This boxing world of ours, crammed with politics and sloppy promotion-as-news, wants a bull-load of gooey, salty fact shot into its ear hole– and I’m simply the toro to do it. So, step again and watch me wash away the boxing ignorance. This week, we’ve got feedback/questions relating to the odd split-event Beterbiev-Bivol/Shakur-Cordina present, Saudi boxing involvement, extra…
Shakur-Cordina, On PPV?
Hello Paul.
I needed to rub my eyes and clear my glasses after I noticed that Matchroom was planning on making Shakur Stevenson vs. Joe Cordina the principle occasion of a DAZN PPV that includes the remainder of the Beterbiev-Bivol undercard, with Beterbiev-Bivol airing on ESPN+. What are these folks considering? What sort of psychological faulty sucker would purchase that present with out the one struggle (Beterbiev-Bivol) that may make it price shopping for? What a approach to start the Matchroom-Stevenson alliance! My guess is that they don’t even do five-digit gross sales within the US. What say you?
– Jerry from Chicago.
Hey Jerry.
It’s spectacularly silly. I get that Prime Rank has the rights to Beterbiev fights, however I might have assumed that Matchroom was shiny sufficient to provide you with some type of broadcast association the place they may not less than broadcast Beterbiev-Bivol as a part of their DAZN PPV present. There’s completely no approach Shakur-Cordina does nicely on pay-per-view. This truly makes me wonder if Matchroom’s signing of Stevenson wasn’t funded by the Saudis, not less than partly. The primary struggle of their 2-fight deal will likely be an excessive cash loss for Matchroom. No firm working itself like an actual firm would voluntarily hemorrhage cash like this.
The split-event nonsense can be horrible for followers who need to see your complete occasion. They’re going to need to pay twice to see all the present. Nonetheless, I’ll concede that it could be good for individuals who simply need to see the principle occasion and never all of the filler beneath it.
After The Gravy Practice…And A Thanks
As a Boxing fan for over 50 years, I’ve seen a number of issues come and go.
Sadly, the game is now at a possible low ebb.
Regardless of Saudi deep pockets giving us some matches we’ve got wished to see, I ponder what number of media firms will proceed to take a position cash in a sport with a dwindling fan base and former champions, social media content material creators, superstar hacks and con males promoting PPV exhibitions as Boxing.
Your article right now on the doable finish of the Saudi gravy prepare is stellar and should studying for any severe fan. Will probably be fascinating to see which different writers decide up on the concepts in your story and make them their very own.
Thanks.
Please preserve doing what you do.
– John
Hey John.
I actually respect your type phrases. If I could be a bit indulgent for a second, there’s no actual reward in me making an attempt to talk the reality as I see it in a approach that will have some affect. Media colleagues don’t acknowledge my contributions and really work to freeze me out of the discourse. Even those who like me and my work, won’t ever say so publicly. They ship me “attaboys” privately so their colleagues don’t see them doing it. There’s additionally no cash in doing what I do. All I’ve to go on is the faintest notion that my phrases are resonating someplace, which regularly crashes up with the truth that, in the event that they do resonate, they in all probability will likely be stolen by media folks with larger platforms. This has been taking place to me for 17 years now. So, when readers write to me and let me know that I’m not less than somewhat bit good, nicely, it feels good.
As for the Saudi stuff…
There are such a lot of explanation why this take care of the satan will likely be unhealthy for boxing in the long term.
One of many unmentioned risks in all of that is that the Saudis’ curiosity in just about the whole lot outdoors of oil is unstable and determined by the whims of 1 man– Prince Mohammed bin Salman. We’ve seen huge adjustments in Saudi funding technique and their view on enterprise with outsiders, simply over the previous couple of years. So, what occurs if we flip the whole lot over to them, allow them to bankroll a lot of the high-end exercise and name so lots of the shots– after which they simply cease? The place do we discover the funding after we’ve lower ourselves off from the true world (even additional)? How can we restart our enterprise mannequin once we abruptly have to begin working within the black once more? How can we construct stars once they’ve been sacrificed on the Saudis’ altar? The Saudis haven’t any actual dedication to this sport. Of their funding portfolio, boxing needs to be WAY down on the listing. This Turki/Saudi stuff is only a knee-jerk cash seize with zero considered the long run.
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