One prominent boxing journalist has had his credentials pulled before Saturday’s TKO and Saudi Arabia-backed boxing card involving Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford.
Award-winning boxing reporter Lance Pugmire will not be credentialed for the event at Allegiant Stadium despite being approved several weeks ago.
Pugmire, who currently writes for Boxing Scene, had been approved for credentials, but his outlet reports that less than two weeks before the fight, they were revoked.
Boxing Scene contacted Chris Bellitti, the UFC’s VP of Corporate Communications, who responded to the site over the reversal in credential approval and noting it wasn’t TKO’s decision:
I don’t have specific details, but the denial does not appear to be coming from the TKO side. With an event as complex as this, there are multiple stakeholders involved that have a say in the credentialed media (e.g., the main event boxer, Riyadh Season, etc.). One of those relationships may be strained, but I don’t have the back story.
Boxing Scene notes it has not been approved for a Riyadh Season or The Ring Magazine event since August 2024, while still being approved by all other boxing promoters.
A similar issue occurred one year ago when Oliver Brown of The Telegraph had his credentials pulled for the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois fight, after writing a piece on the sportswashing aspect of the event by Saudi Arabia.
The contentiousness with members of the boxing press continued on Thursday during a back-and-forth exchange involving the fight promoter, Dana White, and reporter Sean Zittel.
Zittel pressed White about why TKO is pushing for alterations to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act and how these changes would affect the protections of boxers. White would not answer and accused the reporter of “showboating,” and he could schedule a private interview to discuss those topics. Zittel persisted by following up and asking about the concerns raised at the California State Athletic Commission’s meeting this past Monday regarding the Act. White responded by referring to Zittel as “an asshole”.
Dana White was pressed by a reporter regarding the Ali Act at the #CaneloCrawford presser ?
— Boxing Orbit (@boxing_orbit) September 12, 2025
White was interviewed earlier in the week by Vegas PBS and asked about his rationale for supporting the Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act.
Eric Raskin’s article on Boxing Scene covers various instances where his sources spoke of suppression among the media.
