Boxing Off-Topic

[aholbert32]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

I hate Lampley. Kellerman is pretty good, but I honestly prefer the Showtime crew at this point for boxing. They really don't even have Lederman on in any significant capacity anymore, and he was at least good for some inadvertent laughs.

I know I've made this point before, but I think HBO's boxing coverage has fallen way behind Showtime's. For one, Showtime just seems to show way more cards, and when they do, they broadcast pretty much the complete card from start to finish, where HBO frequently just shows 1 undercard and the main event. Their fighter lineup is also - for now - slightly less interesting. I'm glad both networks are still heavily invested in boxing, but HBO has got to get someone other than Golovkin so they can stop constantly pumping him up.

Really? Here is HBO's current lineup:

Pac, GGG, Ward, Kovalev, Chocalitito, Canelo, Walters, Bradley, Marquez, Wladamir K, Cotto, Crawford, Hopkins.

Here is Showtime's (this is including Haymon fighters who now fight primarily on PBC).

Chavez Jr, Mayweather, Thurman, Guerrero, Broner, Wilder, Stevenson, Quillin, Porter, D. Garcia, Mares.

The problem for Showtime is that they are tied to Haymon and he is more interested in putting fights on PBC than Showtime.

Also, HBO has put on significantly more fights than Showtime this year. In fact if you leave out Mayweather/Pac (which was a joint broadcast), Showtime has only put on 3 fights this entire year (Wilder/Chavez Jr./Russell)(not including small cards like Shobox).

HBO has put on 8 major cards already this year and has 3 scheduled already for this summer. Showtime has only 1 (a Wilder fight). PBC has hurt Showtime immensely.

[JayBee74]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

I'm glad both networks are still heavily invested in boxing, but HBO has got to get someone other than Golovkin so they can stop constantly pumping him up.

There is more than Golovkin on HBO, and when you have 20 knockouts in a row, with fan friendly devastating power, how much pumping up do you need?

[pietasterp]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

Really? Here is HBO's current lineup:

Pac, GGG, Ward, Kovalev, Chocalitito, Canelo, Walters, Bradley, Marquez, Wladamir K, Cotto, Crawford, Hopkins.

Here is Showtime's (this is including Haymon fighters who now fight primarily on PBC).

Chavez Jr, Mayweather, Thurman, Guerrero, Broner, Wilder, Stevenson, Quillin, Porter, D. Garcia, Mares.

The problem for Showtime is that they are tied to Haymon and he is more interested in putting fights on PBC than Showtime.

Also, HBO has put on significantly more fights than Showtime this year. In fact if you leave out Mayweather/Pac (which was a joint broadcast), Showtime has only put on 3 fights this entire year (Wilder/Chavez Jr./Russell)(not including small cards like Shobox).

HBO has put on 8 major cards already this year and has 3 scheduled already for this summer. Showtime has only 1 (a Wilder fight). PBC has hurt Showtime immensely.

Pac is basically done (and he's only a PPV fighter anyway), Ward hasn't fought in almost 2 years, Alvarez's big fights are all PPV, Klitschko I wouldn't watch for free most nights, and B-Hop...really?

I agree that the rosters are comparable, but HBO had something like a 4-5 month stretch last year where they didn't even have 1 card on, while Showtime has consistently put on at least a card a month. The Premiere Boxing Champions thing has definitely hurt Showtime (why wouldn't you count ShoBox, BTW?) and we'll see what happens, but I was commenting that in the past 1-2 years, if you had to pick 1 cable channel to fulfill your boxing needs, it probably would have been Showtime. Whether that holds true going forward is anyone's guess.

I do agree w/ the point that being too in-bed with Haymon is a problem for Showtime. Such is the state of the sport.

There is more than Golovkin on HBO, and when you have 20 knockouts in a row, with fan friendly devastating power, how much pumping up do you need?

I'm only peripherally interested in GGG until he has a bout against a top-level fighter. He's decisively proven that he can flatten anyone that's mid-level or below. I don't need to see him prove that for a 21st consecutive time.

[aholbert32]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

Pac is basically done (and he's only a PPV fighter anyway), Ward hasn't fought in almost 2 years, Alvarez's big fights are all PPV, Klitschko I wouldn't watch for free most nights, and B-Hop...really?

