I wasn't exactly talking about pound for pound best, or even elite. But I think it's fair to say most casual fans will think they are watching a higher level than they are when it comes to stuff like DeGale vs Eubank. I'm sure a lot of people will think that's the highest level at that weight division. I'd say calling the IBO a 'world' title constitutes as being mis-sold in itself, and that's before we get into the fake 'beef' that people are led to believe is all real and goes way back. The more this stuff is exposed for what it is the better for the sport.
My personal view, PPV boxing is a deplorable rip-off. End of. When it first came about over here, Sky was basically the only subscription sports TV provider and the only one which did pay per view. In those days it was acceptable because the only PPV cards were those which involved big cards from the states, where they had to buy the right to screen them from HBO and would not have been able to afford it without PPV. With no Youtube etc... in those days, British fans wanting to watch these fights had no other option apart from buying tapes from one of those guys who used to advertise in the back of boxing monthly. It was a fair trade off as there was no other alternative. The problem is that the more the mugths show that they are willing to pay, the lower and lower the value goes for the same thing. Like the ever shrinking weight of chocolates in a quality street. After a while, they start putting UK only shows on PPV and increasing their own profit margins. The the matchups gradually shrink from 50/50 or 60/40 title fights to UK fighters against 20-1 underdogs so they can pay the home fighters more to stop them going elsewhere. Then we get to the stage of fighters like Khan and Joshua being told at the start of their careers that they will build them into PPV stars, hence we get fights like Khan-Prescott on PPV. All the while people come out with the "it's only the price of a Dominos" line and all the while, the fighters are now earning £5m per fight instead of £500k. Then your PPV goes up by a fiver (only the price of a few chicken wings and chips with your pizza, right?). And suddenly they're earning £10m. And suddenly, rather than a stacked card, you've got a situation where you have one top UK fighter in an OK fight and a load of domestic level dross on the undercard. People will say "the promoter couldn't put the fight on without PPV money". But that's only because you've got a situation where mediocre fighters expect ridiculous pay packets as a result of the sheep believing the spin and buying cr@p fights. Unfortunately, we live in a market economy and the more the casuals swallow and buy this rubbish, the richer the Joshuas and Hearns will get at your expense. I don't doubt the business model works, as has been said already, but it's all at our expense. The sooner people stop feeding these people, the sooner it will stop. Unfortunately, doesn't look like happening anytime soon. A subscription channel such as Sky charge a premium, which is supposed to be on the understanding that they secure premium quality sport for you. Nowadays, all they show is repeats, documentaries and some premier league games. Yet they still expect a subscription fee and they charge you again for any decent boxing. I can understand if a non-subscriber wanted to watch the event charging them. I can also understand if a non-subscription channel like ITV purchases the rights, charging people to make it back. But subscription channels charging PPV for sh*t fights is scandalous in my view.
Completely agree about the IBO stuff, but I think that's maybe doing a slight disservice to the casual fan. You don't need to be staying up at night to watch Lomachenko to know that the IBO title is pretty meaningless. I'd say most fights are sold on a fairly genuine platform. Last year for example. Joshua's fights were sold as heavyweight champion v champion and former champion. Fury Wilder two unbeaten world champions. Usyk Bellew was P4P great v former (and undefeated since) champion. Even Whyte Chisora was basically sold as a guaranteed brawl.
You can keep saying it's just spin and bluster and the man in the street is an idiot for buying crap fights. I bet the man in the street who only watched eight fights last year (Joshua v Parker and Povetkin, Bellew v Haye and Usyk, Whyte v Parker and Chisora, Fury v Wilder, Warrington v Frampton) enjoyed those fights. This seems like the biggest divide. A small number of fans decrying that lot as rubbish, whilst an army of apparently brainless idiots keep lapping it up and enjoying it.
My point is really that the more people buy the product, the worse it gets. You've gone from a tenner for 6/7 high quality fights from the UK then US to £20 (ok probably not that much more allowing for inflation) for a couple of contenders and a load of British level stuff on the undercard. It is all relative at the end of the day, but the more people pay, the worse the product gets. There comes a point where people have to draw a line. Not that it looks like happening anytime soon, but you can't blame hardcore fans for getting frustrated when it's the army of casuals who are ensuring that we get a worse and worse deal, whilst fast Eddie and the rest get richer and richer.
Use the following process: 1. Open nostrils 2. Have a good smell of the bullshyte 3. Engage Brain 4. Follow your own thoughts and assess PPV by World Class elite 50/50 fights Then watch it live on non PPV and feel good the next day that you never contributed to Pudding Bellew's or Pudding Whyte's multi million pound fortune.
a boxing ppv in the uk is cheap compared to other sports here. most football (soccer) is not even on TV, even sky or BT which you have to pay for every month, only like 3 games out of the whole list of games over the weekend are shown, that pants for a subscription, they literally show every premier league in USA on NBC gold. Then to go to the games its almost £50 outside of London, London you talking over £100 to go to a game + all the other stuff that comes with it. You order a film off sky its a tenner or over. People criticise hearn and promoters because they stick HIGH paid fighters on PPV to earn the money back. Paying a 1 off £20 4 or 5 times a year is a hell of a lot cheaper than paying for subscriptions to sports channels that you may not be interested in most of the time. comparing it to dominoes is a fair comparison, a family meal deal is around £20 - £25 and some people dont think twice about ordering that midweek instead of picking one up for £3 from supermarket and sticking it in the oven. unless the go to USA prices then i think they are 'pretty' fair, obviously depening on who and what fights are on the card. As long as you get 2 decent fights i would say its ok
A man that know his sports broadcasting very well - it is wrong to charge existing Sky Sports or BT Sports Subscribers PPV on top of an already significant subscription for multi sports including boxthing
I've said a few times on here but I really don't think the product is getting worse. I've paid PPV prices ten years back or so for undercards stacked with prospects against journeymen, with poor/mismatched main events and generally weak undercards. I'd invite you to look at the PPV events headlined by fights like Harrison Rogan, Khan Salita, Brook Jennings and Khan Prescott and say things are worse now. Compared to those, I really, honestly don't think they are.
I couldn't care less and it absolutely isn't always the case - there have been some massive PPV events and decent undercard attractions that means I wouldn't have an issue with parting with my money. But shelling out for the main event whilst it's fluffed up with fillers - no thanks. I'm happy to be in the 1% then.
"It's only the price of a Domino's, you must be skint or something" to "It's only the price of a meal for two, tight twat" to "It's only the price of your weekly shop, you obviously don't care about the future of the sport" to "Yep, well boxing has transcended being a working-class sport now, sorry peasant"
Of course it happens Remember the damage Haye vs Harrison did and the lack off PPV there after I'd probably still watch your right but I do know I don't care half as much about football as I used to That's due to the money and fleecing of fans Everyone has a breaking point