Comments Thread For: Tim Bradley Talks Khan-Malignaggi, Alexander, Marriage

[LeadUppercut]

Alexander doesn't have the money and you know it. HBO holds the purse strings, and all Bradley has to do in order to find out how much they would offer is to ask them - as I've said over and over again, so why you make me repeat myself if beyond me.

Regarding the rest of what you said, you make some good points about its origins, but boxing would never have become a huge worldwide business if it had not first become a credible sport, and its continued success as a business depends completely on its credibility as a sport. So the two things are interlinked and inseparable now, and have been ever since boxing became a mainstream sport, in the early 20th century. Therefore to say it's now a business first and sport second is wrong. They simply can't be separated like you're attempting to do, and if they ever are, it'll go back to just being prizefighting for entertainment, that most sports fans don't care a damn about. If that ever happens, boxing historians will go out of business, and sites like this one will cease to exist.

OK, you got me there, I was using a kind of lame "out" on that one.

But, I do not believe that Bradley is "ducking" Alexander, in the conventional sense of the word. Anymore than I believe Alexander would be ducking Bradley in neg fell through coz of money.

Then again, hard to imagine Devon not stepping up to bat under any conditions.

[LeadUppercut]

Alexander doesn't have the money and you know it. HBO holds the purse strings, and all Bradley has to do in order to find out how much they would offer is to ask them - as I've said over and over again, so why you make me repeat myself if beyond me.

Regarding the rest of what you said, you make some good points about its origins, but boxing would never have become a huge worldwide business if it had not first become a credible sport, and its continued success as a business depends completely on its credibility as a sport. So the two things are interlinked and inseparable now, and have been ever since boxing became a mainstream sport, in the early 20th century. Therefore to say it's now a business first and sport second is wrong. They simply can't be separated like you're attempting to do, and if they ever are, it'll go back to just being prizefighting for entertainment, that most sports fans don't care a damn about. If that ever happens, boxing historians will go out of business, and sites like this one will cease to exist.

Prizefighting evolved from a business into a successful sport. But even today, business comes first. If the money aint right, then it aint gonna happen.

The fact that I am pointing that out does not make me any less of a fan.

Like I say, it fkn suxx, but it's just the way it is. That's the way it is with everything in the world now.

[LeadUppercut]

The issue isn't whether fighters should want to make money, it's whether that should be the only thing that matters to them.

And in the long term, fighters who love to fight the best possible opponents usually make a lot of money in any case, because that's what fans admire, so it's a win-win for them. A fighter who doesn't like to fight but only does it for the money will usually not get as many fans as someone who loves to fight and to test themselves against the best. That's why Holyfield made so many millions, because he loved to fight, and loved to test himself. Bradley was becoming a big star precisely because everyone thought he wanted to fight the best regardless of money, and his new attitude will lose him a lot of fans and therefore a lot of money, in the long run.

Yep, thats some good stuff right there.

Boxers should have to sign a "declaration of intent" before they turn pro

I would like to sit with you on a porch somewhere, with a few cold beers (that you had purchased) with the only allowed topic being boxing

[Dave Rado]

OK, you got me there, I was using a kind of lame "out" on that one.

But, I do not believe that Bradley is "ducking" Alexander, in the conventional sense of the word. Anymore than I believe Alexander would be ducking Bradley in neg fell through coz of money.

Then again, hard to imagine Devon not stepping up to bat under any conditions.

I'm willing to say that, given Bradley's excellent track record up to now, ducking in the conventional sense is maybe putting it a little strong, but to me, his disingenious pretence that the lowball offer that Showtime made him more than a year ago - when Alexander hadn't yet fought anyone - has any relevance to the situation today, when it would now be the biggest fight that can possibly be made at 140, and when everyone knows HBO pay a lot more than Showtime in any case, is so dishonest and misleading that I simply can't take anything he says on the subject seriously, and I therefore don't trust his motives at all.

Because of that, I think it's damn close to being an outright duck. And if he genuinely believes the fight needs simmering, I think he's wrong. Given that neither of them can get meaningful opponents for their next fight, a tune-up for both would do nothing to make the fight any bigger. And boxing needs them to fight each other, because all sorts of things can go wrong and prevent a fight that was allowed to simmer from ever happening or from happening while both fighters are still in their primes. And they can fight more than once if it's a great fight, and make an absolute fortune doing so. So there's really no excuse for waiting, IMO, since the Maidana fight fell through.

[Dave Rado]

Yep, thats some good stuff right there.

Boxers should have to sign a "declaration of intent" before they turn pro

I would like to sit with you on a porch somewhere, with a few cold beers (that you had purchased) with the only allowed topic being boxing

LOL! Yes, it's been good talking to you.

[LeadUppercut]

Mayweather was P4P #1, De La Hoya was quite high on the P4P lists and from a higher weight class, and was a former P4P #1. Plus Mayweather had been trying to get a fight against De La Hoya for years, which added interest. And most considered it to be a risky fight for Mayweather.

All true. But I rate divisional achievments ahead of theoretical P4P status.

Neither Hoya nor Mayweather were the best fighters in that division.

The fight ****** in the opinion of most non-purists because of the style match-up, and it was predictable that it would a fairly dull fight for non-purists.

How many PPV's did it sell again ?

Pac was rated #1 at Welterweight, and Clottey was rated #4 (and the #2 and #3 weren't available at the time so Clottey was easily the highest ranked available opponent for Pac); and because Clottey was considered to be a very large Welterweight, it was considered to be a good test of whether Pac could really cut it at the weight, without a catchweight. And almost no one expected it to be a particularly entertaining fight, because of the style match-up.

Pacquiao being rated #1 at welterweight having only fought Cotto at a catchweight of 145 was an absolute joke.

Clottey was the first actual welterweight that Manny fought at 147lb ?

Neither Pac nor Clottey were/are the best at 147.

[LeadUppercut]

LOL! Yes, it's been good talking to you.

So, that mean you're buying?

[kc1]

If bradley is as good as they say he is,then fighting the best fighter in your division should'nt be a problem.Money comes with beating the best.