Predictable: Kovalev vs Stevenson won't happen.

I think you're absolutely right.

HBO and promoters like Duva are stuck.

Duva can't outbid anyone or promote big fights without HBO paying her money upfront to televise it.

And HBO wants to be the leader in boxing coverage, but it's about to become the only channel in the U.S. that has to fork over money to televise boxing ... instead of just collecting checks from Haymon.

But if they go that route and join the PBC, they don't have enough viewers to compete with NBC and CBS viewership, so they might get the "lesser" quality shows.

So, do they go for the guaranteed profits Haymon will pay them or try to go it alone by bankrolling promoters like Duva, who will start to lose fighters like Kovalev because he can make more with Haymon.

 

The HBO model worked for decades.

But it's kind of like those massive bookstore chains like Borders bookstores ... who didn't see Amazon as a threat until everyone started buying ebooks.

Haymon had a different model in mind, and HBO believed it couldn't be taken over.

But they may have to join or get buried.

There's also a chance Haymon goes broke in a couple years, and HBO is the only one left standing.

It could still go either way. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

 

So why is Kovalev working with Duva if that chick is so incompetent with everything? Can he change that or is he stuck with her?

 

They call duva bluff

 

It's not that she's incompetent, she's just not a big time promoter right now.

Kathy Duva's husband, Dan, who was a lawyer, started the business. His father, Lou Duva, trained a lot of fighters out of New Jersey. And they began putting together shows in the late 70s and early 80s out of a local arena.

When ESPN first started in 1980, the network didn't have much of a budget for boxing. So they worked with the Duvas and others to televise some of their shows. They had a local fighter, Bobby Czyz, who became an early star for ESPN, and Rocky Lockridge. Both eventually got on NBC. They were sort of the Duvas meal tickets at the time.

Then, in 1984, the Duvas worked to sign some of the U.S. Olympians. When Evander Holyfield became heavyweight champion of the world, the Duvas became super rich. Holyfield's PPVs against Douglas, Foreman, Holmes and the Bowe fights just made tons of money.

Then Dan Duva developed a brain tumor and died. I believe his brother, Dino, took over for a while. Eventually, Dan Duva's widow, Kathy, assumed control. Dino and Lou Duva ended up starting their own promotional company (which I don't think ever panned out). So I don't know if the split was friendly.

After Dan died, a lot of their fighters began leaving. So Kathy Duva basically stripped the company down to a bare bones operation.

Then she signed Tomasz Adamek. And he kind of helped lift the company up a little. Then she signed a couple other guys - like Steve Cunningham and Czar Glazkov. She also signed Kovalev early on, and a few years ago she got NBC Sports to pay her a fee to deliver boxing shows.

So she kind of returned to the roots of the company - like when the Duvas just had guys like Czyz and Lockridge.

But now NBC Sports signed with Haymon, so she doesn't get to showcase her fighters on NBC Sports anymore. Now she's trying to align herself with HBO, who is also on the outs with Haymon.

Who knows ... maybe HBO will eventually win. If so, she might be the biggest promoter in boxing in three years. Either that, or she might be forced out of the game.

It will all depend on if she can keep Kovalev, Glaszkov, Chilemba and HBO with her.

 

Again, thanks for writing this all down. From my super limited understanding on the matter, I'd think Kovalev should find someone currently established in the business (as himself), rather than a prospect(as you put it) as Duva. Beterbiev made the move, why not Kovalev?

 

I wouldn't be shocked if Stevenson vacated rather than face Kovalev.

 

Well aside from any contractual obligations, loyalty I'd imagine, she's helped him massively.

 

Stevenson won't have to since he called Kovalev's bluff. The only belt likely to be vacated here is Kovalev's diamond trinket.

 

You're probably right. If he was 24, he could probably wait it out.

Kovalev is 32. He's in his prime. The big money is there for him now if he can get out of his deal with Duva and HBO - or get HBO to air PBC fights.

Guys like Danny Garcia are making $1.5 million fighting on NBC. Kovalev took home 10 percent of that for fighting Hopkins (with Duva promoting him) on HBO.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/bo...st-quarter-purse-Bernard-Hopkins-victory.html

Kovalev is going to start feeling like a chump really quick unless his paydays start increasing by a lot right now.

He doesn't have two or three years to sit around waiting for this situation to work itself out.

 

I read that Haymon was behind the problem. Haymon does not want Stevenson to fight Kovalev, that has been clear for a long time now............

 

Dan Rafael's article breaks down the situation fairly well. Seems pretty clear that HBO will only allow Kovalev to fight on HBO. If it goes to purse bid and they lose, Kovalev won't be allowed to fight. So there is an impasse. Sucks for both fighters.
HBO will still make the fight at a 50/50 split if they retain broadcast rights. While this may not be as big a purse as it could be had it gone to bid, it will still trump any other bout Stevenson could make and therefore his team should still consider it, if they have his best interest at heart and this isn't a grandstand move. Haymon already took $ off Quillon's table, let's hope he allows Stevenson to fight on HBO and make a career hight payday.

 

This is some first rate spin. The purse bid split was already going to be 50-50 anyway, as Rafael's article noted. How generous of HBO to allow the fight to take place on the condition that they face no competition for it!

Furthermore Kovalev's HBO contract had expired so there was no reason for Duva to voluntarily limit the potential pot for this fight by signing a contract extension if she truly had her fighter's best interests at heart.

Glad you brought up grandstanding though. If HBO truly wouldn't allow Kovalev to fight off network or if they'd hold against him if he didn't have a contract, then that's precisely what Hershman, Duva, and the rest of their cronies were doing for the better part of 2014 whilst whining that it was all mean ol' Haymon's fault the best weren't fighting the best.

 

No spin I noted that the fight is still being offered by HBO at 50/50 indicating that those terms were already in place. I also stated that the situation sucks for both fighters. I see nothing wrong with Duva signing her fighter to an extension the sport is a business and Kovalev is an asset. Let's remember this fight would of happened already had Stevenson not backed out of a verbal agreement and jump promotional teams and cable operators. HBO is already conceding a 50/50 split for the fight, when their fighter is already more known, the bigger draw and holder of three belts to Stevenson's one. Duva did grandstand or bluff or whatever you wish to call it by asking for this and being unable to deliver but in all fairness as a business strategy to allow Kovalev's three belts to be on the line and to make an even split of the purse to have him fight on another network when he is your main bread winner isn't the smartest business move. If they can hammer out a co-promotion deal ala may/PAC than the fight can still be made. Otherwise Stevenson needs to realize fighting Kovalev on HBO for a career high payday when your 37 years old may be as good as it gets.

 

If HBO succumbs to Haymon's business model us fans will all regret it, unless of course you are already a lost cause.