The BBC are nuthuggers - official

[P-Killer]

Reading his article again, he didn't say anything wrong at all.

Haye didn't fight to Klit's due to ill feeling possibly. Money, contract or whatever has opened the door onto Harrison.

[Dave Rado]

Reading his article again, he didn't say anything wrong at all.

Haye didn't fight to Klit's due to ill feeling possibly. Money, contract or whatever has opened the door onto Harrison.

Where's the evidence that he didn't fight them due to ill-feeling, rather than because he didn't want to fight them?

And to state in isolation that it will be the biggest fight in the uK since Lewis-Bruno, which in any case is an opinion, not a fact, without also pointing out that even if that turns out to be true, it will be due to media hype and will not be big for any substantive reason, but is a complete mismatch, shows a lack of objectivity. Giving part of the truth rather than the whole truth, in such a way that the impression given is very different from the real situation, is a subtle form of lying, or at least of misleading the public.

[P-Killer]

Where's the evidence that he didn't fight them due to ill-feeling, rather than because he didn't want to fight them?

And to state in isolation that it will be the biggest fight in the uK since Lewis-Bruno, which in any case is an opinion, not a fact, without also pointing out that even if that turns out to be true, it will be due to media hype and will not be big for any substantive reason, but is a complete mismatch, shows a lack of objectivity. Giving part of the truth rather than the whole truth, in such a way that the impression given is very different from the real situation, is a subtle form of lying, or at least of misleading the public.

Well Haye has made statements on bad contracts etc... and the Borhters have ill feelings to what he has said. The ill feeling isn't necessarily just from Haye's side.
Haye has stated that they are working on a Klit fight already and that he wants them or retire. If he doesn't want to fight them, then he said he will retire by 31.

It isn't a fact that the fight will be the biggest since Lennox Vs Bruno, but it is a play on words also. Both are huge guys.
It will be a very big fight, 2 Brits, silver World champ VS Olympic Gold.
Heavyweights and also the fact that both are fairly well known.
They can sell it for sure and I'm pretty sure it will do well.

[Dave Rado]

Well Haye has made statements on bad contracts etc... and the brothers have ill feelings to what he has said. The ill feeling isn't necessarily just from Haye's side.

It's because of that ill feeling that Wlad is so keen to fight Haye and offered him such good terms, much better terms than his resume justified - he wants to beat him up. So if anything the ill feeling made the fight more likely to happen, not less. Any Haye hasn't made any substantive statement about the contract.

They can sell it for sure and I'm pretty sure it will do well.

It probably will do well but whether it's the biggest fight in the UK since Lewis-Bruno (remember that Calzaghe-Kessler got a live gate of over 50,000) remains to be seen. And it will only do well due to media hype. If the general public realised how bad a mismatch it is, there would be little interest in the fight.

[P-Killer]

It's because of that ill feeling that Wlad is so keen to fight Haye and offered him such good terms, much better terms than his resume justified - he wants to beat him up. So if anything the ill feeling made the fight more likely to happen, not less. Any Haye hasn't made any substantive statement about the contract.



It probably will do well but whether it's the biggest fight in the UK since Lewis-Bruno (remember that Calzaghe-Kessler got a live gate of over 50,000) remains to be seen. And it will only do well due to media hype. If the general public realised how bad a mismatch it is, there would be little interest in the fight.

David Haye VS Valuev did like 800k PPV, and I expect something similar if not more for that for Harrison, and if it was in the UK, then I think it could hit quite a high number of seats too.

Calzaghe VS Kessler was pretty big, but the news report wasn't as much as Hatton VS Floyd or Haye VS Valuev.

Take that statement with a pinch of salt, again it's just a play on words of them being huge guys like Lewis VS Bruno.

The ill feeling maybe has made the fight more likely to happen, but it hasn't happened so far and since the ill feeling is still likely to be there, what he said is not wrong, nor is it right.

Both of you have a good argument but he has covered himself and is not wrong.

Mis matches sell, Lazcano VS Hatton... Boxing fans and the general public aren't the same.

[Rosseboi]

yet you are the same guy that used uk based articles in defending joe calzaghe not coming to america sooner to fight a prime roy jones jr. & bernard hopkins.

Whoo whoiooaa! Slow down there tiger!!!

Haye is a talentless slugger with fast hands - Calzaghe is one of the greatest boxers of all time resume be damned; just LOOK at his skillset.

Calzaghe shouldn't have had to go to America first of all.

