Often see complaints on here whenever a card is announced, especially where Matchroom is concerned. I'd be interested to hear what people think is missing. Clearly we can't have huge fights on free to air TV and with the demands that headliners on PPV have, there's limited funds for the undercard? What would constitute a card that you would be happy with, either free to air or PPV? Is the main complaint the competitiveness of the main events, the depth of the card or something else? Using the upcoming fight camp cards as an example, who would be good opponents for those involved and what would it take to change your minds about card quality?
Wilder and Fury will be a crap card and not worth the money, putting Usyk v AJ on that bill would have been perfect or another Mike Tyson exhibition.
A card shouldn't be stacked with fights where the home fighter is 1-100 on. The problem is not the names of the home fighters on the cards its the opposition they are fighting, cards full of fighters with losing or padded records. I want to see fighters matched fairly to bring them on, with the situation we are in now with SKY/BT putting on showers of crap for the last 3 years the up coming fighters have never had a test then the unknown Mexicans are coming over and butchering them. Fighters are bypassing the traditional route of English - British/Commonwealth - Euro - World in favour of 17 bums then a tough Mexican as the test before a World Title. Conor Benn being a fine example never fought for a British and is saying he is world class and PPV. Why is he not being matched with McKinson for a British/Euro or Avanesyan, we know why its because they are fights he could lose. Fighters are too scared to lose the 0 and it is coming at a determent to themselves when its time to step up and also to us as fans as we are getting served up dross all the time. A good card for me would be something along the lines of Benn vs Avanesyan Tommy McCarthy vs Richard Riakporhe Fabio Wardley vs Dominic Breazeale Lee McGregor vs Ukashir Farooq rematch A women's fight for equality reasons as we seem to be getting it drilled into us women's boxing matters. and a couple of prospects (Campbell Hatton, The Romford Bull ect) And we should be getting these as a standard Saturday night card no PPV.
For instance ppv Aj vs usky Taylor vs Catterall Benn vs marku Fowler vs cheeseman Luke Campbell vs tennayson And be happy if rest is prospects Dalton Smith wardly etc but in fights least get a test not a complete blowout they learn nothing People may laugh but that should be feasible if in a large stadium and good price point and doesn't have to be they fights exactly but along they lines But Any ppv has to have at least 1 large 50/50 or 60/40 type fight ( aj vs wlad or Taylor vs prograis) And at least some competitive fights Not five 1/100 shots or just old name fighters and a couple woman's fights as hearn loves to roll out Free to air should be domestic British title level 50 50 or European level 50 50 standard fights with good prospects on the undercard
I dont disagree with you, however out of interest what do you think the purses would be for each of those fights? My guess is the purses for that card in current climate would be circa £500k along with show costs and production £700-800k. That show would sell circa 5-6,000 tickets giving a gate of roughly £385k. Meaning a broadcaster would need to pay up £500k which was never going to happen on a card like that. Lets see what DAZN brings as they could finance it but i know the Sky budget per show was half that provided to enable them to run a show of this kind. Hence why PPV was needed. There was rarely a happy medium
Sky shows are a privilege as it is. Sky sports only through now tv is 34 quid. As a paying sky customer, Chisora vs Parker is the kind of fight I pay sky sports money for. 2 top 20 boxers fighting with 4 or 5 young fighter's or domestic level 50/50 scraps on the bill. Instead this sort of fight is an additional 20 quid because the boxing model has gone mad and euro level hws are now demanding several mill for non title fights We are also seeing these future stars in pointlessly easy fights to pad the bill and being expected to keep forking out every time whyte etc wants to fight another top 30 HW. Campbell Hatton fighting an unknown journeyman should not be costing me more money than a sky membership already does!
The deal Eddie has signed will enable him to pay bigger purses than you mention there mate, but Hearn will want to pocket as much of that money as possible. He will continue to serve up shite and tell us how stacked the cards are. You have seen the fight camp cards and they are supposed to be #GAMECHANGED, they are pony. As for 5-6000 that is probably true but Conor Benn thinks he is PPV so by rights he should be able to sell 20k at the O2 no problem.
What is needed is promoters to say no to the demands of Puddings such as Chisora and Whyte. If they don't want to fight on Sky Sports for decent sums of money, then nobody will miss them as there are plenty of fighters around who will fight for the purses on offer. Pudding Whyte has over £50m in PPV Loot and Chisora must have raked in well over £20m. Simply wrong to charge existing subscribers PPV for boxing as it would not be tolerated in any other sport - Sky Sports or BT Sports would be finished if they done this for other sports. Watching those two puddings fight is no different to a Broadcaster charging £20 for Everton v Fulham.
It was Dazn and edward earn themselves that caused the extortionate rise in fighters purses. Now you’ve got average fighters like Benn and Sizzora demanding 10 figure pay slips
The problem stems from too many fighters who wouldn't be anywhere near a main event as recently as 15 years ago being considered headline / PPV material, meaning Eddie can rinse buys over more separate cards throughout the year, spread the "attractions" out, undercard taking less priority, prospect VS journeyman / faded world level fighter, rinse and repeat.
Sly Sports had to backtrack very quick due to the reaction of the public and customer base. Amazed that this thick cohort of boxing PPV Mugths keep being poked time and again yet fall for the same sales garbage time and again.
Not just Hearn but boxers will want more money for fighting too so rather than 100k they will want 150-200k for example. Dont blame them but promoters need to put their foot down, instead we get sold medicore fights as 'banging' or 'wooooorld level'