ESPN Becoming A Major Player In Heavyweight Boxing

Well Leapai is a mandatory, not like he's a voluntary.... Wlad just needs to face Pulev next, to prove the naysayers wrong and add another good name to resume.

 

I'd argue that NBC has the best heavyweight fights on cable....

 

The only way that this would be worthwhile is if that bum knocks out Wlad and ESPN has the rights to it.

why are they wasting their money?

 

Arreola - Stiverne is a decent fight, 50/50 can't see much to complain about there. Of course it's relevant, it's for the vacant WBC title, which means a Wilder or Klitschko would likely challenge for it after, against either Stiverne or Arreola.

Think Klitschko - Leapai will be a routine defense tho, not really interested but you never know - only takes one shot in HW boxing.

 

ESPN does in fact deserve praise for picking up Klitschko-Leapai.

Showtime and HBO, on the other hand, deserve criticism for their PPV's.

People will pay for Mayweather-Maidana, but then turn around and say ESPN doesn't deserve any credit or praise? I'm just a little baffled.

 

Who said I'm paying for Mayweather vs. Maidana? :huh

 

ESPN is basic cable here.

 

The way I see it is ESPN has gone in the dumps for boxing.

In boxing even Fox sports is out performing ESPN.
They needed to add the Klit fight, but they need to do so much more to improve heir boxing offerings.

 

ESPN is basic cable everywhere.

I don't think you understood my post.

 

+1. Arreola-Stiverne is an interesting fight with implications for the division, and it's a good sorting out match to allow a natural contender to emerge for Wlad's belt. The total unification bout will be a significant one if Wlad can successfully get a match made with whoever ends up with the WBC strap.

Wlad-Leapai is simply another brick in the wall.

 

now they should pick up fury=chisora 2 & go 3 for 3 !!!!

 

the klit fight will be bumped by bass fishing or womens softball.

 

atsch

You realize that certain programming on ESPN gets that viewership, right? Like their flagship program SportsCenter and some other popular talk-based shows, along with live coverage of major (primarily team) sports.

The people tuning in for all the above stuff are not glued to any of the ESPN family of channels 24 hours a day watching some of the obscure crap that pads the schedule at odd hours.

They could have boxing on ESPN2 at the same time HBO BAD/WCB and Showtime Championship Boxing run, on Saturday nights, and even run commercials for it all week - and nobody would ever watch it, because the people who tune into ESPN do so for SportsCenter or "Around the Horn" or college hoops, not to watch niche sports that haven't been mainstream for generations.



Also, both HBO and Showtime are buy-up premium cable networks requiring add-on subscriptions. The ESPN family is a boilerplate staple of every basic cable package. Of course there will be more viewers of the latter, but again, not all those viewers are just sitting there viewing ESPN all day no matter what's on.

 

Good move. Wlad always seems to lay an egg on HBO, this might actually be one of his better fights. Wlad always gives HBO some glimmer of hope so they pick up the odd fight for a reason even though word is they're done with Klit, but Wlad @*#@@ the bed. Wlad better come to bang (maybe after a couple clinching feeler rounds) like he says he's gonna do.