Why is it that boxing fans all make the same excuse for their favorite fighters making no attempt to unify belts, or fight the most challenging opponents?
Well he took the fight with bigger money.
Is anyone else tired of this? I mean half of these guys are rich enough for their children's children to live perfectly comfortable lives. You've got a sport in decline, people holding belts in weightclasses where they don't belong, only fighting smaller opponents, and up and coming contenders spending the majority of their careers in near obscurity fighting elite level journeymen.
Still a lot of fans will act like business sense and being rich are important skills for a boxer to possess. Like they make him a better boxer or solidify his place as an all time great. I long for an international sanctioning body, one belt per weightclass, and set salaries based on tiers of opposition. I know I know, its a rant, but just tell me how I'm wrong or how you feel on the subject.
It's not only Stevenson,it's any fighter who is making the best choices money wise for them self's..This is a sport,a business..As much as we wanna treat these fighters like they do this for a hobby,they don't..It's a business,and now the actual combatants have control over their career(unlike in the early stages where the promoter was the be all end all)and I believe they have the right to make as much money or the decision's they feel is best for them and their family's..What is strange,is how people who will not help these fighters when their career's are over feel they should have so much say over what deals these fighters should take..You don't find this strange??
i was only pulling your leg Rome.
but regarding stevenson, now he has to wait because of the lawsuit.............
i agree fighters should be properly compensated but we dont know the figures he was offered but we do know:
- stevenson was offered a defense and then kovalev on hbo
- was offered a defense against fonfara for 1.7mil with plans to fight bernard hopkins
hbo paid edwin rodriguez 1 million - an al haymon fighter - to fight ward who they paid 2 mil
- kovalev and stevenson ratings on hbo were good
Financial security is one thing but when you've made enough money to ensure the welfare of several generations I don't think that argument works anymore. I for one don't agree with the lifestyles that make these dudes bankrupt. I would like to see an international boxing league with one belt and a tiered pay cap. No one and I mean no one needs to make over thirty million a year. Thats just ridiculous. The reason anyone is broke after all of that is just pure stupidity. They live like they'll never have to pay taxes, and don't think about retirement. Its not about anyone being comfortable to me its about the sport taking care of itself and making sure that its sorted out in the pages of history.
Because some fans can be real. As much as YOU want to see a guy go out and risk his entire career all fighters fight for a paycheck. It's being realistic and seeing why a fight isn't going to happen, and to try to look and hope for ones that makes sense to the fighters. A lot of people on here steram fights anyhow, so theyre not getting your money either way....so it's not like they care for those opinions.
Nailed it..
Floyd fans - guys like larryxxx defended Stevenson for
Ducking Kovalev
They formed the SDF which is infamous to this day
You also have some stormtroopers such as Rome by ko make the list
It's not only Stevenson,it's any fighter who is making the best choices money wise for them self's..This is a sport,a business..As much as we wanna treat these fighters like they do this for a hobby,they don't..It's a business,and now the actual combatants have control over their career(unlike in the early stages where the promoter was the be all end all)and I believe they have the right to make as much money or the decision's they feel is best for them and their family's..What is strange,is how people who will not help these fighters when their career's are over feel they should have so much say over what deals these fighters should take..You don't find this strange??
Because some fans can be real. As much as YOU want to see a guy go out and risk his entire career all fighters fight for a paycheck. It's being realistic and seeing why a fight isn't going to happen, and to try to look and hope for ones that makes sense to the fighters. A lot of people on here steram fights anyhow, so theyre not getting your money either way....so it's not like they care for those opinions.
It's been like this for a while.
I really don't like it, but at the same time, if someone offered me millions for an easy fight...why not? For some fighters, you reach a point where financial security is top priority and as much as I'd like to, I can't hold that against them.
We all want to see the best fights, but I have learned to not expect them.
Floyd fans - guys like larryxxx defended Stevenson for
Ducking Stevenson
They formed the SDF which is infamous to this day
You also have some stormtroopers such as Rome by ko make the listSo Stevenson ducked himself??and what is SDF??
Floyd fans - guys like larryxxx defended Stevenson for
Ducking Kovalev
They formed the SDF which is infamous to this day
You also have some stormtroopers such as Rome by ko make the list
I hear you man. Thing is, in yesteryear, the promoters had a lot more control over the fights than they do now (they used to make a lot more money than the fighters) so they could press or dictate certain fights to take place. The fighters have lots more control now, so it makes sense that they want to take care of their money situation - nothing wrong in that.
So, I think in 2014 the most we can expect and demand is that fighters take a mix of who pays the most, and who means the most (a 50:50 risk:reward ratio). Sorta like what Cotto, Bradley, Froch, Malignagni, Khan etc do. These guys will take the hard challenges all day, but these hard challenges will be accompanied with good paydays. Fighters like Floyd and Ward suck because its all about getting it as close to 0% risk and 100% reward as they possibly can and we can and do deride that.
Thats about all I can hope for I guess, well said.