Morrell To Fight Radivoje Kalajdzic At 175 In June

Its 2024 not 1984. Virtually nothing is on free tv anymore. Idk if you got an antenna tv or whats going on but the world & marketplace has changed. So this business model is the one almost everyone is doing. Oddly it appears to me as if boxing was among the first to go this route & now everyone else is joining boxing slowly but surely. I think there is a possibility boxing could all align in one place at some point, but I think it'll take a passing of the guard & the sport to fall off from the high its on right now. I think it'd be harder to align everything with older school guys like Arum & Haymon around + when so many ppl are slanging money around like high rollers playing poker. You need new school players thinking logically + with the wealth to put together a one stop shopping boxing ent^ty. The cord-cutting phenomenon started in the 2010s, so you didn't have to go all the way back to 80s lol. Isn't the ESPN channel still bigger than the ESPN+ service? Beterbiev/Bivol being on ESPN+ makes it seem like less of a priority. I know Beterbiev/Bivol are Russian, but it's still a big fight. I'm interested in seeing what happens to TR and BOXXER when their contracts end next year. Surely SKY and ESPN aren't going to get out of boxing too? These promoters are constantly having to look for new $$$ streams for their budgets, but IDK where they would go. I don't think DAZN can afford to house ALL of the major promoters.

And that is the problem. These are all fantasy fights, and they shouldn’t be. depends what will happen after Beterbiev - Bivol fight and which way will both guys go after that. Maybe the winner fights Benavidez.

Beterbiev Bivol Benavidez Morrell jr. It will be a really good division if these guys all fight each other. And that is the problem. These are all fantasy fights, and they shouldn’t be.

Beterbiev Bivol Benavidez Morrell jr. It will be a really good division if these guys all fight each other.

I haven't watched free TV in a decade & change I don't think. Its a new era. NFL used to be standard on free TV, but now you gotta pay a couple subscriptions to keep up with it. Times have changed. I feel like you got nostalgia for the old days as much or more than you don't like where boxing is at. I feel like you don't see where boxing is winning tho. Boxing is losing or could lose olympic status cuz of corruption not cuz of interest. AM boxing has been a sh^t show for decades. I'm surprised it wasn't dropped sooner tbh. Thats a whole other thing than interest. Interest is at a all time high for the last 4 decades probably. Does that business model benefit Boxing? Does Boxing have a big enough audience for the subscription model to work....or does Boxing need to be subsidized by other more popular sports? Could all of the major promoters unite and create a true BoxNation? The fact that Beterbiev/Bivol is on ESPN+ and not ESPN........

I haven't watched free TV in a decade & change I don't think. Its a new era. NFL used to be standard on free TV, but now you gotta pay a couple subscriptions to keep up with it. Times have changed. I feel like you got nostalgia for the old days as much or more than you don't like where boxing is at. I feel like you don't see where boxing is winning tho. Boxing is losing or could lose olympic status cuz of corruption not cuz of interest. AM boxing has been a sh^t show for decades. I'm surprised it wasn't dropped sooner tbh. Thats a whole other thing than interest. Interest is at a all time high for the last 4 decades probably. 100% disagree. I see it all around me and in my own life. My friends who used to be much more into boxing aren’t so much anymore. Neither am I. Members of this forum complain about the state of the sport, how top guys won’t fight other top guys, all the time — and with good reason. Boxing’s heyday is long gone. It was aided in great part by wide dissemination and high activity from top fighters. I doubt we’ll ever see such a thing again. Champions these days avoid each other and fight only a couple of times a year. You need to capture the public’s attention, and that is accomplished by greater visibility and star power. Only a couple of years ago you could tune-in to ESPN every Friday night and catch some decent boxing matches. It satisfied the thirst of hardcore followers and helped create new fans. How many new fans could possibly be created these days? Everyone has to pay exorbitant prices to watch any boxing event. Boxing will survive in the sense that it will probably always exist…but just barely.

Disagree on the money part. I think there is more money in boxing today then there has ever been. It might not be where most hardcore fans would like to see it, in novelty fighters/promotions & Saudis hands, but its there in abundance. I never understand the dying thing. What does boxing not surviving look like to you? I'd argue ppl will ALWAYS love to watch ppl fight, thats why we got more fighting now then ever too with boxing, mma, karate combat, bare knuckle + other hybrid fighting leagues. Idk that boxing can die. And I'd suggest boxing getting lower in the world, which it isn't right now & it might be the most popular its been since for sure SRL or prime Tyson days, could led to positive reform in the sport that makes things make sense outside the ring far more often than it does today. There’s more money in everything, but that’s not what I was referring to. Corporations will always go where the biggest money is. Clearly that is no longer boxing, otherwise HBO, Showtime, ESPN, etc. would still be broadcasting fights. Boxing will always be around, just as the most obscure pastimes are still with us. By its “dying” and “death,” what I mean is relative. Boxing used to be among the most popular sports in the US, second only to baseball. Fights were broadcast on free TV for decades. Everyone knew the heavyweight champion’s name — EVERYONE. In fact, most people could probably name the champ is various lower divisions. Boxing is now even in danger of losing its Olympic status, something incomprehensible, really, as it’s one of the original events, but it’s just one more example how far interest in the sport has dropped. Yes, people will always pay to watch other people fight, but that increasingly means other combat sports.