Plus Jones leapfrogged 168 pretty much.

plus Hopkins wouldn't touch Joe in 2002.

Haye is a Pratt but lets not start to bash Calzaghe here.....

[Wesker115]

Where's the evidence that he didn't fight them due to ill-feeling, rather than because he didn't want to fight them?

And to state in isolation that it will be the biggest fight in the uK since Lewis-Bruno, which in any case is an opinion, not a fact, without also pointing out that even if that turns out to be true, it will be due to media hype and will not be big for any substantive reason, but is a complete mismatch, shows a lack of objectivity. Giving part of the truth rather than the whole truth, in such a way that the impression given is very different from the real situation, is a subtle form of lying, or at least of misleading the public.

Does this actually make sense? What is this measurable quality you speak of that allows us to rank the "Bigness" of fights on? The defining "substantive" reason? Does Klitchko vs. Peter have it and if so how can I objectively compare this to Haye - Harrison.
This is obviously impossible, all one can offer is a personal opinion. One fight can't be scientifically measured or compared against another,there are too many variables, only vague conclusions and personal opinions on them can be drawn. Sometimes I do wonder whether people's unchecked internet fanboyism stops them from functioning in real world affairs. Mismatched fights are made all the time, no it doesn't make them right, but how can we say they are mismatches until after the result. If Haye has a glass chin then couldn't he be in danger here?
All too often in life products are sold that make misleading claims and people buy them as a result of sensationalist advertising etc, this happens all everyday, people should just realise this rather than striving to point this out all the time. Do you really think the BBC should be going out of it's way to point out that this "mismatched" fight is outrageous, when in reality all people will want to hear is a little "lite" reporting on it before it is consigned to yesterdays news? Shouldn't we just leave the detailed analysis to forums such as these? After all we are all boxing fans here, whereby on a news broadcast only a small percentage are going to care about the politics of boxing or who the fighter "ducked" etc to make the said fight.
On another note, it's quite obvious imo that Haye - Harrison would be big in the UK, but you're right, this shouldn't be spoken of as fact.

Mike Costello is actually imo quite a decent sports reporter having seen him on TV, he comes across as having a detailed knowledge and passion for what he reports and is imo infinitely preferable to the alternative.....Chris Hollins.......

[La Cucaracha]

Would British Football Fans pay a PPV price to watch Manchester United take on a run of the mill grade school team?

Because that is how big a mismatch and/or farce this fight is.

[Wesker115]

Where's the evidence that he didn't fight them due to ill-feeling, rather than because he didn't want to fight them?

And to state in isolation that it will be the biggest fight in the uK since Lewis-Bruno, which in any case is an opinion, not a fact, without also pointing out that even if that turns out to be true, it will be due to media hype and will not be big for any substantive reason, but is a complete mismatch, shows a lack of objectivity. Giving part of the truth rather than the whole truth, in such a way that the impression given is very different from the real situation, is a subtle form of lying, or at least of misleading the public.

Would British Football Fans pay a PPV price to watch Manchester United take on a run of the mill grade school team?

Because that is how big a mismatch and/or farce this fight is.

United could play anyone and people would watch it and probably pay to watch it. People are taken in by hype all the time, whether it is warranted or not. Take David Beckham for example, still a good player but nowhere near the player he was and also at no point was he ever the best player at any of the top club's he has played for. But nearly everyone knows who Beckham is and many would pay to see him turn out vs. anyone, regardless of his age or ability. He is trading on his name, brand and reputation. Does anyone in the US for example know who Figo is? Beckham's former teamate at Madrid and formerly the worlds most expensive player?
Should Beckham stop playing because he doesn't deserve the hype? Should Haye - Harrison not be made purely for the reason that it doesn't "deserve" to be a successful (for monetary reasons) fight?
Surely far worse fights have been made and will continue to be made, but it's not like we can stop them.

[Dave Rado]

United could play anyone and people would watch it and probably pay to watch it.

The point is that if Manchester United were playing a team of school kids, the media wouldn't pretend it was the biggest thing since the invention of sliced bread.

but how can we say they are mismatches until after the result

When someone who calls himself a world champion fights someone ranked outside the top 40 in the world in a voluntary defence, that's a pretty good definition of a mismatch.

Okay, Ali and Louis had a few obvious mismatches during their "bum of the month" tours, but they were fighting far more frequently and were not taking those fights in preference to any more deserving fights. They fought all the top contenders and then and only then fought the "bums of the month". And the media did not pretend that those fights were more meaningful than they actually were.