Why Pirog isn't fighting in the US revealed

[DoktorSleepless]

You'd like to draw that conclusion, however it appears he only found interest at ESPN:

Firstly, we offered a fight to both HBO and Showtime but they weren’t interested, so we were forced to look for other opportunities. ESPN looks to be the most possible host right now as they are really interested in such a fight, although nothing is solidified right now. The only problem is that my earnings will be very small. I’ll tell you frankly that this fight is very unprofitable for me. There’s an opportunity to arrange a fight with my countryman in Russia and to get paid in much bigger figures but that is not what I really want. Personally, I want to fight in America as often as I can to get much needed exposure overseas. Oppositely, if I continue fight in Russia, I shan’t be known in America, and I shall be unable to get major dates against the best fighters in business

http://www.************.com/f2/new-p...-etc-7138.html

Thanks for the link. Even if it was on ESPN, he should have taken it. I could understand taking the big paycheck from Russia every once in a while, but two fights in a row in Russia isn't going to help him.

[DoktorSleepless]

wasn't pirog trying to make a fight with geale on showtime? i don't think he could or should fight lara if that was even a possibility. stop everything i have to fight a junior middleweight untelevised to boot just because he called me out!

Why does he have to drop everything? Negotiate with both. With who does Pirog have a better chance at landing a tv spot with? Lara or Geale? A guy who just headlined on HBO against Paul Williams or the other guy who hasn't been on American tv? A win over Lara would probably help Pirog's career a lot more than a win over Geale.

[HeroBando]

Why does he have to drop everything? Negotiate with both. With who does Pirog have a better chance at landing a tv spot with? Lara or Geale? A guy who just headlined on HBO against Paul Williams or the other guy who hasn't been on American tv? A win over Lara would probably help Pirog's career a lot more than a win over Geale.

The problem is that Lara is not bringing a tv date, not as the featured fighter anyway, he's the b side. Pirog was clear about this: if HBO/SHO televise, he'll fight him in the US. If not, he'd fight him in Russia if Lara is fine with challenger money. While I like Lara a lot and wish Pirog would give him a career best payday in Russia, I can understand the reasons not to:

You're saying Lara brings cred with American fans, but the fight wouldn't even be shown here (other than espn3 sat morn stream, but Pirog doesn't need Lara for that). And he really doesn't look much on paper, no belt, 17 fights, 0-1-1 most recently, coming up in weight and undersized even at jmw. Hard to justify any big pay bump for such an opponent. And I think Lara was looking for a substantial purse, it's no wonder he called him out just after team Pirog made the surprisingly large offer to Sergio.

[DoktorSleepless]

The problem is that Lara is not bringing a tv date, not as the featured fighter anyway, he's the b side.

If Lara vs Hearns is able to get a premium cable date, Lara vs Pirog can too. Even being the b side on Showtime or HBO is a great start. A guy like Pirog should not put all his eggs in one baskets on headlining. Pirog headlining is very unlikely unless he's able to get Chavez Jr or Martinez, especially now that the Geale fight isn't happening for whatever reason. Lara got a lucky break landing the Williams fight after not looking so hot against Molina.

You're saying Lara brings cred with American fans, but the fight wouldn't even be shown here (other than espn3 sat morn stream, but Pirog doesn't need Lara for that). And he really doesn't look much on paper, no belt, 17 fights, 0-1-1 most recently, coming up in weight and undersized even at jmw. Hard to justify any big pay bump for such an opponent.

I could also understand Pirog not wanting to fight Lara and taking a pay cut in Russia, but the option is still there and Lara is willing. I don't really have that big of a problem with Pirog in that respect. The reason I mention it is because I do have a problem with some of his delusional fans who think Martinez is ducking Pirog, but don't apply the same standard on the somewhat similar Pirog and Lara situation.

And I think Lara was looking for a substantial purse, it's no wonder he called him out just after team Pirog made the surprisingly large offer to Sergio.

I didn't get that impression at all. He didn't even mention money. Lara has been having trouble finding an opponent and capitalized in the Pirog drama that was going on. Lara has also been calling out Sergio Martinez and that belt from Pirog would help him a lot to get the fight.

