what can hbo do to get back to the top???

1: I don't care what anyone sez, I like Merchant. He's the modern Howard Cosell. Larry a G, he stays!

-but dump those other two sycophants.

3: Don't lose compubox, IMPROVE it. There are so many ways to do this, it isn't even worth discussing. IF (and that's a huge if) HBO and Showtime cared about cleaning up the sport, they could probably do it, and having super-accurate punch stats would be a huge part of doing so.

But they won't of course, because they like things exactly as they are right now.

 

Fire Lampley and Kellerman, replace them with bigragu and Dwyer.

 

You can tell when Lampley (and the HBO team) is bias towards another fighter. The Pacquiao fight was an example of that. I also question Lampley's vision when he blindly calls a punch that doesn't land.

 

no one is worse than Merchant.

that dude is trash

 

I forgot to add:

4.) bring back Barry Tompkins
5.) have an extra HBO boxing channel showing past HBO classics nonstop 24/7 (Tyson, Chavez, Hagler, Holmes, etc.)

 

There's only one solution. People need to stop paying for **** PPVs. They won't change anything if they're still making money off **** fights like Pac v Bradley, Pac v Mosley, Canelo v Mosley. Dollars are the only opinions that matter.

 

The HBO commentary team have an average age of about 95 they definitely need to hire some new faces and no I don't mean Max Kellerman.

They should also stop giving preferential treatment to certain promoters/fighters. Al Haymon fighters get huge money for crappy fights like Berto's $1 million dollar pay day vs. Hernandez and Russell Jr in an 8 rounder against a club fighter. Sergio Martinez was stripped of his middleweight title because HBO wouldn't let him fight his mandatory Sebastian Zbik, but they were happy to show JCC Jr fight the same fighter for the same belt.

 

All they need to do is . . .

Talk to the people over at NBC Sports.

Call Kelly Pavlik.

Call Jermain Taylor.

Contact the Fight Doctor and offer him a lucrative deal that would also showcase his talents as an artist, not just as a commentator/boxing analyst.

Contact Big George. Give him a mic.

Make Paulie Mal a deal that states you'll feature him on HBO as an analyst but never as a fighter.

Have a nationwide talent search/fight-off to become part of a home stable of boxers appropriately dubbed Home Boxing Office.

Carry 15 rd championship fights.

Sign Smoger to an exclusive refereeing deal.

Locate the "new Arturo Gatti". Feature him on your network. Problem solved.

 

Stop using the teleprompter.

 

HBO should sign up Humberto Soto to a multi-year, multi-fight contract, and HBO ratings would go up.