Actually yes, it's a real possibility. Haymon has run out of money and is essentially telling his own talent to go find their own fights at this point. Stevenson's purses are decreasing and he has zero options at this point and Kovalev/Ward is by far the most lucrative option.
Why bother, he'll make the same money fighting a drunk Canadian hockey fan or a dildo salesman from Minneapolis.
Is that your hint telling us that you'll be fighting him next?
Maximize revenue? Stevenson is basically unknown at this point. It has been since Chad dawson, since he has done anything of relevance. Who remembers when Chad Dawson was still relevant? I dont... Its been that long.
Canadian PPV is still worth a ton of money, and MGM Resorts (T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand, and Mandalay EC) can join Bell Centre in Montreal and Barclays Center in Brooklyn as possible places to stage the fight.
If you want to talk yourself into thinking that Stevenson isn't still crushing Kovalev in the revenue game, that's on you.
Stevenson has been ready to fight Kovalev for a while now; Main Events ****ed the business up though. Hopefully, Duva does better.
After the Kovalev fight, Andre Ward is under no further obligation to HBO, Stevenson-Ward is the biggest fight to make at 175 (bigger than a Kovalev rematch imo), and GYM and Roc Nation should be able to comfortably sit down together, maximize the revenues (venue that brings the most money, international TV rights to the highest bidder, event sponsors, PPV, etc), and split the take equitably (Stevenson/GYM keep the Canadian PPV money, Ward/RNS keep the US PPV money up to a match, with everything else being split near 50/50).
April 2017 seems like a good time to stage the PPV to me.
Maximize revenue? Stevenson is basically unknown at this point. It has been since Chad dawson, since he has done anything of relevance. Who remembers when Chad Dawson was still relevant? I dont... Its been that long.
Stevenson didn't even bother fighting Pascal, surely would have been a huge domestic draw before kov beat him, nor Hopkins, or kov, yet they all fought each other while he demolished a Tommy karpency... an exciting explosive fighter that wants to keep his lineal title while not allowing any lineage to continue till his pisses off and retires. an extremely annoying character to me, but hey, I doubt he give a damn, and doubt he finally starts talking risks now
Same **** posters telling fighters to dare to be great now has so many excuses why this former pimp is doing the right thing for not fighting the best in his own division.
HBO refused to commit the money, and continues to refuse to commit the money (the only reason why folks are even openly talking up HBO making Golovkin-Jacobs is because Alvarez's bum thumb freed up the money to make the fight possible).
It's not like these other networks are paying him a bunch for these mismatches with terrible ratings. He gets extra Canadian money but could be so much more there if he was a credible champ with credible comp
Why though? His Hbo ratings were far better, much better attendance and way more respect in boxing.
HBO refused to commit the money, and continues to refuse to commit the money (the only reason why folks are even openly talking up HBO making Golovkin-Jacobs is because Alvarez's bum thumb freed up the money to make the fight possible).
Whoever wins in November, will Stevenson fight the victor? I'm guessing not.
Stevenson has been ready to fight Kovalev for a while now; Main Events ****ed the business up though. Hopefully, Duva does better.
After the Kovalev fight, Andre Ward is under no further obligation to HBO, Stevenson-Ward is the biggest fight to make at 175 (bigger than a Kovalev rematch imo), and GYM and Roc Nation should be able to comfortably sit down together, maximize the revenues (venue that brings the most money, international TV rights to the highest bidder, event sponsors, PPV, etc), and split the take equitably (Stevenson/GYM keep the Canadian PPV money, Ward/RNS keep the US PPV money up to a match, with everything else being split near 50/50).
April 2017 seems like a good time to stage the PPV to me.
I doubt.. At 39 he is past his prime and isn't fighting the best domestic challenger in Pascal forget Kovalev or Ward who would be favorites to beat him..
Why though? His Hbo ratings were far better, much better attendance and way more respect in boxing.
His main concern, as a boxer, is what he's getting paid and how he's treated. I'm not going to be one of these guys who pretends to know all the inner workings of the business. It's just something we're not privy to. It's sensible to conclude that he's happier with his current contract. Fans somehow think every business decision is fear based because all they see is the live combat. They don't see the other 99.9%
Kovalev pulled out of the fight even Sulaiman will tell you that. The Ward fight is doable so it might he the next fight after Ward annihilates Kovalev.