Comments Thread For: Too much boxing: Riyadh Season inadvertently makes the case against 'supercards'

[ELPacman]

I'm somewhat mixed on this but can't deny, I've probably lost count of how many times I was either too tired or didn't stay tuned in to see the main event reach the final bell when I knew it was going to a decision. It is the feeling of, I've seen enough and it's late as f**k and I don't see the fight ending with a KO. I think I'm 100% accurate on the fights that I've tuned out before the final bell and it never ended in a 10th,11th or 12th rd knock out once I read about it the next morning.

That said, I think the PPV cards of early 2000s were done well. I believe they were 4 undercard fights with the first one pretty much only for the diehards, and the rest were solid fights that sometimes gave you an unexpected result. The main event typically started 11pm sharp and would be over just a little after 12am (EST). This was for me the perfect timing and all. I would leave buddies houses and it wasn't terrible. Nowadays, the events are finishing sometime after 1am. It's crazy.

[Clegg]

Strongly strongly disagree with this take. Comes across as just looking to be negative and criticise anything possible. So what if they interviewed the guy funding the show? We've seen boxing events where they interview random celebrities, promoters, or have people in the studio talking boring nonsense. It took up all of 3 minutes.

Found it hard not to laugh at the writer complaining that there wasn't a women's fight on the card, is this what you really believe or just this site pushing an agenda again?

We've had so many trash events with weak undercards. Yet a card of well-matched fights is what the author wants to complain about? Too much boxing? What a weird thing for a boxing journalist to complain about on a boxing site.

The Saudis are doing great things for the sport, this was a very good card, surprised to see such a negative slant put on it.

[BritJimbo]

People who call these "supercards" should have been around in the 90s for the Don King Shows, where Tyson might headline and you would have JCC, Fenech, Azumah, Ricardo Lopez, on one card.

King may have been a crook who stole from his fighters and killed two men, but he steamed a good ham.

[gooderz84]

Although it was an entertaining card, I turned it in after Ruiz. I couldn't stay up late enough to catch the main event.

[Poopdick]

too much talking heads. Ruiz a d the fatty fight shouldn't been on there either. and if gonna have concerts, have them AFTER THE FOOKING FIGHTS. hate this new age force feeding

[ShoulderRoll]

The time between fights is what made this way too long.

No need for Turki butt kissing, concerts, and prize giveaways.

[Poopdick]

Foolish article…we want to see stacked cards with competitive matchups 24/7, 365 days a year if possible!

I for one enjoyed Saturdays card much MORE than the regular chitshow promoter’s put together and think back to just a few months prior where Usyk-Fury topped an unforgettable night of boxing following Dubois-Hrgovic, Sheeraz-Williams & Ford-Ball.

More of the same pls Turki!

had some killer fights. I done with the American ppvs though. I'll buy the uk and Saudi ones. too late for me when I get up 6 days a week at 4am. hard to rewire and stay up til 130am and sit through concerts I don't care about and talking heads and wbc making new belt and....

[boxing IQ]

If you zoomed straight to the comments, you did the right thing. This article is clickbait

..shameless kowtowing to a non-fighter whose defining positive characteristic is willingness to spend money
Personally, I would shake his hand and thank him profusely if I ever saw him in person

..playing of the Saudi national anthem before a main event featuring no athletes from Saudi Arabia
It was 1 song, 1 min, and no one sang. You would shame a man who honors his country? The one who gave us this night?

..interview with promoter Turki Alalshikh in which he displayed the charisma of a turnbuckle pad
The disrespect..

It was a deep card, yes. One of the deepest in boxing history. But the actual “greatest card in boxing history” surely had at least one A-plus, must-see fight somewhere on it.
This guy really did fall asleep

And I realize the downside for fans: Now you’re asking them to pony up for two PPVs. Well, that’s easily solved. Put one on PPV — the one with the card’s one true PPV-headliner-level star, Terence Crawford — and air the other “free” on DAZN
THIS is why you don't make those decisions, Eric. Free on DAZN? Really? The fighters wouldn't have gotten half the purse or the exposure

I’m not sure how sustainable the Riyadh Season business model is. Actually, that’s not true. I know exactly how sustainable it is. It’s not a business model, period. It’s a loss leader. It works for as long as the Saudi government is content to overpay and lose money in exchange for a reputational overhaul.
A column writer can't understand the actions of a billionaire.. shocker. The whole point of this card was to tap into & test the US market, get these PBC fighters stuck on that sinking ship career-high paydays and some badly needed exposure, and set up much bigger fights down the line by gauging who performs well on the big stage

Sportswashing talk is for people oblivious to worldly matters, so they repeat the rhetoric. The one started by the same propagandists saying ******s are *********s. You really ought to do a deep dive into your own country's history before making those claims if you want to go there. And oil isn't going to last forever. If they can take over billion dollar sports industries, why not?

It seems to me that if and when someone comes along to actually save boxing, they won’t spend so much time congratulating themselves on saving boxing
He doesn't, the people grateful for the opportunity do. PBC guys thank Al Haymon in their post-fight interviews. I suppose he's more deserving?

I went into Saturday expecting to find a fight/fighter-focused angle for my post-fight column. But thanks to my frustrations with the overall package, here I am, some 1,400 words in, having barely talked about any of the actual boxing.
Lol that's the beauty of choice, Eric. No one told you to spend the first 1400 words b****ing! If it's too much for you, maybe, it's time to have that talk with your editor

That’s a shame. In an alternate universe, I could have written a column with one of these angles:
A play on the name Andy and neither is technically a Big Baby

Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with more than 25 years of experience..
..whose getting really tired of having to stay up late for his job


This card was long, but FANTASTIC. Boxing WON. Boxing fans WON

Lol Must be tough watching from the outside. Funny thing is, this writer may have just blown any opportunity to get that life-changing call from a certain very rich boxing fan. One, whose only just getting started

[VislorTurlough]

If you live abroad or even on the US east coast, these times are really inconvenient. Similar to US national broadcast baseball games between east coast teams beginning at 4 PM EST to accommodate national audiences. If a west coast team is involved - makes sense. But if it’s Boston vs Tampa? Might be time for 3 good fights as opposed to 4. With a hard start at 10:30 pacific for main event. Maybe have less jerking off by broadcaster of celebs in crowd and rags to riches mini documentaries of fighters.

[anonymous2.0]

Raskin comes off sounding entitled and selfish. "Fix my sport with your money but how dare you make the event long and play your national anthem."