Many think sky having a monopoly on the domestic promoters is a bad thing. But I disagree, as it puts them into a position to discate what fights are put on TV. The standard of Friday Fight Nights has picked up in the past 6 months because of this with fights like Moore vs Rhodes and more domestic title double headers.Why don't sky set up a Super 6 for Domestic Divisions. Sky have every major promoter on board including Hennesey and I am sure he would jump at the chance to get involved to get a Sky Contract. Instead of a Friday Fight Night with a main event and the some dodgy undercards, you have a 3 hour show with 3 12 rounds. 3 Months later you do the 2nd round, then the 3rd. The next year you do the semi finals and then a Final. There are no fighters in the list below that will win a world title, at least in the next couple of years. I have been realistic and not included the likes of Munroe, Rhodes, Mitchell, Murray and there are no top prospects that need to be protected like the Olympians, Stephen Smith, George Groves and so on. Cleverly, Murray, Kell Brook, Mitchell, and Burns will vacate within the next 6 months to fight for European and World titles, so each of the 8 division would have the British and Commonwealth titles involved and theres enough quality to forfill BBBofC mandatorys. Heavyweight Sam Sexton Martin Rogan Tyson Fury John McDermott Michael Sprott Derek Chisora Light-Heavyweight Toney Oakey Ovill McKenzie Tony Bellew Danny McIntosh Courtney Fry Darren Stubbs Super Middleweight Brian Magee Paul Smith Tony Quigley Tony Dodson Kenny Anderson Carl Dilks Light-Middleweight Anthony Small Matthew Hall Sam Webb Bradley Pryce Gary Woolcombe Andrew Facey Welterweight Michael Jennings Matthew Hatton John O'Donnell Craig Watson Jamie Cox Kevin McIntyre Lightweight Gary Buckland Lee McAllister Willie Limond Henry Castle John Watson Craig Doherty Super-Featherweight Stephen Foster Jnr Scott Lawton Gary Sykes Ryan Barrett Paul Truscott Anthony Crolla Featherweight Martin Lindsay John Simpson Paul Appleby Choi Tseveenpurev Akash Bhatia Jamie Arthur
rob it breaks my heart to say this but this is a good idea with the exception that the top 3 in the uk ratings wouldn't be involved as they should be fighting for a title before the end of the 6 months and i would reduce the rounds to 8 rounders with the winner assured a shot at the british or commonwealth.
Great idea BUT if someone is outside of the top 6 then it limits their chances to progress. Would love to see this none-the-less
Surley Willie Limmond has been in the top 3 for years? He has never got his shot. Billy I hear what your saying but as in the Showtime Super 6 you have 1 or 2 belts on the line in a certain weight so those fighters will eventually get there shot as they are part of the tourement. If you did a featherweight tournement you would have Round 1 Martin Lindsay vs Jamie Arthur (Brit Title) John Simpson vs Akash Bhatia (COMM Title) Paul Appleby vs Choi Tseveenpurev Round 2 Martin Lindsay vs John Simpson Paul Appleby vs Jamie Arthur Choi Tseveenpurev vs Akash Bhatia Round 3 Martin Lindsay vs Choi Tseveenpurev John Simpson vs Jamie Arthur Paul Appleby vs Akash Bhatia At the very least you would be getting 2 title fights on the card and the other acts as eliminators. You would need to get the BBBofC and Commonwealth on board but I think they would as there getting a guarenteed fee 3 times in a year. Sky are in a position where they can force a Promoters hand.
i think what rob's saying is boxers rated 4-9 box against each other,currently if your not in the top ten your unlikely anyway to get a shot at a title.
Nobody otuside to top 6/7 will get a title fight for at least a year anyway. at the featherweight division I just picked there were 5 title fights this year and then only involved 5 fighters. and you could say the same about the showtime super 6.
Lost a close decision to Jamie Arthur who is fighting for the British title next month. He didnt train for the fight. either way you could add someone else no problem.
Could work you know but I don't think Hearn would like an idea that will rival his prizefighter (not directly but because the same boxers could be involved it might diminsh his competition)
Frank Warren, Maloney, Hennesey don't like Prizefighter (because they didnt come up with it) but there fighters still enter it. Barry Hearn doesnt promote any fighters and Prizefighter is better without top 5 guys involved.
Barry Hearn does promote some fighters including a certain Mr Audley Harrison. I see the problem with this idea that it will tie up the fighters for too long on the british scene. Also would be difficult to get T.V. interested in all the fights which may mean the fighters would be better off fighting on other undercards!
Don't get me wrong robbo, I like the idea.. also you could bulid up the publics knowledge of each individual throughout the competition and now-a-days the popularity of a boxer seems to be just as important as his skills in the ring..... instead of creating a seperate entity though it could maybe be looked at as a progression from prizefighter??? Can't see Sky taking it on when they already promoting another boxing competitions
Hearn and Matchroom do not have a contract to exclusivley promote any fighter. They have a deal with Sky TV to fill a certain number of dates, which they fill by winning bids for domestic and european title fights which nobody else puts a high bid in for or putting on show with promoters who do not have TV deals and of course Prizefighter. Surley its only a probem having a fighter tied up if there in meaningless fights which none of the above would be. Only a few of the fighters I have mentioned will fight for more than a domestic title in the next 18 months. They would be guarenteed 3 competative fights, on Sky TV with a good pay day, thats better than anything any of those fighters have done in the past year. The lineup below is better than any Friday Fight Night thats happend this year. Martin Lindsay vs Jamie Arthur (Brit Title) John Simpson vs Akash Bhatia (COMM Title) Paul Appleby vs Choi Tseveenpurev Of these 6 fighters only Frank Maloney (Bhatia) has a sky deal. Lindsay, Arthur, Simpson, Appleby and Choi are all with promoters who do not have Sky Deals and they would jump at the money on offer.
I really don't see how this would effect Prizefighter other than having 1 division where they couldnt do the event for a year.