Tonights Sky/Matchroom Fights - uncompetitive

No Gasman,got to admit it wasn't that.When they made the first one,I said it was too good to be true.A rarity into days era,a really good fight between 2 good fighters for no title.I also was surprised that Purdys handlers,not him,would take the match,given Jones showing against Brook.Then I was surprised when they made it again,and just had a feeling that it wouldn't come off.Expressed my doubts as late as Tuesday,then thought maybe it would,then not surprised it was off.Just a gut feeling,and a bit of suspicion.Plus nobody supposedly in the know on here said that Carson was in the country.Probably doesn't make much sense,but often instincts can be right,as you probably know.

 

Jonsey posted some weigh in videos for tonights show.Purdy and Cosme not among them.Am I paranoid???

 

Seems I'm in the other boat, should be more boxing on. I'd rather have 1 or 2 **** cards a month and have it every week than barely at ll. I was a Boxnation subscriber without SS, now Im going to get SS if Burns goes over but I'm going to be a bit peeved at paying the sub when all I watch is boxing and its sparse.

 

Its a shame because outside of the Barker & Groves fights its an awsome card.

These fighters and promoters need to get realistic. Whats Macklin, Murray & Lee done instead of fighting Barker this weekend. Whats Quigg got lined up? Whats Vassel done instead of fighting Purdy again?

 

Ifilm just missed it. Purdy came on overweight so lost his title. The fights not on TV anyway replaced by Evanelou vs O'Conner 2. Groves then Barker follow. If they finish quick we get China Clake vs Wadi Camacho. So there are 2 50-50s we will probs see all be it at a lower level.

Not good enough from Eddie though o am afriad. This isn't BoxNation!

 

Ted if you had a ticket for this you wouldn't be getting a refund. The only fight thats gone is Jones vs Purdy. Off TV the card is quality gutted I am not going. Groves was a nice addition also. Riviera is still a good fight for Purdy. Theres only two bad fights and thats Groves & Barker.

 

To be fair though Jonsey,Lee has just had a hard{more than expected as it turned out}fight only a few weeks away.With respect to Barker,Murray at the moment has bigger fish to fry.I think he has the best chance of them all to pull something off,slim as it may be.Then I do believe,if he did pull it off,Macklin would be his first defence and the winner would fight Barker.

 

Sorry didn't see that posting.Pity,thought that wasn't too bad a fight due to Cosmes decent past.

 

If it is indeed £20 a ticket that is absolutely amazing. The local shows are £20 +


:thumbsup

 

Yeah, same here. There's a card in my home town tonight and it's headlined by someone with 2 fights, yet tickets are £30. It's ridiculous.

For £20, Hearn's show represents very good value. I am a bit disappointed in the card but given that the Groves signing was last minute and Jones pulled out, it's hard to complain much.

 

Where you here this mate?

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have 4 fights live tomorrow..8.10 Connor v Evangelou 2, 8.45 Purdy v Rivera 9.30 Groves v Balmaceda 10.15 Barker v Rotolo

That was from Hearn yesterday and there has been nowt today to suggest his fight won't be shown live?

 

The issue here is that there is a standard Matchroom have set for themselves, and sold to fans along with Sky when they put together the 20 card deal. That standard is a Big name in the main event and 2 competitive/forward moving chief supports beforehand on TV. We were promised that every show would be a big show like these examples.

Brook vs Hatton with Frampton vs Ankrah, Hope vs Prozska
Brook vs Jones with Matthews vs Rees, Hope vs Prozska II
Froch vs Bute with Frampton vs Hirrales & Ochieng vs Tomms

Since Matchroom have got the Sky deal I would say only two cards have lived up to those expectations

Frampton vs Martinez, Lee vs Fitzgerald, Selby vs Lindsay
Brook vs Saldivia, McDonnel vs Zamora, Anderson vs Reid

Of the shows coming up, Bellew vs Chilemba would also be in that mix, but Saturday night and the Rose card are still not good enough. In fairness others would have been at that level but fell apart due to last minute injures, but we wouldn't give that excuse to Frank so we cannot give it to Eddie.

But I don't think you can say Matchroom are producing the same goods as other promoters. It's far more than just more attention to detail when it comes to production. There is still a difference in the quality of the matchmaking compared to the rest. As others mentioned, top to bottom Matchroom off TV cards are stacked with good fights, look at Saturday night as an example. Theres 3-4 fights on there I would love to see. You don't get that with any other promoter.

