Showtime vs. HBO War: The Good

At present, HBO and Showtime are in competition to be the number one network for world class championship boxing. For many years HBO was on its own but with the current turn of events, namely starting with the signing of Al Haymon, the signing of Mayweather Jr., and the transfer of GBP fighters from HBO to Showtime, the competition is as intense as ever. In perspective, we as fans must endure this war and take it for what it is. In this thread I give you the perspective on the good that will come out of it and will leave it up to you to debate whether this will outweigh the bad.

The Good:

Competition is always good. A monopoly can thrive on been mediocre knowing that they have a fanbase that must accept that there is no other place to go to. Competition creates a need to improve and to be the best in the game. HBO thrived well on its own, as they became the template of boxing broadcasting yet the level of competition showcased many times left much to be desired. Certain fighters were spoon fed lesser fighters and took up air time that could have otherwise been used for much better opposition. Now that there is is competition, the best in both HBO and Showtime will be brought out. I think that this year has already shown this trend and will continue to do so.

HBO 2013 Top Events Scheduled

Rios vs. Alvarado (March)
Donaire vs. Rigondeaux (April)
Martinez vs. Murray (April)
Froch vs. Kessler (May)
Bute vs. Pascal (May)

Showtime 2013 Top Events Scheduled

Alvarez vs. Trout (April)
Garcia vs. Judah (April)
Mayweather Jr. vs. Guerrero (May)
Mares vs. Ponce De Leon (May)
Matthyse vs. Peterson (May)
Maidana vs. Lopez (June)
Broner vs. Malignaggi (June)

As a boxing fan, I hope this continues to be the case in the future and I hope that these networks eventually start broadcasting some of their fights with regular cable networks.