I agree with that but Not gonna happen this era of young guys are all entitled and Morell is one of them. of the young bucks so far only Benavidez has worked his way up and earned it. Morell jr I don't think is an entitled young man, a guy who went through all the $h1t you have to go through to leave Cuba, is not that type of person, confident yes, entitled not, look what he did with the first money he got, bring his parents from Cuba, buy a house for his family, not a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley. He was after benavidez the consensus boogeyman of the division not canelo the cash cow, and he was his mandatory for three years, and still is.

I agree with that but Not gonna happen this era of young guys are all entitled and Morell is one of them. of the young bucks so far only Benavidez has worked his way up and earned it. Benavidez has been his own worst enemy with the way he lost his titles. I don't think he had to apologize for being publicly intoxicated, but I think it was a sign of maturity. It shows that he's aware of the responsibility that PBC has put on his shoulders. I think Morrell's problem is going to be getting meaningful fights consistently, whereas Benavidez's biggest challenge lies in his ability to cope with all the attention/hype he's getting. Not everyone can handle the spotlight.

True & I suspect the latter part of this would be true for a lot of us. I'm not sure the exact time boxing crossed the threshold of being more business than sport, but I believe its happened during my time being a fan. And if I didn't have this loyalty to the sport already I doubt I'd be anything other than those casual fan types who only come around for the big fights a couple times a yr max myself. This is a good example of what I referred to in a previous post. Fans of the sport are barely hanging on. There is no more boxing on Showtime, HBO or ESPN. The reason for that is simple: not enough money in it. And why is that? Again, simple: not enough eyeballs. And as I said previously, the IOC is looking to do away with boxing at the games. All symptomatic. A viscous cycle has been created, and I don’t think the sport can survive it.

David needs to break away from PBC. He needs way more activity than 1-2 fights a year he’s getting currently. I think most of us agree.

I watched a documentary made by Rich The Fight Historian on YT about Benitez a while ago, truly a remarkable career and a cautionary tale. You can tell some modern-day boxers look at fighters of yesteryear and feel the pressure of living up to lofty expectations...but also want to avoid major catastrophe in the process. That's what I had in mind when I said "warriors turn businessmen". Joshua doesn't want to end up bankrupt and damaged beyond repair like many of the HW legends before him. Even guys that have yet to truly accomplish much in their careers, like Jared Anderson and Ryan Garcia, don't envision a long pro career and already planning an exit strategy. GGG quietly dropped his titles and found a way to stay around sport without having to lace up for a living ever again; that's probably the fantasy for many boxers. I can't begrudge them for not wanting to have a lengthy career where they risk absorbing too much punishment. The "Boxers are not altruistic" message is almost like a loss of innocence; it's the moment where we start perceiving these fighters as human beings rather than idols. Boxers can be arrogant, greedy, delusional, cowardly, undisciplined, and every other negative adjective lol. It doesn't mean we don't respect the sacrifice they're making, but it's just the reality of the situation. Boxing is such an interesting industry to observe because the "Business" and the "Sport" are often not harmonious. I think a lot of the issues stem from that imbalanced and chaotic relationship. If I hadn't been introduced to boxing as a kid, I'm not sure if I'd ever become anything more than a casual fan. It’s not the same sport anymore. The topic is brought up from time to time, whether boxing is dying. I think it probably has to, given the direction it’s heading. The Olympic committee is seriously considering dropping boxing from its next games. I can’t believe I even wrote that; yet it’s true. That speaks volumes about the state of boxing. It’s far worse than even I imagined.

That’s all I have for now. Not liking the way David’s career is going — too inactive; and now, moving up to find a fight — but at least Kalajdzic is a good quality opponent. No set date yet, but looks like June. David needs to break away from PBC. He needs way more activity than 1-2 fights a year he’s getting currently.

The promotional backing (aka budget) might be the most important component, but it also takes a healthy and hungry boxer to execute. GGG was making 300k purses while staying active, and he wasn't suffering any severe injuries. Morrell needs to try and emulate this formula: smaller purses, higher activity...and he's actually young enough to pull this off. The fighter/manager/promoter/network would all have to agree that this is the way forward. IDK what Morrell is currently making though. I agree with that but Not gonna happen this era of young guys are all entitled and Morell is one of them. of the young bucks so far only Benavidez has worked his way up and earned it.

