By Mark Vester
The cable networks are making it tough for Roy Jones, Jr. and promoter Lou DiBella. The New Jersey Herald reports that both HBO and Showtime have turned down a proposed light heavyweight scrap between Roy Jones, Jr. (50-4, 38 KOs) and Omar Sheika (26-8, 17 KOs).
DiBella initially shopped the fight to HBO as a possible co-feature to Jermain Taylor's next title defense on May 19, but network executives turned it down. Following the talks with HBO, DiBella tried to shop the fight to the Showtime network, as the opener to the welterweight debut of Deigo Corrales, who takes on Joshua Clottey on April 7. Like their network rival, Showtime turned down the fight.
Shieka has been inactive for 18-months, not fighting since his unanimous decision loss to super middleweight Markus Beyer in Germany. Sheika's adviser told the Herald that he was surprised that both cable networks turned down the fight.
"A Roy Jones fight in the opening bout on Showtime would've done a great rating," said Mike Borao, Sheika's adviser and attorney. "If he were to fight Omar Sheika, it'd be an exciting, competitive fight at a relatively low cost. They've been paying millions of dollars for fights that weren't competitive and didn't do good ratings, so I don't think the network executives have an understanding of what makes for good fights."