http://www.maxboxing.com/news/main-lead/hbo-and-the-state-of-boxing--part-one1 Worth a read and worth a discussion
He does this every year Slates HBO and shits on Haymon and Golden Boy. He does make some fair points though, HBO pay too much for fights when they don't need to. They can force any fight they want to and still serve up tosh. HBO try and force feed us potential 'stars' (think Michael Grant, Andre Berto, Jermain Taylor) yet what they should do is match the best young fighters and see who comes out on top. They don't need to manufacture fighters, they've never succeeded in doing it anyway. If you make the right fights stars will emerge. For example, at LMW/MW you've got Pirog, Lemieux, Lee, N'Dam, Golovkin, Fernando Guerrero, Martirosyan, Lara, Quillin, Angulo, Jacobs etc. Now instead of picking one or two of those fighters as the ones they'll market the hell out of they should consider matching all these young fighters up against each other. Have some double headers/triple headers. Even if any of them lose give them a fight against another fight, by the end of it you'll have some real credible challengers for Martinez/Williams/Mayweather(?). Forget about the '0' and just make the fights that make sense. It doesn't even have to be official tournaments. Just get the best up and comers to fight each other on BAD, and the best in the weight class to fight each other on WCB. They've started doing it with the LWW's, now they need to do it for the other divisions.
I was agreeing with much of it until: Yeah, way to make your sport a sideshow - they should spend money getting boxing stars like Leonard, Tyson, Jones Jr and the like to feature. And someone like Stallone or De Niro to do voiceovers or present shows. Seriously, sometimes people give away their ignorance about how the world works outside their area of expertise.
HBO our just morons. For the amount they have paid Andre Berto this year they could do a Middleweight tournement. Pirog Golovkin Lemieux Macklin Geale Zbik Guererro N'Jikam Quater Final matches you pay $150,000 to losers $250,000 to winners Semi Final matches you pay $200,000 to losers $400,000 to winers 3rd place $150,000 loser, $250,000 winner Final you pay $300,000 to loser $750,000 to winner. That would come to $3,950,000. This is less than they have paid Andre Berto for his 3 fights. You get 4 Boxing After Dark shows and the final is a World Championship Boxing show. At the end you have a new superstar who can fight Williams or Martinez. I guarentee none of the fighters listed have made more than $150,000 for a fight so far in there career. Add to that split gate receipts and they keep there own countries TV money.
Good article but he exaggerates on so many points. Dawson might not sell but in Tarver and Johnson he pretty much fought the 2 best guys in the division minus X. Some of what he is saying is just stupid like trying to slate Collazo as an opponent for Berto. He comes to fight and many would argue he should have wins over Hatton and Berto! I agree with what he is saying but sometimes he twists points to suit his argument.
agree with your point but it doesn't take anything away from his points. Dawson and Berto are not stars and never will be.
He despises Al Haymon. Golden Boy have been doing a pretty good job this year, so he can't rail at them for once. So it's back to the Haymon conspiracy.
Take it you haven't t read part 2 yet mate (yes...there's more! Even a final part 3 tomorrow) http://www.secondsout.com/headlines/main-headline/hbo-and-the-state-of-boxing--part-two A lot of this is recycled stuff from previous years.
Some good points about HBOs selection process (ie. its awful) but part 2 tailed off by getting in too much into the Ortiz-Campbell issue, overpaying on one fight to subsidize another has happened for years. It might not be right strictly speaking but its hardly a "Stop the Press" story.
Is this a good job? Boxing After Dark: Marcos Maidana vs. Victor Cayo*, Ali Funeka vs. Joan Guzman, Amir Khan vs. Paulie Malignaggi*, Victor Ortiz vs. Nate Campbell, Gurerrero vs. Escobedo World Championship Boxing: Marquez vs Katsidis*, Khan vs Maidana*, Ortiz vs Peterson* HBO PPV Undercard: Alvarez vs. Jose Cotto, De Leon vs. Lock, Perez vs. Sanchez Leon, Pirog vs. Jacobs*, Linares vs. Juarez, Gurerrero vs. Casamayor, De Leon vs. Escalente*, Ortiz vs. Harris, Alvarez vs. Baldomir* HBO PPV: Mayweather vs. Mosley*, Marquez vs .Diaz 2, Mosley vs. Mora Onlt the fights with * next to them belong at the level their at. and how can you say the Haymon thing is a myth....they pay Berto $1million for an undercard fight agaisnt a guy whos not in the top 25? It may be recycled but nothing he is saving is wrong? Why have things not changed year after year? If Showtime will pay a max of $2million for a fight, why the **** would HBO be prepared to pay $4million?? makes no sense