On one coast was Shakur Stevenson, the unbeaten WBC lightweight champion and former Olympic medalist, fighting in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, live on ESPN with Joe Tessitore ready to deliver a soundtrack to some spectacular knockout.
This was boxing’s future.
On the other coast was a couple of former mixed martial artists, each pushing 40, trying to rekindle a rivalry (or at least cash a check) born in the UFC half a decade ago. Except this was now a boxing ring.
Nate Diaz entered the bout in Anaheim, California, and broadcast on pay-per-view with a record of 0-1 as a professional boxer, the loss coming to former YouTube star Jake Paul.