Let us call the Haney Ryan fight what it is, then it might sell!

[billeau2]

The thing is, Ryan still has fans and people are worried about him, but it seems really unlikely that he can win, and way more likely that he's deluding himself into thinking he can compete with the top dogs, and I don't know that people are all that interested in watching him self-destruct.

And Haney has been busy playing the heel, but doesn't seem to have the power to knock Ryan out for those who might want to see that.

So when the heel likely can't be beat and doesn't have a fan friendly style, and the other guy looks like a half second away from a(nother) massive mental breakdown, and isn't there enough to even put up a good fight, it just feels like the sort of fight that isn't worth paying for because you know how it's going to go, and it's going to be depressing to watch anyways.

good points let's look at them,

1. Yes, Ryan has a large following.
2. I also "do not know" if people have that interest. I am going on past fights of this nature. People like a spectacle and marketing a spectacle has been a successful selling strategy. Look at all the press about Ryan teetering on the edge of sanity (lol I am exxagerating but you get the picture), look at how much social media currency it has generated, that is what I am looking at, that and past fights that had a similar appeal.
3. I disagree because Haney whom I believe has gotten much bigger and stronger. I think he has a lot more power at 140, considering his age, not having to struggle to make weight and his learning curve... We don't really know yet how much it has affected him, the Garcia fight should tell us more.

4. yeah personally I don't rock that way either. I refuse to buy fights at the prices today and when the judges do such a poor job... If the judgimng was fair, I would bet the fights and buy them because I am confident and have done well predicting outcomes... But with judges bought and paid for, no way that would work... Did you know that in the Cruz Romero fight one judge actually had Rolly ahead!!!!???

[billeau2]

No contradiction. There are haters, then there are fans of particular fighters, then there are those in the middle who just want to see good fights regardless of who wins. All groups may or may not be in equal proportions, but every promoter should target all buyers not just haters. But promoting is a loose thing. Many factors surround it. It can't all be any one responsible for it. Not so simple as you think. Garcia's behavior weeks ago made it all complicated. Some fans started to think he may pull out, so...that may have screwed up everything in terms of selling the fight.

No, not ONE factor, just one factor out of many. I never meant to imply exclusivity. You really think one cannot take it for granted that a fight has certain basic elements that are marketed? I am talking about one avenue that can be exploited to generate the interest that seems to hold the attention of many casual fans.

Garcia may have also generated more interest in the fight... I mean does any real boxing fan really believe Garcia is ready to challenge Haney? And that but for his fragile mental state that has become apparent, he would be a challenge?

[crimsonfalcon07]

good points let's look at them,

1. Yes, Ryan has a large following.
2. I also "do not know" if people have that interest. I am going on past fights of this nature. People like a spectacle and marketing a spectacle has been a successful selling strategy. Look at all the press about Ryan teetering on the edge of sanity (lol I am exxagerating but you get the picture), look at how much social media currency it has generated, that is what I am looking at, that and past fights that had a similar appeal.
3. I disagree because Haney whom I believe has gotten much bigger and stronger. I think he has a lot more power at 140, considering his age, not having to struggle to make weight and his learning curve... We don't really know yet how much it has affected him, the Garcia fight should tell us more.

4. yeah personally I don't rock that way either. I refuse to buy fights at the prices today and when the judges do such a poor job... If the judgimng was fair, I would bet the fights and buy them because I am confident and have done well predicting outcomes... But with judges bought and paid for, no way that would work... Did you know that in the Cruz Romero fight one judge actually had Rolly ahead!!!!???

#2. I get what you're saying here, but I think it would sell better if they had reversed roles. There's nobody to root for in this fight, and it's looking like such a mismatch.
#3. Yeah, he did get a positional KD v Prograis, but Prograis looked off-balance, not hurt. I think he's got enough power to keep people honest, much like Bivol, but it's been a long time since he had someone anywhere close to a TKO, let alone a finish. The saving grace is that Ryan is mentally weak and might quit.

#4. Since you bring up Rolly, the better fights would have been Ryan v Rolly and Haney v Cruz. Both would have sold way better than what we got.

And also, seriously, why is it on the East Coast, instead of where both guys have their followings?

[billeau2]

devin haney is 1/10 on to win, its hard to selll a fight when there is such a clear favourite... the same teen girls that follow garcia on tiktok dont get given enough pocket money to be able to afford to buy a PPV

Good point about cost.

This is what marketeers discovered about 1980's or so, about teen market share. Teens are natural influencers who can control income much the way a smart women controls her husband, indirectly through influencing the bread winner... Those little girls whom, as you correctly state, could not afford to buy the fight, have fathers who are looking "to connect" with their kids. Easy enough for a boy... whom can have dad coach a sport, or share a male interest, but what about a daughter? How does dad connect here? discussing the latest make up trends?

Now here comes daughter asking about a boxing match! You see how this works? My own example is imprecise, but this is the general idea behind how the teen market controls disposable income. Dad will buy the fight to get daughter interested in something he is interested in.

[WarVeteranO01]

This is a straight up legal heist. I don't blame the Haneys 1 bit for taking the rest of this dudes clout.

[brettWall]

Garcia didn't even try to correct the perception/impression. He thought getting meek and humble in his recent appearances would fix it. In my experience as a fan, I get hopes when fighters continue to talk down the opponent, make his skills inferior, ie, KO him in 5, won't last the distance, etc. It's as if Garcia has accepted his fate.

No such thing as single element to exploit. Many factors are involved, whether you want to ignore them or not. It's as far back as Prograis being overrated. He looked small and frail in the fight with Haney who is able to hydrate to middleweight.

Then there was Garcia getting distracted by Mayweather and pulled out of the first negotiations making the impression that he's going after the weaker guy and might not be able to handle Haney. The momentum got shafted. Many things...

[billeau2]

Garcia didn't even try to correct the perception/impression. He thought getting meek and humble in his recent appearances would fix it. In my experience as a fan, I get hopes when fighters continue to talk down the opponent, make his skills inferior, ie, KO him in 5, won't last the distance, etc. It's as if Garcia has accepted his fate.

No such thing as single element to exploit. Many factors are involved, whether you want to ignore them or not. It's as far back as Prograis being overrated. He looked small and frail in the fight with Haney who is able to hydrate to middleweight.

Then there was Garcia getting distracted by Mayweather and pulled out of the first negotiations making the impression that he's going after the weaker guy and might not be able to handle Haney. The momentum got shafted. Many things...

I Don't understand your criticism about many factors. I addressed the point as I understood it and ignoring other factors was not an issue.

Yes Haney can hydrate to a very high weight. That's a factor. Being big for the weight definitely improves punching ability. Garcia speaks unpredictably that's how I see it lol. Hard to get a read on what he accepts but he may well believe as you say that he doesn't really have a chance in this fight.