Howdy Suckers.
What a hurtful, hateful, disrespectful factor to say, proper?
Properly, that’s what the boxing enterprise thinks of you. You’re suckers, marks, water heads whose emotions and beliefs may be twisted round by some very primary public relations. You’re so dumb that they will even get you to purchase one thing you completely didn’t want– after which stroll away feeling good about being duped.
Working example, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Edgar “Can” Berlanga.
This can be a combat that no person however Berlanga, his household, and Canelo need. It’s a combat that won’t be aggressive, that includes a B-side who’s fought no person of actual word and whose solely likelihood of dropping Canelo entails a sniper being planted within the balcony of T-Cell Enviornment.
But, right here we’re. Canelo vs. Berlanga on September 14. There’ll be a pay-per-view price ticket on it, too– most likely effectively above 80 bucks.
And the occasion organizers simply realize it’ll promote, as a result of when the Mexican money cow, Alvarez, tells you what to purchase, you’re gonna purchase it. And when he tells you that David Benavidez didn’t deserve a title shot as a result of he hadn’t fought anyone, however that Berlanga DID deserve one, you higher not chuckle. Simply nod your head and agree…and BUY.
Saudi Arabian wannabe boxing dictator Turki Alalshikh is aware of all about taking part in followers for suckers, too. I imply, the man has had a number of playing cards stuffed with fights no person requested for, and the narrative at all times appears to be: “He’s giving us the fights we’ve been eager to see.”
This coming Saturday, he’s giving American combat followers a card on US soil, stuffed with sub-HBO-level fights topped by Terence Crawford assembly a man in Israil Madrimov who might be no. 17 on the “I need to see him combat Crawford” checklist. And it’s pay-per-view. And also you’re gonna be joyful and grateful to “His Excellency.”
Since you’re a sucker.
In the event you ever need to discover some perspective on these sorts of issues by going to the media, effectively, good luck with that. Your sources for schooling and knowledge are the boxing website owned by the promoter who’s in a partnership with the Saudis or the boxing website owned by that different boxing firm, which has some doubtful hiring/firing/keeping-your-job practices. Or perhaps you possibly can go to another choose particular person reporters who’re deeply compromised and/or specialists at bartering favors for entry.
However all of them count on you to belief that what they are saying is true. And, for probably the most half, you really do.
No surprise the UFC feels it might probably stroll proper into Las Vegas and declare Mexican Independence Day weekend by stealing boxing fandom away from boxing. They see you guys as chimps, simply distracted by shiny issues (like, The Sphere…Ooohhhh, take a look at the lights…).
That may be the one rationalization for making a Noche UFC card on September 14 in Vegas, reverse Canelo-Berlanga, as a “tribute to the Mexican folks for his or her extraordinary contributions to fight sports activities” with a most important occasion pitting an Irish-American in opposition to a Georgian, preventing beneath the sponsorship of Saudi Arabia. Dana White and the UFC assume in the event that they put Mexican art work on some posters, it’ll be sufficient to lure in Mexican boxing followers…as a result of…boxing followers are suckers.
No different business is as persistently disrespectful and dismissive of its prospects as boxing.
Think about going to Burger King, Dwelling of the Whopper, with a yearning for a Whopper and, whenever you get there, they need to offer you a microwave Quick Bites greenback retailer burger instead– on the value of a Whopper. And whilst you’re questioning what the fuck is happening, they stand there, legitimately feeling that you ought to be joyful about being screwed round.
I’m not aware of loads on the enterprise aspect of issues on this sport. However I’m not so keen anymore to be understanding about why followers are being disrespected whereas being requested to pay an increasing number of for the privilege of being a fan. I don’t care anymore concerning the “whys,” I simply need to deal with the “hell nos.”
In the event you’re a boxing firm and you may’t afford to remain in enterprise, perhaps you shouldn’t be within the boxing enterprise. Or perhaps it’s best to tighten your finances and reduce your efforts. I do know when these writing gigs of mine begin drying up, I eat a hell of much more peanut butter than when issues are going effectively.
No matter. Simply cease dicking the followers round.
There’s some proof that followers are smartening up, although. The additional embracing of piracy is a logical, if perhaps misguided, response to boxing continually gouging its followers with pay-per-views and subscription charges.
Canelo’s buys, as an example, have declined considerably with each dangerous matchup he tries to hawk. Possibly the identical variety of individuals are watching him, however fewer are literally paying. It’s not a wholesome strategy to battle shitty boxing enterprise. It’s a little bit like stealing the Quick Bites burgers from Burger King within the instance I used above. Yeah, you get the burger free now, but it surely’s nonetheless a shitty burger. Ideally, we’d all just like the Whopper and can be keen to pay a good value for it.
Boxing wants to take a look at the best way the music business battled piracy again within the early days of the web and file sharing. The answer was to make the authorized music product extra handy and extra economical. Followers responded, for probably the most half, by going again to getting their music the authorized route.
The boxing enterprise, nevertheless, isn’t even attempting to make any adjustments to how they do things– until you rely charging extra for poorer content material as an precise enterprise technique.
And, why aren’t they attempting?
As a result of they nonetheless assume you’re a sucker.
Acquired one thing for Magno? Ship it right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com