Trying to think of examples since the 20 fight contract started where a promoter has done a show thats equal to the "Matchroom/Sky Standard I mentioned.

Groves vs Johnson, O'Meara vs Smith, BJS vs Blackwell.

That is honestly the only one I can think off. You can't count Hattons comeback as it was a PPV. Haye vs Chisora & Burns vs Mitchell had no undercard.

So are Matchroom and Sky delivering on what they promised. NO, as of right now they are not. But I do think this is a work in progress, which they have always said would be the case I might add.

Since 2010 Sky have undergone a dramatic change in the way they broardcast boxing. Something had to change otherwise there would be no boxing on Sky Sports. A few of you guys on here may have enjoyed the Friday Fight Nights, but they actually got slated week after week by most of us. Before 2010 Every card was in a town hall, we got one live title fight and they would be hit or miss, and big shows would only happen when Frank put on a PPV.

In 2010 Frank, Hearn, Hatton & Maloney were all given new 2 year contracts by Sky and were told to deliver big shows. Sky backed them by bringing back Ringside and moving to Saturday nights. Outside of PPV Frank didn't do much and he jumped ship due to Sky's reluctance to do PPV's. Hatton & Maloney continued to deliver the same standard.

Hearn was the only one that stepped up to the plate and delivered big shows, signed big names and got his fighters title shots. Hatton & Maloney kept doing what they were doing, and when they tried to keep up they failed. Hatton & Maloney screwed themselves, and Hearn got the deal not because "His Daddy has the Darts & Snooker" but because he was the only one who did what Sky wanted and delivered as a Boxing promoter. Eddie Hearn out marketed, out smarted and out hustled his competition, and you can't turn around and say he only did it because he has Matchrooms money, because Hatton had a fair wedge in the bank which he did invest.

Would I have done things a little bit differently to how Sky have done? Yes. But I wouldn't have given contracts to Frank, Hattons or Maloney. They can scream all they like about loyalty. Would I employ a company to build me a house, who have built **** houses for me in the past and are in massive amount of debt out of loyalty?

I defiantly prefer things the way they are and thats why I back Sky/Matchroom. We are in a position where a quality main event from the FFN days is seen as a good supporting fight now. I think if you looked at it properly, your seeing as many Live Quality Title fights as you were back in the FFN days, and those fights are off a higher standard. Fighters don't go backwards anymore, or stagnate for long periods. Outside of Prizefighter theres no more small halls and theres no more Chris Edwards vs Shinny Bayaar's.

I like the way Matchroom promote cards and fighters. While Hearn's ambitions in Boxing are to make allot of money like every other promoter, I think that his methods are a cut above the rest. Matchroom understand the value of a happy punter, they understand the value of having an arena sold out. Matchroom will put together stronger shows on a more consistent basis because they know a main event might get viewers and ticket sales, but the undercard will create fans. I honestly think Hearn wants to be in a position where every card is of the quality I mentioned because he can make more money from them, and that is good for us fans. They keep fighters active, they boost there public profiles, they push them forward in the careers. Hearn is not doing anything New Age, he just does what he is supposed to do. Long term things are only going to get better.

If rumours are to be beleived he will have added 2 headliners Groves & Burns, 2 British Champions in Selby & Rose within the space of a week. Denton Vassell & Joe Murray are also rumoured. He has signed most of the top amateuers like Yafai, Cardle, Ward, Smith etc and they will be in title contention in 2014. The future is bright because those cards will naturally improve as Hearns stable grows and there will be less Prizefighters. Hearn has stated that his long term aim is not 20 shows, he wants to be doing 40 per year and he seems like a Man thats good at getting what he wants. If you look at other sports Matchroom provide Sky, it started with a small output, and over time they upped it to a significant one.

Matchroom shows are better than any other UK promoters apart from the odd exception in terms of the TV broadcast, there just not as good as we were told they were going to be, and there not as good as they should be, but its still better than the **** we were getting before and the **** we get elsewhere. With regards to off TV, Matchroom beats everybody hands down and anybody that goes to cards regularly will tell you that.

 

Must have got it wrong sorry boys!