Zuffa Boxing’s debut this weekend possesses the potential to be a transformative event. But when Canelo Álvarez faces Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night, one of the sport’s most decorated reporters won’t be in the building.
According to BoxingScene, Lance Pugmire was denied a credential to cover the card for the outlet. Pugmire has covered boxing for a variety of outlets — including the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and The Athletic — for the past two decades, winning multiple awards, including the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in 2022.
Yet despite his obvious qualifications, Pugmire’s credential request for Saturday’s super fight was denied after initially being approved. BoxingScene editor Matt Christie reached out to UFC vice president of corporate communications Chris Bellitti, who stated that the denial didn’t come from TKO, which is promoting the card. Bellitti added that there are “multiple stakeholders” in the event and that “one of those relationships may be strained.”
That much doesn’t appear to be in dispute.
In his story/column regarding the matter, BoxingScene’s Eric Raskin was quick to point to the outlet’s critical coverage of Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season, which is funding Zuffa Boxing. According to Raskin, BoxingScene hasn’t been credentialed for a Riyadh Season or The Ring event since August 2024, while no other promoter has denied the outlet access.
Raskin also highlighted his skepticsm regarding Alalshikh’s purchase of The Ring Magazine. While he had initially said he was willing to take a wait-and-see approach regarding the General Entertainment Authority chairman’s promise of editorial independence, both his reporting and personal experiences since have provided enough evidence for him to render a verdict.
“Ten months have passed, and in that time, there have been multiple signs that Riyadh Season is suppressing the media,” he wrote. “That suppression goes beyond just banning news outlets and includes stifling its own reporters.”
Raskin cited multiple former staffers at The Ring who said their coverage was influenced the outlet’s ownership. He also claimed that BoxingScene founder Rick Reeno, who is now serving as The Ring’s chief operating officer, effectively works as Alalshikh’s messenger to writers and editors.
“Whether the editorial staff and freelancers for The Ring are told what they can and can’t say, either for the publication or on their personal social media feeds, the reality is that they all understand, to use a cliché, who butters their bread,” Raskin writes.
At the heart of all of this is the inherent conflict of interest that comes with Alalshikh not only the most prominent figure in the sport, but also the owner of one of its most storied publications. And that’s to say nothing of other instances of Saudi Arabia-backed ventures denying coverage to those who have been critical of the country’s human rights record.
Nevertheless, Saturday’s fight will go on regardless of whether or not Pugmire is in the press box. But as Saudi Arabia’s influence in the industry — in boxing and elsewhere — continues to grow, this isn’t a conversation that will be going away anytime soon.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.