The fact that Warren described ticket sales as 'ok' in an IFL interview last week suggests that it's probably closer to 80% not sold.
Why've the hell would he schedule this at the same time as another's boxing event??? Plus it's the WBSS with Taylor and Inoue! And now is on sky... BT must seriously be looking to get rid Of Frank
Fair effort? It's a 7k seater stadium. Nothing to be proud of. What's that, like 5.5k? It's for a vacant world title for goodness sakes. And they can't even sell out. If this was promoted by Eddie it'd have 80% sold out the O2 Arena, not 80% sold out some low tier league stadium.
Why are you people even surprised? This is Frank Warren. King of putting on events in tinpot halls and stadiums and never selling them out. King of talking about other fighters and promoters rather than talking about himself and his fighters in an interview. King of making sure his fighters get zero promotion by shutting down any interesting or probing questions about them. Even though Eddie has fallen asleep, Frank still comes up with dross.
Obviously I do to an extent. Do I think he could cause problems for the very best? Certainly at middleweight. Did I watch him sneaking close decisions against the likes of Akavov and Lee and think 'Jesus Christ this guy is possibly the greatest British boxer alive?' No. All that said I have little doubt that Canelo beats him and I'd not be in a rush to back him at any odds against Golovkin or Jacobs. I think the Lemieux win is still the exception rather than the rule.
Certain fighters can't sell tickets. Fury was one of them. Saunders is another. Edwards isn't a big ticket seller either but to be fair he's only just really making a name for himself and is in the lighter weights. Fury v Wlad 2 didn't sell well. People make excuses about how fans knew he was off his head but that simply is aftertimers. Warren, stevenage, Saunders...best of luck with that. Wonder whats on at the copperbox or wembley arena that means this weird stadium fight is even on!
Because he performed very well in the Wilder fight and can talk. ESPN needed a heavyweight and got one. Its yet to be seen if it pays off for them.
Fury has that deal because Arum knows there is potential big money to be made at heavyweight because Anthony Joshua fights in that division. Arum didn't think to himself 'you know what's really, really popular at the minute? Fat, light hitting, low output Brits who talk about mental illness all the time. Get my cheque book.' He knows that at some point Fury is likely to be in a fight with Joshua and that will generate loads, and he wants some of it. In the meantime, cheap bums will be the order of the day.
