Breaking News: FNF mega-card in the works!

If it was really big news, you'd expect it to stay put at the top. :tong

Who would you like to see Pavlik and Andrade in with, if this comes off? Reasonable opponents price-wise, given that it's FNF support.

 

Those would be smarter moves, but if the FNF thing is true, what reasonable FNF-level opponent would you want to see him in with?

 

You mean FNF UNDERCARD OPPONENT? None. Kelly took a loss after coming back from a long layoff because of a staph infection. Little doubt in my mind that when he moves up in weight and is comfortable in the ring again, he will be more like he was circa Miranda/Taylor. If not, THEN you can talk about FNF UC level opponents. Though I think Kelly would retire first.

 

I'd imagine if it would be more of a co-feature type of thing. Someone on Jesse Brinkley's level, basically a co-showcase for him and Bute (and then maybe Andrade vs. someone like a Curtis Stevens as support).

 

I think Kelly would consider this too far a step back to consider. Just my guess anyhow. Like I've said, his bigger money options may be gone at the moment, but I don't see him fighting for under $250K, if that low in his next fight back. I still think he will leverage for the best fight available. But, again, just my guess based on what he has said in interviews. Basically Jack Loew said something akin to, 'Training takes a lot out of you, maybe more than the fights. So why train if you aren't going after the biggest fight available?'. Again, that is a paraphrase but you get the idea. He wouldn't train any less hard for Jesse Brinkley than he would for Bute, so just fight Bute is the attitude.

 

I don't know. That would be a bit arrogant of him to assume he's above FNF coming off a loss, 2-and-a-half-year MW reign or no. He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else.

Passing up opportunities to fight on TV isn't going to keep him relevant, or help his financial leverage.

Wanting to fight on HBO when that's a possibility is all well and good, but why not look impressive on ESPN in the meantime, and then have that much more fanfare going into the HBO return?

 

Going from an HBO main event fighter to an FNF under card fighter. You really aren't thinking this one through. Yeah, one loss to another fighter that HBO is high on and he is done? It isn't arrogance, it is economics.

 

Who said done? It's called rebuilding.

Like I said, aiming for another HBO payday is all well and fine. Why not take the work where he can get it to stay sharp and stay televised, stay current and relevant in people's minds in the meantime?

You act like it's so demeaning to fight on ESPN (in what would likely be billed as a co-feature, not undercard support) after having headlined on HBO. That's bull****.

Pavlik isn't above ****. He's 2-2 in his last four, and hasn't really looked great since the Taylor rematch. When you're on top, you're on top. When you're not, you start paying dues all over again like anybody else.

 

No, I'm saying Kelly's earning potential has not fallen that far with one loss. Big difference.

 

You're not getting it though - taking the lesser cash for a FNF appearance doesn't preclude him from then going on to earn close to what he was before on HBO.

In fact, it's more lucrative to do both. Small money on ESPN + big money on HBO > big money in a single fight on HBO in the same span of time.

It would be like moonlighting for extra cash. The money aside, though - it would be an opportunity to rekindle fan interest. To look good on TV. That's the point of a showcase.

 

See post #96 where I talk about what Jack said the 'team attitude' was toward training. THEY feel, or did at that time, that training to fight a small fight is just as tough so why bother? Just go for the best you can get. If a fighter has x number of fights in him, a proper training camp uses up one of those fights regardless of the opponent. We have all seen what can happen if you under estimate an opponent. Again, I'm basing this on my recollections of what has been said in the past and why I don't think this is going to happen.

 

So Loew and co. really believe that Pavlik will be earning paychecks comparable to his MW reign for however many fights are left in his career, regardless of whether he's winning or losing? That's...beyond optimistic.

 

Yeah, Tony the Tiger is a credible talent if already a has-been (or never-quite-was) and would go some rounds, but ultimately probably succumb to Kelly's power. I didn't know that about the amateurs, good angle.