Remember when a night of pay-per-view boxing included a roster of enticing fights that lead up to the big show? Today you're lucky if you can identify one or two of the fighters on the undercard. The reason for this, we all know, is that our declining sport's ever more vulturous promoters don't want to "waste" multiple title fights (or intriguing non-title bouts) on a single pay-per-view event. Why stack three or four compelling fights on a single card for $50 when you can get customers to shell out their hard earned green for three or four separate cards? Doesn't seem right, but that's basically how HBO vice president Mark Taffett, who presides over the network's pay-per-view wing, sees it. This is from an article by George Kimball: Taffett told Kimball that "HBO's extensive research indicated that while viewers might express their displeasure over a less-than-compelling undercard, the dramatis personae of the supporting acts is a negligible factor when viewers decide to buy or not to buy a PPV telecast." "In the end, people who wanted to see Calzaghe-Jones were going to buy the fight no matter who was fighting on the undercard," he said. "And our figures show that viewers who are inclined not to buy a pay-per-view fight aren't going to change their minds based on the undercard, regardless of who is on it." In other words, it comes down to $$. If market research figures we'll unhappily shell out green to watch a boring night of prelims, then that's what they'll give us. Cynical, huh? No wonder nobody watches boxing except die-hard fans. Just sad that they're cannibalizing the few of us to still care.
This is the primary reason that I have been ordering fewer and fewer ppvs, it's just not worth it to pay 40+ dollars for what amounts to a single fight instead of the fight "card" we are supposedly buying for that much money. If they want to play these silly ass games then they need to offer up the main event at a discounted rate, **** the undercards.
Fully agreed. Augustus and Judah are excellent to have on an undercard. I had a lot of anticipation for this entire pay-per-view, not just the main event.
The Salita fight was also pretty good. I know what the OP is saying, and I agree in general, but the undercard last night was pretty solid.
I thought the undercard was very boring none of the fights had any drama at all just sparring sessions basically.
This is partly why I boycotted ysterday's fight. I am getting sick and tired of shelling out 50 dollars to make this Mark Toffet HBO Corporate Boy, and the rest of the Admin on HBOPPV rich end of the year bonuses. HBO doesnt give 2 ****s about the fans, they give 2 ****s about us calling our Local Cable Operators.
They are progressively getting worse. So much money is lost in the main event now there is nothing left for the rest. Last nights under card was weak but pretty good compared to a lot of them nowadays - not that, that's saying much.
Its always a mixed bag. There's been some bad ones, but the 90's was littered with Christy Martin and Butterbean cards, at least the fights that might suck a bit have more legitimacy...
I remember the Lewis/Rahman II undercard. Now that was an undercard. You had: Braithewaite vs. Azille Joppy vs. Eastman Lyakhovich vs. Ahunanya and last but not least, Akinwande vs. McCall, a real treat for the fans.
It seems that the only promoter that actually tries to put together a decent undercard is Bob Arum. The other promoters are only interested in getting their "marquee" fighters the most money they can. If more promoters worked together on fight cards, the fight fans would begin to see much better pay-per-view fight cards. The few fight cards with Golden Boy and Top Rank working together is evidence of this.