I have previously written that I will not give my verdict on Boxxer / Sky Sports before 2023, but I must admit that I am quite impressed with the fights they have lined up in the next few months. Eddie Hearn said Sky´s financial resources were too small to arrange the big fights...?
Hopefully Brook ends Khan's career. I used to really like Khan when he burst onto the scene. He was must-see TV. But he's a diva of the highest order and deluded beyond belief. Conversely, I always thought Kell was a beg. That was until he stood his ground with GGG and actually put it on him for a second. He won me over that night, and I hope he retires Khan.
Such as? Brook vs Khan on PPV could have been made by anyone giving the old boys a payoff the other two are fights previously cancelled we didn’t get in 2021
If it's so easy to make Brook vs Khan why did Eddie Hearn / Matchroom not do it? Especially considering the many many millions DAZN has available. Eubank Jr. vs Williams is a good fight.
Because matchroom didn't want to pay what Khan and Brook wanted. Nothing bizarre about it. Matchroom has a budget to work with and Hearn didn't see the value in the fight with the purses both fighters wanted. Boxxer and Sky think differently and believe its worth it. There is no deeper meaning behind it. Bill Gates could have staged the fight in timbukto if he wanted to. Khan and Brook were looking for whoever was willing to put up the money and luckily for them Sky/Boxxer did just that.
Not forgetting Khan v Brook being on Sky Box Office is why the fight is made. The ppv buys are what should be generate the revenue to make the show profitable. I don't believe Hearn & DAZN were ever looking into putting this fight on ppv and had no belief that where these fighters currently stand they could generate subscriptions to DAZN to justify the outlay.
Khan was soft and dropped easily even when he was active. His best hope here is that Kell comes in as weak as a kitten from dieting down to 147 which he’s struggled to do for years now. Ability wise it’s a non contest IMO. Kell stops him mid to late rounds but the weight and the fact Brook has been very inactive over the last 3 years. makes a huge difference. Still expect (and hope) that it’s a fight Kell wins comfortably though.
I have worked in sports tv broadcasting for a number of years and I know everything about cost benefit ...
Its an easy fight to make now , it's pretty common knowledge it was a fight being touted round to the highest bidder, Sky in their desperation for a PPV have gone for it hook, line and sinker. Unfortunately they've left it so late so both agree to fight that there is nothing at all at stake and they'll both ride off into the sunset with their PPV cash. Eubank v Williams is a pretty good fight but is off isn't it ?
Put into context DAZN would probably have needed to guarantee these 2 more than double what they just paid for Lopez v Kambosos Jr.
DAZN probably also has full focus on securing AJ for their platform and it will probably take a lot of the budget ?
You could argue this fight is being made almost a decade too late! That's some delay, but even with that in mind there are two things it still has going for it: It is now a genuine 50-50 I would not want to put any money on a winner, as due to inactivity, age, injury and in Brooks case being at the wrong weight it's impossible to know what condition each of them will be in come fight night. Khan at 34 and no boxing in close to 3 years by the time they fight will have weight issues of his own too of course. The other point which makes it sort of interesting is that in a world of made up rivalries, I think this is one case of two fighters who really do not like each other at all and there was (in the past at the very least) genuine hatred between them. I would probably not buy the PPV unless there was something unbelievable on the undercard (there won't be) as they are just too far of their best, but would definitely watch out of curiosity. It's still in my opinion better late than never, I would rather this happens at this stage, than it never does at all.
