Predictable: Kovalev vs Stevenson won't happen.

Putting the blame on the deal Kovalev has with HBO - and claiming he HAS to fight on the network - doesn't really make sense.

Andre Ward, Miguel Cotto and Gennady Golovkin all have deals with HBO. And when they make fights HBO doesn't like, HBO just doesn't show the fight. (See Ward's upcoming fight against Smith and Golovkin against Adama and Ishida.)

That doesn't mean they are in violation of their deals. They just fight once in a while off HBO when they can't reach an agreement with the network.

Hell, last week HBO was telling Cotto they may not televise his next fight if he didn't sign to fight Canelo later this year. They didn't say they'd sue him. They just threatened not to televise it.

I don't know why Kovalev is suddenly the ONLY guy who "can't" fight outside of HBO.

It sounds like Duva and HBO just knew the purse bid wouldn't go the way their way, and they didn't want Kovalev to get a taste of that PBC money, so they pulled the plug on it.

I don't think that's fair to Kovalev, who isn't exactly getting "rich" fighting for Duva.

 

Hmmmm it's funny how some clowns are blaming Adonis and Haymon for Kova and his team ducking this fight.

Wow...

 

You can see it that way but they are more trying to secure their deal with HBO. Basically preferring HBO to a fight against Stevenson.

 

And when Stevenson preferred Showtime to HBO last year (for a better monetary deal BTW), the ducking accusations vastly outnumbered what's transpiring here.

 

In both situation it seems like a duck but fighters (and promoters) are trying to secure their financial situation. Last time it was Stevenson who pulled out, now it's Kovalev's camp.

The real loosers are the fans.

 

Obviously but it seems kind of warped to me that we're much more tolerant of networks and promoters making business excuses than the guys actually getting in the ring.

 

Hershman thinks Kovalev-Pascal 2 is a better fight to pursue and is excited to air the mandatory with Mohameddi :rofl:roflatsch

 

HBO might occasionaly let one of their fighters take a fight outside their contract but those are small fights with minor or no U.S tv coverage.

Golovkin against Adama and Ishida weren't on tv here and Ward is fighting on BET.

HBO isn't going to let one of their big money properties fight on Showtime and make money for their rival.

Duva and Kovalev knew once they signed with HBO that the Stevenson fight was probably dead.

 

not at all. are you criticising them for showing loyalty? although like you i suspect main events would lose purse bids and pay less.

 

actually many are intolerant. you, like many others, give your preferred side a pass, spin king.

 

Mohameddi is Kovalevs mandatory, and he's no worse than Bika or Sukhotsky(despite his loss to him, they're still more or less the same level) Kovalev just beat B-HOP, and Pascal in back to back fights in a 4 month span. He doesn't deserve any flack for taking this fight to keep his title.

 

Yup, Ishida and Adama weren't even in US, if Kovalev wanted to fight Mohammedi in Moscow they would let him no problem.

No way HBO lets Kovalev on PBC. Duva wants to be on good terms with HBO, survival of her company depends on it, she pulled the plug not to waste anyone's time.

The only mistake she did is to get associated with WBC Diamond belt.

 

Kovalev vs. Pascal II is a good fight.

Pascal vs. Stevenson might be a great one.

 

I'd rather see Pascal/Stevenson if this fight isn't going to be made. No need for Kovalev to fight Pascal again. Whatever the case is, Kovalev/Stevenson IS the fight that needs to be made at 175, I just wish the kind could be made without all the shenanigans. They should just agree to a 50/50 split and get on with it... Who gives a rats ass where the fight takes place? The judges won't be a factor in this one!

 

Yep and I'm a Kovalev supporter if people are going to call Stevenson a ducker for that they have to be fair and call it like it is. Wasn't Kovalev saying he doesn't care how the fight gets made he just wants Stevenson? On top of that the purse was going to be 50-50 no matter what . It's Kovalev pulling out not Stevenson.