Does anybody see HBO eventually forcing Ken Hershman to retire?

i dont think they're siding with TR, only against GBP. Other promoters should see more action on HBO. Guys like Shaw and Goossen used to do much business with SHO, but they've been cut out since Espinoza took over

 

It's silly to use Saturday as an example of being about fights not fighters when the main event was pretty widely regarded simply as a get-busy fight for Bradley against an opponent who struggled with Herrera and Corley one division down. The mere fact that it ended up being entertaining can hardly be used as after the fact evidence for a successful philosophical change at the network.*Note also that by publicly cutting off ties with GB, HBO makes it more difficult to pressure Top Rank and other promoters as well to bring better fights to the table for desirable dates.

"Stars" will still be given preferential treatment and will in all likelihood continue to be the focus of the network, the fighters and promoters receiving that treatment will only slightly change.

 

Correct, however I fully believe HBO will be more of an open market for all promoters bar GBP to push their best fighters vs each other. Like SHO used to be under Hershman, but with a way bigger budget. We're yet to see it, but I think Hershman's reign starts now, the rest was housecleaning. Importantly, Haymon is out, even if it cost them Broner.

SHO is also turning into the HBO of old, just with a smaller budget and totally beholden to a single promoter with a big and expensive stable.

 

Allakhverdiev vs Prescott is on HBO in 2 weeks and that should be a entertaining fight and there is talk of Provodnikov fighting the Rios/Alverado winner. Point is even in the most GB dominated division they can still make quality fights that are very TV friendly without having to be held hostage by GB. Giving them all the dates they want, signing guys to contracts and paying big money for "appearance fights" against overmatched opponents like they did with Berto for a long time, etc

Taking the approach he used over at Showtime with placing an emphesis on quality and bringing it to HBO will be a good thing in the long run imo. Look at the quality and variety of coverage Boxnation gives and imagine that approach by HBO.

 

I see absolutely no reason to be that optimistic about HBO becoming this idealized open market, especially given my preceding point that there's now less leverage the network can use against the promoters of other stars. Rather than creating an upwards bidding war between Chavez and Broner for June 22nd, for instance, they'll now have to cater exclusively to Chavez and Top Rank's preferences with nary a threat of competition.

Also, one key difference between Hershman's tenure at Showtime and now is that he never told the second biggest promoter in the country as well as the biggest manager to buzz off. Something like that seems like a potential impediment to getting the best fights made IMO.

Further, we can hate on Showtime's perverse incentives and incestuous relationship with Golden Boy all we want, but I wouldn't exactly say they had a worse year than the big-budget HBO in terms of quality in 2012.

 

hes working for showtime now for floyd-guerrero built-up