marvelous article about the current state of HBO Boxing

While were being honest, part of the problem is the fans.

When more people watch Palina Malagnagi that Cal-Kessler. . . what does that lead HBO to do?

When so many idiots are ready to lap up Fraud-DLH II. . . is that all HBO's fault?

 

One thing nobody has commented on is how HBO used their big budget to price out network TV. I found that interesting and imo it puts even more blame on HBO for making boxing what it is today.

 

"Oh we are so nice that we practically give all of our money to the fighters and promoters and even let them do a little cherry pickin but oh we're gonna do some prunin now" rofl

“oh If we don’t do PPV the promoters will take their fighters to someone who will. "If we don’t sell porn then our subscribers will go elsewhere." :|

Maybe I’m missing something here but doesn’t Time Magazine and Warner Brothers (Time Warner) basically own most PPV companies including HBO & IN-demand? Sure they have to pay AT&T and N2 Broadband their part but where else are promoters going to go besides Time Warner and Showtime?

Yeah this article certainly isn’t anything that HBO and Greenberg don’t want boxing fans to read for they have been promoting their so-called financial victimization via PPV for some time and parts of this article have been available on Wikipedia.atsch

 

I don't think HBO would push back a show for boxing's sake. It's not in their best interest.

 

Absolutely not. Boxing fans want their cake and to eat it too. HBO has just blown up purses for fighters, causing a false sense of worth, and won't fight for any less then they've been getting. HBO neds to realize they do NOT have to overpay for the sake of possiblyu losing a fight. No one can match them and they don't seem to understand that.

 

True, Im just saying the fans are part of the problem as well.

If fans simply said No, we aint paying 40 + dollars for crappy PPV's things would get a better.

If fans paid more attention to the better matchups like Kessler-Cal and Marquez-Vazquez rather that shiit matchups like DLH-Forbes or Pavick-Locket then HBO would be pushed to give fans what they demand.

 

I was agreeing with you. THe 'absolutely not' was my answer to you asking if it was all HBO's fault. Us fans have to take a stand sometime, somehow. :thumbsup

 

my bad, I gotcha.

theres plenty of blame to go around. . . networks, promoters, managers, fans.

It wasnt really that long ago when they filled Yankee stadium on a regular basis with boxing matches. Oh well, theres still a few real fans who appreciate matches like Pac-JMM, Cotto-AM, Cal-Kessler etc.

 

It seemed like they were on the right track with the Saturday afternoonn fights just a couple years ago on NBC. It seems they key is getting them on regular TV, as opposed to just basic cable, or PPV.

 

Good artical. :good

 

The article gives quite a few seemingly silly reason to why HBO panders to GBP like that Greenberg only uses Oscar because he cant stand the other promoters. However, I see that it has more to do with GBP’s racketeering savvy and megalomaniac harlotry.

For instance, GBP is in tight with Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Fox Sports, etc.. GBP does have a monopoly on many fighters from Latin America but its interesting that the majority of their non-Latin fighters are Muslim which to me suggests GBP also has associations with various radical groups whom have been notorious for using boxing to promote their own causes. Hopkins in particular is known to tour and befriend politicians while their running for office. GBP also recently became partners with the owner of most of the world’s best arenas. And last but not least GBP is in tight with Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Sports, which may in fact be the only company with potential to one day compete with Time Warner.

Schaefer claims that fans and competition are simply jealous and need to step up but most true boxing fans simply feel deceived and angry with all the obvious skulduggery connected with GBP.

 

Let me get this straight. HBO is overpaying for events by multimillions of dollars, that is horrible business.

Another problem is due to boxings unpopular status, I don't know what it was like 10, 15 or even 25 years ago but if you are a fan of boxing you have to look for news, it just isn't readily available like it is for other sports.

I always considered myself a fan of boxing but I hardly watched it at all for about 10 years, I just happend to be sitting at home for Pac Morales I, that happend to be on free HBO, I have been hooked ever since. So yeah the arguement that if HBO only put the megafights on PPV boxing would gain more viewers is obvious.

Cotto Margo would be the kind of fight that would bring in some new fans if it was available without PPV

 

Thanks a lot for the kind words.