If a fighter was say suspended by the board of control for a stupid reason, i dont not think there would be as much being done to try and get them back in the ring or on tv. Personally I used to sky+ the german shows and fast forward all the boxing and just watch Kerr and Bunce talking about the fights. They were the reason I tuned in. Seems silly that sky would not want him on there channel because he mgith say something negative about there fighters. I guarentee a Friday Fight Night show with buncey would get more viewers than without.
As an "outsider" looking in and checking on the Btit Forum daily,I would have to say that Bunce is a very popular and respected individual.
There is no problem with Bunce being more important than a particular boxer. In this particular case it is to do with a very popular show, with great chemistry, that was a window into the sport for the outsiders. One boxer is not going to make boxing popular, unless he is incredibly exciting or a phenomenal self-promoter (David Haye is as close as it gets to that in the UK and the public still doesn't seem to know too much about him!). What is popular is heavily influenced by the media, that is why the whole Setanta thing would get more support than one boxer being suspended unfairly.
I also don't see the issue. I think that every sport could do with a show like the Bunce Hour. i see it as boxings versain of Soccer AM. I think Haye could be a bigger name if he was more open about his private life. He like to talk allot but only about Boxing, if he wants to be a bigger name to the public, he needs to get him and his wife on some tv shows and so on. Hatton always seemed to do this very well.
For me, Buncey represents the fans and that is the reason he is so popular. It's corny to say but he really is 'the people's pundit'. No-one else would have the bollocks to say some of the stuff he said on air and no-one else, IMO, has the knowledge of boxing on British TV that Bunce does either- that's why he can get away with giving his opinion as it's qualified and respected. He is respected by fans, boxers and others who share his enthusiasm for the sport. Networks are frightened to put someone on air like Buncey because they are, put simply, scared of something he may say that might upset a small faction of people watching. It's pathetic. We need people like Buncey on our screens.
Nobody would watch Buncey if he suffered from a deflated ego. I think his "over the top" style is just right for TV.
I think it's a case of not appreciating something until it's gone, although when Buncey first started posting here there was some serious sucking up going on.........
