Comments Thread For: Top Rank President Admits Beterbiev-Bivol Could Not Have Happened 'On This Timeline' Without Saudi Arabian Support

[Oldskoolg]

I think the problem lies somewhere in between. A lot of the current fighters "price" themselves out of fights. The saudis are overpaying because they can afford it. Most promoters cannot.

This is the truth. The promoter wars after 2018 when you had pbc, top rank, and matchroom all on the American boxing scene drove the prices up and made it so the fighters had to be overpriced for promotions to stay afloat oddly. The “if the money is right” (ie I can’t risk fighting him because I might lose) is literally killing the sport from within and none of these promoters is really doing anything to stop it because they don’t want to lose fighters to other promotions. The Saudis won’t be in boxing forever, eventually they will stop wanting to lose money or will simply get bored with boxing and go for other sports…when that happens then we may see the sport straight itself out due to necessity….maybe.

[JakeTheBoxer]

Beterbiev and Arum never wanted that fight. Beterbiev even left DAZN when Bivol joined the company.

This fight is happening, because Turki has a big enough bag for Beterbiev`s retirement pay.

Arum was talking s.hit about Bivol being boring only to duck the fight.

[SteveM]

The writer and duBoef really tip-toeing around saying "without the Saudi's money" - they substitute the word "money" for "involvement" or "his highness' passion" - the obsequiousness is enough to turn a wedding cake rancid

[M111]

Beterbiev and Arum never wanted that fight. Beterbiev even left DAZN when Bivol joined the company.

This fight is happening, because Turki has a big enough bag for Beterbiev`s retirement pay.

Arum was talking s.hit about Bivol being boring only to duck the fight.

I don’t think it was a case of never wanting it, more a case of let’s wait until he’s milked what he can from mandatories and then fight Bivol just before he ages out.

[Misia]

I personally don't think it's the fighters, more the promotors that are the ones stopping the big fights from happening. If the promoter isn't getting the right amount from the fight what's point all the effort effort into setting up the fight.

[crimsonfalcon07]

By timeline, he means in the multiversal sense. Top Rank was going to continue stonewalling the fight until Beterbiev retired.

[MesicoFistology]

In other words Todd duboef is saying “we’re too cheap and we weren’t gonna pay no big money to make no fight happen”

[Southermost]

More power to the Saudis they don't care about corrupt associations they show the money and boxers come.

[Afi23]

That’s what’s wrong with boxing, Top Rank and company won’t make the fights fans actually want.

Unless someone with very deep pockets comes in to make them an offer they can’t refuse.

Boxing has to be the only professional sport which has no shame to admit openly to its paying customers that the "best won't be competing against the best".

Obviously a different sport and completely different economics but imagine if last Super Bowl Mahomes was like "nah, I'll need a 100 mil to get on the field" and Purdy was like "I have been making peanuts and got injured last year, I need 10 mil to get on this field".

[CasperUK]

It’s a reasonably easy situation to understand.

Top rank blocked the fight as Beterbiev was getting old and they wanted to milk as much revenue for him and themselves before facing Bivol who realistically has the best chance of beating him in the division.

The only thing that changes that equation is if someone fronted enough cash to make the fight happen now which is precisely what the Saudis have done. Bivol was always going to be Beterbiev’s last fight or perhaps last few fights and now he’s getting enough retirement money without needing to milk it. We get to see the fight sooner whilst he’s still on top form instead of him being thrown under a bus just for the cash after he’s aged out. Can’t see any reason to grumble about that as a fan.

Canelo Benavidez would also happen now if Canelo wasn’t being such a lame diva and asking for $150 million which has completely backfired on him. Had he said say $70 million perhaps the Saudis would’ve bitten.

Canelo doesn't have that sort of star power anymore to ask for so much money IMO