I agree that the rosters are comparable, but HBO had something like a 4-5 month stretch last year where they didn't even have 1 card on, while Showtime has consistently put on at least a card a month. The Premiere Boxing Champions thing has definitely hurt Showtime (why wouldn't you count ShoBox, BTW?) and we'll see what happens, but I was commenting that in the past 1-2 years, if you had to pick 1 cable channel to fulfill your boxing needs, it probably would have been Showtime. Whether that holds true going forward is anyone's guess.

I do agree w/ the point that being too in-bed with Haymon is a problem for Showtime. Such is the state of the sport.




I'm only peripherally interested in GGG until he has a bout against a top-level fighter. He's decisively proven that he can flatten anyone that's mid-level or below. I don't need to see him prove that for a 21st consecutive time.

They did? Here is HBO's 2014 schedule:

http://www.hbo.com/boxing/fights/2014#/

The biggest gap was between August 2 and October 18. Thats even understandable because both HBO and Showtime hate to put on August fights because ratings are low in that month because of vacations.

I dont count Shobox because those are typically showcase and one sided fights for up and coming stars or fights featuring fighters that Mayweather/Haymon forces Showtime to carry. They are typically the same level as ESPN's Friday Night Fights or FS1's Golden Boy series. They dont come close to the level of even HBO's Boxing After Dark series.

In the present, if I had to pick a network I'm picking HBO. If I didnt have Showtime in 2015, the only significant fight I wouldve missed is Wilder/Stiverne. If I didnt have HBO, I wouldve missed 2 good GGG fights, Canelo/Kirkland (which was action packed), Matthyse/Provo (FOY candidate), and Kovalev/Pascal (great fight).

Thats 5 to 1 and we arent even halfway through the year. HBO has a good Cotto fight in June coming and the following potential fights: Canelo/Cotto and Wladamir K. vs. Fury. The biggest advantage they have is that Top Rank and Golden Boy both will work with HBO while Haymon is the only major promoter that will work with Showtime.

Regarding GGG, are the #6 and #8 ranked Middleweights in the world considered "mid-level"? GGG smoked both Gaele and Murray. Now if they answer is yes than GGG will probably never get the chance to fight a high level fighter in your eyes. Cotto doesnt want to fight him. Quillin (ranked #3) is a Haymon fighter who wont fight on HBO. Maybe Andy Lee could fight him but if you think Gaele/Murray is midlevel, I dont know how you could argue Lee isnt.

[pietasterp]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

I dunno, I think the ShoBox cards are decent and at least it's boxing. I like a lot of the Friday Night Fights on ESPN.

"Mid-level", "decent", "solid"...I mean, pick an adjective. I'm not saying you shouldn't get excited about GGG, all I'm saying is I'm not that excited about him right now. No reason you can't keep enjoying him.

[allBthere]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

I dunno, I think the ShoBox cards are decent and at least it's boxing. I like a lot of the Friday Night Fights on ESPN.

"Mid-level", "decent", "solid"...I mean, pick an adjective. I'm not saying you shouldn't get excited about GGG, all I'm saying is I'm not that excited about him right now. No reason you can't keep enjoying him.

I hear what you're saying - especially in 2013 and 2014 showtime became the gold standard broadcast in my eyes and surpassed HBO.

I thought that trend would continue, but Haymon came out of nowhere and changed the game.

At this point, I agree with Aholbert about HBO in 2015, but it's not HBO vs Showtime anymore anyway, it's HBO vs NBC, PBS, Showtime, Spike etc.. .

2015 is so unbelievably good for the sport and fans, there is so much quality TV. There have been great shows - GGG Mattyesse and Canelo Kirkland stick out to me as big winners - and the first PBC ratings on NBC 3.6mil

I love it ... there is even talks of Haymon negotiating with maple leafs sports and entertainment at the air canada centre to bring 4 shows a year or so to toronto as early as 2016! that would really make my day.

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/05/19/ce-nest-pas-inquietant---yvon-michel-sur-le-fait-que-plusieurs-de-ses-boxeurs-disputeront-leur-prochain-combats-aux-etats-unis

that's the big montral promoter talking in french ... so the link will be useless to most lol

but to me what Haymon has exposed is how slow like molasses TV is (which I knew already and have bitched about a lot in the past). He just gathered the money and forced it and the ratings are big - traditionally looking at the UFC as a nice example, you would have to become huge and stay huge and then a few years later big TV will consider you, then wait another year or and only then do it.


