When asked if he wanted to fight Kovalev, Stevenson changed the subject. When ask, Kovalev said he wanted to fight Stevenson.............
Plenty of fighters have had bogus title shots coming off losses, don't play dumb. One-sided matchups are almost bread & butter stuff for HBO & SHO now, that's what they use to build fighters up - it's not rocket science. Who else do you have in mind that has more marketability? Braehmer doesn't. Grachev doesn't. Chilemba doesn't. HBO has made it clear they're about ratings, not 'intriguing and oh so challenging matchups'. The purists like you won't get their way, it's business. And if you think GYM/Interbox are eager to match the winner of Bute-Pascal with Kovalev -->
Let's place a wager on it. Your choice. I say Kovelev will NOT fight Cloud or Dawson on HBO next. What say you? There are acceptable fights, and then there are not acceptable fights. Cloud is that right now. It seems Golovkin's next fight isn't even being carried by HBO, because of his opponent. How often do you see a fighter get a title shot coming off 2 losses? How often do you see a fighter get a title shot, coming off 2 losses, fighting on a major network? It certainly seems you're making all my points for me. HBO is after ratings. They'd get their desired ratings with Kovalev-Stevenson. And their ratings and motives do not revolve around Quebec, as you seem to think. Kovalev is built up enough for this fight to happen next. It seems pretty clear HBO wanted the fight next. Kovalev, who doesn't have many marketable options at his disposal, wants the fight next. So, that begs the question, who doesn't want the fight next? You've already agreed that it is to make more money for Stevenson and co. before risking it against Kovalev. Now it seems all that needs to be realized is that is only them who doesn't want this fight straight away.
I'd place a wager on the fact that Kovalev will not fight Stevenson next. Whether he fights Cloud who's name is still a bit marketable or fights some non-marketable fighter is irrelevant here - you seem to think Kovalev is already 'built up' but he isn't so enough that PPV revenues in QC could be maximized. I never said HBO's "ratings and motives" revolved around QC, I don't know where you got that lol. I said they had financial interests in building Kovalev up further in QC so that the resulting Kovalev-Stevenson PPV would get their full attention and $$$$$$. It ties in with the payday Stevenson is after; Hopkins or Froch could give him that through high PPV numbers in QC where as Kovalev simply can't. Again, I don't know what's so hard to comprehend in this concept. If Hopkins and Froch won't give him the payday right away, Stevenson needs GYM to collaborate with Main Events and HBO to build Kovalev up further. I don't know how I can explain this better, to be honest. Are you actually saying I think Stevenson/GYM want the fight next but can't make it happen? Like you I think Stevenson/GYM don't want the fight next, but unlike you I don't think it's about "fear of Kovalev" I see it as a progressive business case. I'm not going to 'guarantee' Cloud for Kovalev, but I'm pretty sure Kovalev-Stevenson is not next. Your call.
I agree with this. It would be stupid (especially for Stevenson) not to build the Kovalev fight up as much as possible.
Never mind the Brits, they're an insecure butt-hurt bunch who although they spend a ton of money on boxing programs can't produce elite boxers like little Quebec does.
Of course it would. The question is, will it be built up significantly more in a year than it could be a in a few months. Especially with nobody but overmatched opponents that the Quebecers are familiar with on the table to fight Kovalev.
I don't think Kovalev-Stevenson will be next. I thought the content of this discussion would have made that clear. What I'd like to happen and what I think will happen are 2 entirely different things. I think Kovalev is built up in that he is more of a name, and recognized as a legitimate challenge more so than Bellew and Fonfara, etc. He is not an obscure challenger, he is a reigning titlist, with a series of brutal wins, the latest coming on the very ground they're aiming for. Has the marketability of this fight peaked? No. Will it? I don't know. There are substantial risks involved in waiting to make a fight like this. Upsets and injuries happen. You also have to hope that Kovalev is willing to follow their marching orders. He has his own career to worry about, and although right now their decisions are intertwined, Kovalev also doesn't have many attractive options. If one presents itself........... I've always said that it is good business sense. That hasn't changed. I don't think it is fear of Kovalev as a fighter, but I do think that they recognize the risk that a Kovalev fight sooner rather than later blunts their beak and jeopardizes future earnings. My point is that this fight is viable now. At its peak? No. But it wouldn't be the 1st potential fight to get derailed because the fickle finger of fate intervened. And if we don't get this fight down the road, for whatever reason, in all likelihood it will be Stevenson and Co's burden to bear based on their decision not to strike while the iron is hot. As I said, I think all other parties want it now.
Says a lot about Canadian fight fans when you support a violent, child molesting, ******, torturer, *** offender. The guy is scum and I actually don't want Kovalev to kill, instead leave him in a Gerald McClellan like state so the rest of his life is one of misery, it's no less than he deserves. His scumbag fans also deserve the same. BTW, what are your musical tastes, I bet Ian Watkins and Garry Glitter are your hero's too. Say no more.
Stevenson is Haitan, so is Pascal, Bute shipped in from Romania. You can't produce ONE even b-level fighter from your indigenous population When it comes to boxing, Canada aint fit to wipe England's arse