopez, though. WBA world champion Gervonta Davis would present a mega fight but given ‘Tank’ is promoted by Premier Boxing Champions and is one of their marquee fighters on the Amazon Prime platform, promoter and broadcaster disputes would likely rule that fight out. Another lightweight fighter who could emerge as an option is Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis. Davis is seen as one of the biggest prospects in boxing and has had verbal back and forth with Lopez before. Both men are promoted by Top Rank but Davis probably needs a world title to really get the juices flowing for a fight with Lopez. Davis will likely get a shot at WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk to do just that. Jack Catterall option British boxer Jack Catterall has called out Lopez after his rematch win over former undisputed super-lightweight champion, Josh Taylor. Catterall was WBO mandatory challenger for years until Taylor finally gave him his shot back in 2022. Catterall knocked down Taylor but lost a contentious fight on a split decision. Taylor relinquished three of his belts before defending his WBO strap against Lopez and losing that to the American star. After Catterall beat Taylor and righted the wrongs of the first fight, he now has his eye on the WBO world title he feels should have been his two years ago. “I was mandatory for the WBO world title for what felt like a lifetime,” Catterall said. “He beat Taylor before I did. We both have the win over him and I want to prove that I am better than him. I believe I’ve got the style to beat Lopez and that’s the fight I want.” Catterall has since asked his followers on X who they would like to see him fight next and after the majority of the replies came back with Lopez’s name, he called out “The Takeover” for a second time. “I can see @TeofimoLopez got the most votes let’s do it when you finish with Claggett. Don’t worry, I’ll fly to you or we can meet in neutral grounds in the kingdom. @Turki_alalshikh is the man to do it.” The mandatory road block What could scupper all of these plans is that Arnold Barboza Jr is the WBO’s mandatory challenger to Lopez’s super-lightweight world title. The 32-year-old boasts a perfect 32-0 record, although the scorecards drew much criticism in his last win over Ireland’s Sean McComb on the undercard of Garcia’s win over Haney in New York. Nonetheless, for any of the major fights to happen, Barboza Jr would have to step aside or Lopez would have to fight the American next. For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule. Please note that if you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Teofimo Lopez names three fights he wants next as he looks to ‘recreate’ Conor McGregor success Sky Sports/YouTube/WikimediaWBO super-lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez wants to ‘recreate’ Conor McGregor’s UFC success in boxing. Two-weight world champion Lopez returns to action on Thursday evening as he takes on Jamaine Ortiz in the first defence of his title he won off Josh Taylor last year. Having been a three-belt champion at lightweight, Lopez is keen to add to his world title collection at super-lightweight and hopes for a huge fight next if he can beat Ortiz in Las Vegas. ‘The Takeover’ is a huge name inside and outside of the boxing ring and he admits he has taken inspiration from McGregor’s success in UFC. The Irishman was a two-weight world champion in the MMA promotion and his popularity on both sides of the Atlantic transcended the sport. McGregor has also made big money away from the Octagon with his various business ventures and Lopez has ambitions of replicating his success in boxing. “Conor McGregor has my utmost respect, first and foremost he’s a smart businessman and look at the amount of revenue he’s gained from it. He is in the UFC. He is MMA, whether they like it or not,” Lopez told Fruity Slots. “I’d like to recreate that in the sport of boxing. I look up to guys like that – not with greed or envy – but wanting to learn from guys like that. He’s much older than me and I’m always a student of the game. “Me and him have had back and forth on the X app and Instagram, we follow each other, and it’s great to have a profound athlete like him – an icon and half of famer – consider me as someone he’s open to talk to, I’m honoured. I’m a kid in a candy store, it’s the best feeling in the world. “I’ll mostly definitely seek his advice in business when we finally get together one on one. I’d definitely want to speak to him and pick his brain and he can pick mine too because I have some great ideas too.” Lopez names Devin Haney, Terence Crawford and George Kambosos as future opponents Should he beat Ortiz, there are lots of possibilities for huge fights for Lopez in the second half of 2024. Fellow super-lightweight world champions Devin Haney, Subriel Matias and Rolly Romero will be watching on with interest, while Ryan Garcia is also a huge name in the division. Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis are huge names at lightweight that represent a possibility, as does George Kambosos Jr, who remains the only blemish on Lopez’s professional record. Similarly, welterweight king Terence Crawford would be a huge fight for Lopez if he was willing to step up from 140 lbs to 147 lbs. Of all those names, though, three stand out as opponents Lopez would love to fight next. “There are lots of people mentioning my name, but it’s all strategic moves,” he added. “I’ve had this before with George Kambosos, but now I have the experience. “That’s why it’s great to have those L’s on my record, it’s great because it’s not a loss, it’s a learned lesson, because now I know why focus is important from a mentality point of view. “My focus has only been on Ortiz, just last night I was film studying him. The talk about the other names is just nonsense for me right now. I’m blocking the noise. “Do I want to face Haney and Crawford? Absolutely! But my first task is Ortiz. Crawford says he’s just travelling this year and I wish him the best, but may we meet eventually. “I don’t want to name the names of who I want to fight because honestly, I’m bigger than all of them and they know it. But I’m going to avenge that loss to Kambosos, I’m telling you that. If that presents itself in the ring that man better have bodyguards.”