Channel 5 pulling out of Boxing??

I'd be surprised if they pulled out now and a bit gutted too. I've always been a firm believer that the sport needs terrestrial TV exposure in order for it to thrive and grow. Build a new fan base.

I'm hoping Channel 5 don't turn their back on the sport.

 

I hope this isnt true. Hennessy has put on some good shows on C5, all of Fury's fights except the Johnson one has been very entertaining. It has been good to see Eubank Jr's development and the cards (backed by C5) has given opportunities to lots of under card fighters.

 

It's just a rumour right now... Really hope they don't pull out.

 

How's that Pajkic was a good fighter and beat Firtha. Also remember a lot of fighters agreed to fight Fury and then pulled out with too little notice to get a replacement.

Shut up will you manning. What a load of tripe. atsch

 

It's difficult in this day and age, people have so much choice.

It's frustrating because the appetite for boxing is still there, no doubt in my mind. But it has to be spoon fed to the casuals.

Parts of me thinks that we simply need the right fighter to emerge. Hatton transcended the sport, benn did too,and hamed.

You can talk about the tv exposure of those guys all you like but they earned it, they forced it. Hatton was hardly an easy fighter to follow, never had terrestrial coverage. Benn built a profile on itv fight night at shite o clock on Tuesday nights.

Also benn was stupidly exciting and hatton/hamed were world class, they had the long unbeaten streaks. Even mcguigan, once he lost, the public switched off.

We need some genuinely exciting fighters and ideally a rivalry.

Khan to a degree and audley very much had the launch pad and blew it.

Perhaps if we have the fighters the rest will follow.

Froch is the exception, he's been unlucky, but who amongst us really thought he'd do what he's done? He's a late bloomer in some respects.

Haye could perhaps have got boxing on tv and big numbers watching but he's not interested in being a flag bearer, he's out for himself, fair enough too.

 

I think Fury is coming along nicely and makes for fun fights. In his last three fights we've seen him really maturing in his work and becoming very consistent.

 

No it was not! It was down to him a) being on ITV at primetime and b) being a good-looking, charming guy. The massive underdog angle, the fact his father trained him - all of those factors added together to make him a star.

He was largely considered an old, protected fighter by most hardcore heads, and was a minority figure through years on Sky before the Evans Ashira fight.

Consider what happened with Froch - featured on prime time ITV in a great (and much more competitive) fight than Calzaghe-Lacy, with great viewing figures, and with a fun knockabout style. What happened next? He got ditched and ended up on Primetime!

Consider the similar factors, the things Froch had going for him, and what was different.

 

This is what is happening, they haven't pulled out of anything.

atsch

 

Generally speaking I think it's a flawed product. It's a sport that has to move mountains just for its best competitors to meet each other and it's very rare that they do and it's never been this bad. Look at the different promoters involved with middleweights Barker (and Ryder), Macklin, Murray, Saunders and Eubank jr. I won't hold my breath waiting for any of them to fight each other but the sport needs them to meet and regularly. We didn't have this in better eras with Minter, Finnegan, and Sibson or Benn, Eubank and Watson and any boxing loving tv exec may well know this.

 

Thats a surprise, I felt it was a good deal as they didn't do much but were being given cards that could attract a few million. It's not like they've got a boxing show, marketing etc

Promoters need to work closer with TV execs to work out what they want out of the deal.

Names like DeGale, Fury, Eubank should be big enough to draw enough eyes. If not then I suggest less cards, bigger shows. A big show every quarter that has Fury, JDG, Eubank, Galahad etc

 

Funnily enough if you put the search phrase "Channel 5 pulling out of boxing " into Google the only return you get is this thread, well done Rob :-(

 

As I said above, Maloney even says in this interview "its a rumour"

 

Thats a fact to Rob :-(