Comments Thread For: Paramount Global To Shut Down Showtime Sports; Network Will No Longer Broadcast Boxing

[Tag, You're Hit]

Thanks for the kind words. I actually did launch a boxing website several years back and it got decent traction out of the gates, but I quickly saw there were some ridiculous politics in the game. Example, if you don't kiss a certain promoters rear end with your articles and interviews, you won't get access and you won't get credentialed for their events. The politics of the boxing promoters, believe it not, bleed over into fan bases, media, websites, etc. in that regard. I quickly saw that the behind the scenes format in boxing is SOOOO broken that I wanted no part of it. Because, if you think about it, what I just mentioned about not getting access to fighters if you don't kiss their butt in your articles has a 100% direct correlation to how boxing has died off in the mainstream. Promoters are literally telling media outlets, websites, etc. that they are declining their articles and interviews unless they are exactly how they want them. OF COURSE that contributes to boxing falling out as a mainstream sport when the average fan can't find the online content or the articles and media that they are looking for. It also explains why you get some completely overboard and outright embarrassing "media" from these bloggers and YouTubers that just align with one promotion and one promotion only. I mean, can you imagine the NFL or NBA cutting off ESPN's access or something because ESPN wrote a negative article? LOL it would be suicide and incredibly idiotic. But, it's par for the course in boxing.... and then they wonder why TV numbers are down, when they aren't allowing the media to cover the sport how it should be covered LOL.

I got off topic there though, sorry. Again, thanks for the compliment.

Interesting behind-the-scenes peek.

[Tag, You're Hit]

Promoters need to come together and create their own streaming service. Something that they would all have a financial interest in seeing succeed. None would make a dent on their own but combined it would pretty much be the ultimate destination for boxing. At that point there would be more reason to make all the big fights rather than keep fighters away from each other. Only recognize one sanctioning body. One champion. Do all that and you basically have a league. Problem solved.

I like the concept, but it's probably not realistic. There are too many greased palms, interests that won't go away so easily (sanctioning bodies cough cough), and egos involved. After rattling it around my brain a bit, though, I do wonder if something like a merger of sorts (like NFL-AFL) could happen between promoters and a type of a league could be created. I don't know how you envision it, but maybe the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO are different divisions and there is some sort of playoff scenario (tournament) where one fighter becomes the undisputed champion. The WBSS is always welcome and well received. And "Undisputed" fever is contagious. If every current player in the boxing scene can make out well in a new configuration, maybe there's a chance. The pessimist in me, who is right more than the optimist, figures sanctioned boxing is 100+ years in and that we'll just be watching boxing on different platforms (streaming probably) and we'll continue to get a small percentage of fights we actually want to see and the incompetent/crooked scoring and too-early stoppages will outlast us all. It's fitting that Las Vegas is the fight capital of the world.

[md40022]

This is an excellent piece of writing. Do you write for any publications/websites?

Thanks for the kind words. I actually did launch a boxing website several years back and it got decent traction out of the gates, but I quickly saw there were some ridiculous politics in the game. Example, if you don't kiss a certain promoters rear end with your articles and interviews, you won't get access and you won't get credentialed for their events. The politics of the boxing promoters, believe it not, bleed over into fan bases, media, websites, etc. in that regard. I quickly saw that the behind the scenes format in boxing is SOOOO broken that I wanted no part of it. Because, if you think about it, what I just mentioned about not getting access to fighters if you don't kiss their butt in your articles has a 100% direct correlation to how boxing has died off in the mainstream. Promoters are literally telling media outlets, websites, etc. that they are declining their articles and interviews unless they are exactly how they want them. OF COURSE that contributes to boxing falling out as a mainstream sport when the average fan can't find the online content or the articles and media that they are looking for. It also explains why you get some completely overboard and outright embarrassing "media" from these bloggers and YouTubers that just align with one promotion and one promotion only. I mean, can you imagine the NFL or NBA cutting off ESPN's access or something because ESPN wrote a negative article? LOL it would be suicide and incredibly idiotic. But, it's par for the course in boxing.... and then they wonder why TV numbers are down, when they aren't allowing the media to cover the sport how it should be covered LOL.

I got off topic there though, sorry. Again, thanks for the compliment.

[Fabes88]

A lot of people owe Hearn an apology. He’s been saying this for a while and everyone called him a liar

[Phase III]

DAZN has to be next given the millions their paymaster has lost due to so many boring Matchroom: Hearn bouts filled with lackluster British boxers.

[Dela]

Is this results of terrible judges… lol
on how awful the boxing matches were decided

[SUBZER0ED]

At least when HBO closed shop, they have very few fighters relying on them. This time it's a large stable and it remains to be seen if it would still be business as usual like nothing happened.

Hell, most of those clowns were sitting on their hands anyway. They weren't fighting.

[Sheikh]

What is truly sad is that I'm pretty sure that DAZN will be next. What happens then? They will basically be no more Outlets

[bchap05]

Could be good. Sometimes it takes being knocked down to finally make changes. They are probably still too ****** and greedy, but if they ever learn that making the best fight the best gets more buys and ratings. If whoever picks them up forces their hand in that for better ratings it would improve the sport. The one thing I never understood about boxing. Like they would rather have 200k viewers than a mill because they don't want to challenge themselves. One of only sports I can think of that purposely puts on a worse product half the time.

Hopefully the consolidate onto ESPN or Dazn. If boxing were under one banner with forced fights (not cherry picking) their wouldn't be a ratings or buy issue.

[The Big Dunn]

PBC deals with Bounce,Spike TV, CBS, NBC and Showtime all ended terrible, Showtime was still dealing with PBC since the Weasel Espinoza is Haymonâs lap dog. Same thing can be said with Top Rank whoâs so terrible and ruined strong ties with ESPN. Boxing as a whole couldâve been in a better state but the promoters got greedy thinking they can get away with presenting sub par cards and wanting ridiculous purses for their fighters who nobody even cared about at the end of day.

PBC stink
Top Rank stink
DAZB stink

lets be real as boxing fans their greed killed the sport.

Ok I agree with you. But deals ending terrible isn’t a reflection of the promoters, it’s a reflection of where boxing is in the sports landscape.

When the networks left the sport, we as fans were fortunate that the cable networks picked up the sport.

But even they changed when boxing was still popular. USA Tuesday night fights got replaced. FNF got replaced.

Now there is soccer, cornhole, high school sports and other things that get stronger ratings on that never were in the past.