HBO Is Getting Out of The Boxing Business After 45 Years

Gennady Golovkin punches Canelo Alvarez during their WBC/WBA middleweight title rematch at T-Mobile Arena on September 15 in Las Vegas. 

After 45 years of broadcasting boxing’s biggest fights, HBO announced Thursday that it will no longer cover the Sweet Science after this October. 

A statement released by HBO and published by Yahoo reads, “Boxing has been part of our heritage for decades. During that time, the sport has undergone a transformation. It is now widely available on a host of networks and streaming services.” 

“Going forward in 2019, we will be pivoting away from programming live boxing on HBO. As always, we will remain open to looking at events that fit our programming mix. This could include boxing, just not for the foreseeable future.”

A middleweight title bout between Daniel Jacobs and Sergiy Derevyanchenko at Madison Square Garden on October 27 will be the last live fight HBO airs.

The New York Times was the first outlet to report the news and obtained a statement from Peter Nelson, executive vice president of HBO Sports. 

“This is not a subjective decision,” Nelson said. “Our audience research informs us that boxing is no longer a determinant factor for subscribing to HBO.”

A 20-year-old Tyson demolished Trevor Berbick on HBO to become the youngest heavyweight champ ever in 1986.

Fans who have watched everything from Buster Douglas’ legendary knockout of Mike Tyson to Gennady Golovkin’s controversial loss to Canelo Alvarez in their recent rematch reacted on Twitter: 

Boxing fan site Bad Left Hook kept its chin up in a post about the shocking development:

HBO Boxing began in 1973 with George Foreman’s destruction of Joe Frazier, and in all has hosted more than 1,000 fights. Beyond the cards themselves, it hosted regular boxing content, including The Fight Game with Jim Lampley and its 24/7 series.

The sport and this network have been inextricably linked for much longer than I’ve been alive, and it will be extremely strange to see it go.

We won’t be starved for content, at least. DAZN and ESPN+ are making strong inroads, and even Facebook is getting in on the action thanks to a partnership with Golden Boy and Main Events. The sport we love is still here, with plenty of pillars rising to take the newfound slack.

Meanwhile, it looks like HBO’s longtime pay cable rival, Showtime, has scored at TKO when it comes to broadcasting big fights going forward. 

Check out the network’s preview video of the upcoming Tyson Fury/Deontay Wilder December 1 pay-per-view heavyweight bout here: 

It’s Avril Lavigne’s Birthday, So Celebrate With Her Hottest Maxim Throwback Photos

(Photo: Maxim)

Come with us, if you will, to the year 2002. 

Donald Trump was a real estate tycoon with a bad haircut, Hillary Clinton was a junior senator from New York with a bad husband, and Avril Lavigne was a punky young pop starlet who burst onto the scene with her debut hit single, “Complicated.” 

Then, there was “Sk8er Boi.”

Ah, what a simpler time it was.

(Photo: Maxim)
(Photo: Maxim)

Case in point, now you can’t even Google search Avril Lavigne’s name without coming across malware… or conspiracies that she is secretly dead and has been replaced by a clone. Luckily, you’re safe from all that nonsense here.

(Photo: Maxim)
(Photo: Maxim)

Help us celebrate the Canadian cutie’s 34th birthday with this retrospective of photos from her sexiest Maxim shoots. 

(Photo: Maxim)
(Photo: Maxim)

You’ll be glad you did, eh?

Here’s The First Look At the Futuristic Nike Air Max 720

Attention all sneaker aficionados: Nike has finally unveiled their futuristic new creation, the Air Max 720, that’s set to release in spring 2019.

As you can see, the sneaker is reminiscent of a hoverboard with a large air bubble that wraps around the entire shoe, and I can only imagine that if feels like walking on a bouncy cloud.

Here are some hard facts about it: The 720 is the tallest Air Max yet, with a height of 38mm to offer the most spring and bounce of any Nike shoe to date. In fact, the “Air unit,” as Nike calls it, is so big that the name 720 comes the fact that you can see it from 360 degrees both horizontally and vertically.

And here’s a fun fact: The original design of the shoe was inspired by nature, and each color reflects a different natural wonder like the Northern Lights, the Milky Way, lava, and sunsets and sunrises. 

Plus, each 720 is made with over 75 percent recycled manufacturing waste, so it’s definitely sustainable as hell, if you’re into that sort of thing.

And although this is just a teaser image where only see a few details are visible, I’m already convinced that this looks like one comfy sneaker.

For a look at the laceless future of Nike’s latest Air Jordan, check it out here.