I noticed a LOT more legit ads on the last pbc card too ...

I hope it kind of snowballs and all the networks are actively competing for corner out their marketshare of the boxing landscape


edit: actually google chrome has the translate button, it's not perfect but I guess anyone can read that article.

[pietasterp]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

Agree w/ above post. Certainly the more people in the pool, the better the pool party. I'm glad it's not just HBO and Showtime - it always seemed crazy to me that you had to have 2 premium cable channels just to credibly follow the sport at a bare minimum level. Boxing back on network TV is just nice to see. The last time I think I saw a fight on network television was that one time when Mike Tyson fought Buster Mathis Jr. on FOX. Anyone remember that? It was pretty surreal...

[steelcityjames]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

i'm just glad HBO and SHO are both still committed to boxing. i actually enjoy the presentation on BOTH networks. i honestly don't prefer one over the other, but if i HAD to pick one i'd go with HBO. at any rate, i like both. put boxing on either one and i'll watch - plain and simple.

[SPRINGS03]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

On the note of GGG, i'd be happy and excited if he fought Qullin(had a draw with andy lee, but i would of given him a slight edge), and especially if he fought Lara, if he beats lara convincingly that would be really impressive and make a statement, considering lara's tricky style. Plus, Lara has openly called out GGG, so the fight shouldn't be hard to make. Although i heard something about GGG's manager saying monroe is a more marketable fight than lara, which makes NO sense. When you're in GGG's situation and are having trouble getting a fight, you've gotta take on any higher level guy that calls you out, so you get a chance to prove you're as good as some people say. I dunno why more people don't mention this fight.

And i'm a fan of HBO and Showtime, seems like showtime has access to more younger fighters tho.

[pietasterp]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

i'm just glad HBO and SHO are both still committed to boxing. i actually enjoy the presentation on BOTH networks. i honestly don't prefer one over the other, but if i HAD to pick one i'd go with HBO. at any rate, i like both. put boxing on either one and i'll watch - plain and simple.

And i'm a fan of HBO and Showtime, seems like showtime has access to more younger fighters tho.

As am I. The landscape is changing rapidly for sure.

I didn't mean to insinuate Showtime=good/HBO=bad, I was just commenting on the last 2 years or so and how Showtime was making a serious push, but I have no skin in the game with regard to one network vs the other. I don't have an equity stake in HBO or CBS, so what do I care? Just keep showing good cards.

[Review]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

On the note of GGG, i'd be happy and excited if he fought Qullin(had a draw with andy lee, but i would of given him a slight edge), and especially if he fought Lara, if he beats lara convincingly that would be really impressive and make a statement, considering lara's tricky style. Plus, Lara has openly called out GGG, so the fight shouldn't be hard to make. Although i heard something about GGG's manager saying monroe is a more marketable fight than lara, which makes NO sense. When you're in GGG's situation and are having trouble getting a fight, you've gotta take on any higher level guy that calls you out, so you get a chance to prove you're as good as some people say. .

Not interested in a Lara fight right now. Canelo, Cotto or move up and challenge naturally bigger guys.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[SPRINGS03]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

Not interested in a Lara fight right now. Canelo, Cotto or move up and challenge naturally bigger guys.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'd be interested in him fighting canelo and cotto to an extent(cottto is small and not a true middleweight) but if he can't get those fights soon(which is likely) a lara fight would be the next best thing. I would love to see him move up and fight ward, but i don't see that anytime soon, I don't think GGG wants to move up yet.

[JayBee74]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

I wouldn't mind seeing GGG and Lara if nothing else is happening, as long as catchweight isn't in the equation.

[pietasterp]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

I wouldn't mind seeing GGG and Lara if nothing else is happening, as long as catchweight isn't in the equation.

Other than a rematch with Alfredo Angulo, a GGG fight would be about the only circumstances under which I'd watch Erislandy Lara fight.

[JayBee74]

Re: Boxing Off-Topic

Golovkin-Froch is now very possible.

Wembley 168 Pound Showdown