This boxing world of ours, stuffed with politics and sloppy promotion-as-news, wants a bull-load of gooey, salty reality 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 feedback/questions concerning 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 once 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 pondering? What sort of psychological faulty sucker would purchase that present with out the one battle (Beterbiev-Bivol) that might make it value shopping for? What a solution 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’d have assumed that Matchroom was vibrant sufficient to give you some kind of broadcast association the place they may at the very least broadcast Beterbiev-Bivol as a part of their DAZN PPV present. There’s completely no means Shakur-Cordina does effectively on pay-per-view. This really makes me ponder whether Matchroom’s signing of Stevenson wasn’t funded by the Saudis, at the very least partly. The primary battle of their 2-fight deal will probably 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 wish to see all the occasion. They’re going to must pay twice to see the entire present. Nonetheless, I’ll concede that it may be good for many who simply wish 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 just a few 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 needed to see, I ponder what number of media corporations will proceed to speculate cash in a sport with a dwindling fan base and former champions, social media content material creators, celeb hacks and con males promoting PPV exhibitions as Boxing.
Your article at the moment on the potential finish of the Saudi gravy practice is stellar and should studying for any critical 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 hold doing what you do.
– John
Hey John.
I actually admire your variety phrases. If I is usually 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 means which 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 probably be stolen by media folks with greater 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 at the very least just a little bit good, effectively, it feels good.
As for the Saudi stuff…
There are such a lot of explanation why this take care of the satan will probably be dangerous for boxing in the long term.
One of many unmentioned risks in all of that is that the Saudis’ curiosity in just about every little thing exterior of oil is unstable and determined by the whims of 1 man– Prince Mohammed bin Salman. We’ve seen large 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 every little thing over to them, allow them to bankroll a lot of the high-end exercise and name so most of the shots– after which they only cease? The place do we discover the funding after we’ve reduce ourselves off from the actual world (even additional)? How will we restart our enterprise mannequin once we all of a sudden have to begin working within the black once more? How will we construct stars after they’ve been sacrificed on the Saudis’ altar? The Saudis don’t have any actual dedication to this sport. Of their funding portfolio, boxing needs to be WAY down on the checklist. This Turki/Saudi stuff is only a knee-jerk cash seize with zero considered the long run.
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