The other part of the equation is having money backing you up, so you can have the chance to unify, if you just have a belt, you're right they cpuld go around and trying other belts. What a predicament don't you think? The promotional backing (aka budget) might be the most important component, but it also takes a healthy and hungry boxer to execute. GGG was making 300k purses while staying active, and he wasn't suffering any severe injuries. Morrell needs to try and emulate this formula: smaller purses, higher activity...and he's actually young enough to pull this off. The fighter/manager/promoter/network would all have to agree that this is the way forward. IDK what Morrell is currently making though.

Hot Rod is a respectable opponent for Morrell's foray into LHW. I expect David to win but his opponent won't lay down.

The full title is valuable to a certain extent, but it isn't enough for someone who's being actively avoided. Theoretically, the title is supposed to funnel all contenders towards one individual....but there are four sanctioning bodies and a excessive amount of secondary belts. It is not that difficult to avoid someone whom you don't want to face, and the fighters with strong promoters/managers are more adept at this than others. Morrell needs a persistent push from a strong network/promotional team, so that he maintains a certain level of activity and visibility. GGG had the regular WBA title while Sturm held the "Super" version (the inception of the Super title nonsense iirc), but GGG's career only started gaining traction once he changed promotional companies and HBO made a concerted effort to increase his profile. Is PBC going to put forth the same amount of effort and resources necessary to catapult Morrell? I don't think so, partly because they're trying to build Benavidez into an attraction. Morrell needs to stay active and disciplined, meanwhile PBC continues with the Benavidez experiment. These two will probably see each other eventually. The other part of the equation is having money backing you up, so you can have the chance to unify, if you just have a belt, you're right they cpuld go around and trying other belts. What a predicament don't you think?

I don't agreed with that statement. The risk will be the same but the money and the reward will be greater, been a champion is big difference than been an interim or a "regular champion", he would get more fights for sure, just like RJJ back in the 90's. The full title is valuable to a certain extent, but it isn't enough for someone who's being actively avoided. Theoretically, the title is supposed to funnel all contenders towards one individual....but there are four sanctioning bodies and a excessive amount of secondary belts. It is not that difficult to avoid someone whom you don't want to face, and the fighters with strong promoters/managers are more adept at this than others. Morrell needs a persistent push from a strong network/promotional team, so that he maintains a certain level of activity and visibility. GGG had the regular WBA title while Sturm held the "Super" version (the inception of the Super title nonsense iirc), but GGG's career only started gaining traction once he changed promotional companies and HBO made a concerted effort to increase his profile. Is PBC going to put forth the same amount of effort and resources necessary to catapult Morrell? I don't think so, partly because they're trying to build Benavidez into an attraction. Morrell needs to stay active and disciplined, meanwhile PBC continues with the Benavidez experiment. These two will probably see each other eventually.

I hate to champion Fast Eddie, but I guarantgoddamntee you he would have the kid fighting at least three times a year.

At some point, fans must realize that the blame cannot be placed at Canelo's feet, or Crawford's or Spence's. Contenders not fighting isn't one fighter's fault, it's symptomatic of deeply-rooted systemic issues....and fans are always praying that one boxer will come and be the solution. Boxers are not altruistic; they're likely to abuse their power because one's career can change abruptly. In boxing, those who are bullied eventually become bullies, the heroes become villains, warriors become businessmen. We often let our desires/emotions cloud our ability to realize that history continues repeating itself. Different boxers, similar scenarios. Morrell/Ennis aren't having issues getting fights because of Canelo/Crawford. You can remove Canelo/Crawford from the equation*. We've watched boxing long enough to know that a fighter will prioritize $$$ over a title, and their teams will play games with the ranking systems in order to avoid certain fighters. Morrell becoming full WBA titlist will not drastically improve his risk:reward ratio, nor did it improve Ennis' risk:reward ratio. The boxer who is overlooked needs to get creative and take some risks, calculated or not: Haney going to Australia twice, Bam fighting Cuadras on short notice, Tszyu/Fundora on short notice, and many more. Morrell needs to do something to get out of Benavidez's shadow because it's obvious that PBC is prioritizing one over the other. Morrell needs to work twice as hard, and be twice as committed. He has to be willing to take ANY opportunity that comes because they will be few and far between. He needs to view Kalajzdic as a mortal enemy, and destroy him. Then do the same thing again in 3 months. I don't agreed with that statement. The risk will be the same but the money and the reward will be greater, been a champion is big difference than been an interim or a "regular champion", he would get more fights for sure, just like RJJ back in the 90's.