HBO is hurting the sport. Agree or disagree?

IF Dawson was gonna rematch anyone, it should have been Glenn Johnson...

 

never thought about that - great slant.

I think HBO has kept boxing going actually. Showtime shows the ring girls, which i like (of course), but the fact that HBO does not show them keeps boxing in the "elite sport" framework, and distances itself from a commercialized, easy sell somehow - a small but significant subtlety in my opinion.

 

The perfect network would be one that could combine Showtime's consistent fight quality and willingness to promote unknown fighters with HBO's producers and writers.

Some of last year's "Countdowns" were better than the fights they were supposed to advertise. Steve Forbes shadowboxing to "Dream On" was simply inspired.

Yes, I am a sucker sometimes.

 

Why? That fight is bad business. Taylor is not as much of a draw anymore and Froch is a complete unknown. Not only that, but they're both over 30. So there's not enough money stage that fight given what both fighters want, and it would be a terrible investment as both fighters have little upside. Not even Showtime wants to this fight. Overall, boxing fans have relatively little interest in Froch vs. Taylor

 

HBO is a pernicious influence on boxing. They sign house fighters to long-term contracts, and spend big money to protect them and ensure that they keep their "0s" as long as possible. They seem to have replaced Don King as the fountain of corruption in boxing.

 

Most of the time, HBO doesn't just show one fight.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFQVqvQm_JI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO1oXALIrhM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPoCEhhYBKw

 

HBO isn't hurting boxing


Boxing is hurting boxing.

 

Well, PPV is certainly hurting boxing, but other than that, HBO is great. They have the best broadcast team, background stories and documentaries. Despite being the biggest boxing program, they can't buy every fight around. That's a pity, but it has more to do with finance than with idealism or whatever some people are claiming.

 

I think they could be doing a hell of a better job in going for competetive fights and desireable rematches, for sure.

 

HBO PPV is killing boxing, they put way too many fights on PPV. I'm glad the economy is forcing them to lower the number of monthly PPVs but I don't know if that will continue. I am irked about their refusal to throw some money at a Paul Williams / Joshua Clottey fight but that isn't killing boxing, their habit of putting any interesting fight on PPV is though.

 

HBO aren't perfect, but if they stopped showing boxing it'd be dead in America.

 

I agree that's one of my main gripes with them. One ****ing fight. I mean come on! How is the sport suppose to grow when they never showcase young talent on undercards.

 

In principle I agree, but Guerrero - Ruiz was more execution than fight.

 

I hate that too, but I think it comes down to a matter of $$. Obviously the broadcast rights of an entire card, or even two quality fights from 1 card would be more expensive for HBO and the result may be a PPV event instead of a free broadcast. I would rather see Margo-Mosley for free and by itself, than have HBO put somebody like Zab Judah on the undercard and charge me $54.95 for it.