The First Trailer for ‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix’ Is Here

There’s already one dark Phoenix coming to the movies in the form of the Joker origin movie, but the X-Men aren’t letting Joachin take that title away from them. Bringing back the ensemble cast and adding a few new faces, X-Men: Dark Phoenix will be the cinematic retelling of the of the epic comic saga of the same name, where Jean Grey’s evil alter-ego bubbles and spells trouble for mutants and humans alike.

The X-Men got a glimpse of Jean’s (Sophie Turner, Game of Thrones) alter-ego at the end of X-Men: Apocalypse, where she channeled her inner dark side to defeat that movie’s titular character. 

Left in a state of disarray, Jean looks to Professor X (James McAvoy, Split) for answers. It seems that, when the professor can’t give her a satisfactory answer, she goes to Magneto (Michael Fassbender, Alien: Covenant) instead. With the action that ensues, the pairing of Dark Phoenix and Magneto, it’s clear that nothing good is coming.

Also returning is Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nick Hoult as Beast, Evan Peters as Quicksilver and Tye Sheridan as Cyclops. Joining the cast as the mysterious Smith is Jessica Chastain. Halle Berry appears to be conspicously absent both in the trailer and the IMDB listing. 

View the original article to see embedded media.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is currently in post-production and is scheduled to hit theaters on February 14th, 2019. 

You Can Now Buy Steve McQueen’s Indian Chief Motorcycle

View the 8 images of this gallery on the original article

We’ve seen awesome vehicular tributes to Steve McQueen before, including a supercharged Mustang Bullitt and this Jack Daniel’s-branded Indian motorcycle. But now you can own the very bike that the actor dubbed the “King of Cool” tore around on through the streets of New York City.

It’s also an Indian, more specifically a 1936 Indian Chief. The seller, British classic car dealer Duncan Hamilton Rofgo, says that this the very first motorized vehicle McQueen ever owned and has more details on the vintage ride’s rich history:   

After a stint in the military he moved to New York City in the early 1950s, which is where he was introduced to acting.

That old Indian had a sidecar attached and with it he terrorized the streets of Greenwich Village picking up girls along the way.

Of the 150-or-so motorcycles he owned throughout his life, several dozen of them were Indians.

The Indian Chief first traded hands at the 1984 McQueen Estate Auction in Las Vegas and hasn’t been helmed by any rider since. The lucky buyer who picks it up this time around will also receive that auction’s original certificate of authenticity, a signed bill of sale and an official 1984 odometer reading statement. 

Contact Duncan Hamilton Rofgo for a price quote, and get a closer look at the iconic American actor’s ’36 Indian Chief in the photo gallery above. 

7 Outfits All the Cool Girls Are Wearing in Paris

Outfits spotted in Paris always serve as style inspiration, but especially right now when all of the coolest fashion girls descend on the city for fashion week. So, what are we seeing? The beginning of the week kicked off with Jacquemus and many of the show’s guests wore pieces from the designer. The most popular silhouettes included the brand’s long dresses with high slits and scoop necks or turtlenecks. Both dresses emerged as a clear It piece among on Paris fashion scene.

But we’re also seeing some of the biggest trends for fall start to appear. Snakeskin—with its luxe finish and cool factor—is hugely popular. Bright colors are also big on the streets of Paris where fashion girls are wearing everything from bold shades of orange to pretty pastels. Ahead, we’re breaking down the best looks from Paris fashion week so far and the pieces to wear them yourself.

We’re spotting Jacquemus’ scoop neck knit dress all over the streets of Paris.
Finished with a sky-high slit.
Pair them with these suede mules.
One more street style favorite? Another dress from Jacuemus. This one is finished with the same leg-baring slit but instead of a scoop neck, it has a turtleneck.
This color feels perfect for fall.
Take a styling note from Anne-Laure Mais and wear yours with a chain-link belt.
While pastel shades might be more expected for fall, they’re everywhere on the streets of Paris.
This buttercream blazer is 
Lime green never looked so good.
More bright shades spotted on the streets of Paris. This time with a ’60s-inspired Courreges look.
Nothing feels more retro Paris than pieces from Courreges.
And here’s a way to tap into the futuristic pieces that were all over the F/W 18 runways.
Finish off the look with a headband.
Here, spotting some of the It accessories of the season.
Designer hiking boots were all over the F/W 18 runways are we’re about to see them everywhere.
A cool take on Loewe’s iconic bag.
Snakeskin is one of the biggest trends of the season. While it’s huge in the world of shoes and bags, here’s a cool way to style a blouse version of the print.
Wear this with a turtleneck layered underneath.
The ultimate fall staple.
Wear these now and for the seasons ahead.
One of the most-loved bags among the fashion set this season.
An artful take on the snakeskin trend.
This piece is hand-painted.
Pair it with a croc-effect bag.

Next: Shop my best purchases from this month.