[Clegg]

If Lara vs Hearns is able to get a premium cable date, Lara vs Pirog can too. Even being the b side on Showtime or HBO is a great start. A guy like Pirog should not put all his eggs in one baskets on headlining. Pirog headlining is very unlikely unless he's able to get Chavez Jr or Martinez, especially now that the Geale fight isn't happening for whatever reason. Lara got a lucky break landing the Williams fight after not looking so hot against Molina.


I could also understand Pirog not wanting to fight Lara and taking a pay cut in Russia, but the option is still there and Lara is willing. I don't really have that big of a problem with Pirog in that respect. The reason I mention it is because I do have a problem with some of his delusional fans who think Martinez is ducking Pirog, but don't apply the same standard on the somewhat similar Pirog and Lara situation.


I didn't get that impression at all. He didn't even mention money. Lara has been having trouble finding an opponent and capitalized in the Pirog drama that was going on. Lara has also been calling out Sergio Martinez and that belt from Pirog would help him a lot to get the fight.

I don't know what your problem is with Pirog but you are continually reaching with your posts in this thread.

[DoktorSleepless]

I don't know what your problem is with Pirog but you are continually reaching with your posts in this thread.

What are you talking about? I didn't say a single bad thing about Pirog in that post.

[HeroBando]

If Lara vs Hearns is able to get a premium cable date, Lara vs Pirog can too. Even being the b side on Showtime or HBO is a great start. A guy like Pirog should not put all his eggs in one baskets on headlining. Pirog headlining is very unlikely unless he's able to get Chavez Jr or Martinez, especially now that the Geale fight isn't happening for whatever reason. Lara got a lucky break landing the Williams fight after not looking so hot against Molina.

Lara Hearns is an crap undercard, where Lara's the huge favorite. Hearns is probably getting FNF headliner money. Pirog's best chance at headlining is Quillin, if everyone wants it.

I could also understand Pirog not wanting to fight Lara and taking a pay cut in Russia, but the option is still there and Lara is willing. I don't really have that big of a problem with Pirog in that respect. The reason I mention it is because I do have a problem with some of his delusional fans who think Martinez is ducking Pirog, but don't apply the same standard on the somewhat similar Pirog and Lara situation.


I didn't get that impression at all. He didn't even mention money. Lara has been having trouble finding an opponent and capitalized in the Pirog drama that was going on. Lara has also been calling out Sergio Martinez and that belt from Pirog would help him a lot to get the fight.

So you don't find the timing curious. You think Lara would fight him in Russia for similar money as Pirog's last 2 challengers? If so, why isn't he pursuing it:

http://www.boxingscene.com/team-pirog-respond-lara-jab-dibella-talk-geale--45086

Or you think Lara deserves a lot more than the other 2 guys. How much more? 3 times as much? 5?

[New England]

Pirog isn't marketable to the US fanbase that's why

he'd be at least as marketable as somebody like barker or dzinziruk

that's the point


he's too good and is a larger risk than you need to take for the reward he can bring


they are making this all more complicated than it needs to be in disecting it


the guy doesnt fight

he beat jacobs and did nothing with it

how can you establish yourself on the shelf? you've got to be worth the risk for somebody to take the fight

[DoktorSleepless]

Pirog's best chance at headlining is Quillin, if everyone wants it.

I don't see Pirog vs Quillin headlining at all. To the American public, Pirog vs Quillin is b-side material.

So you don't find the timing curious. You think Lara would fight him in Russia for similar money as Pirog's last 2 challengers? If so, why isn't he pursuing it:

Lara probably had no idea how much Pirog regularly got paid before he called him out. Lara knew that the 3 million offer was for Martinez and Martinez only. Obviously Pirog had found some sponsors that were only interested in the Martinez fight and there's no way Lara wouldn't be aware of that. Pirog's team was attacking a strawman when they said Lara was crazy for wanting the same offer made to Martinez.

At the time of that thread, I was thinking Pirog was being paid maybe 200k and I thought giving Lara 100k would be fair because Lara would be Pirog's biggest name in his career. Lara deserving more than Pirog's previous opponent was implicit, but no where did he imply he would be asking for 3 million. Now that I know Pirog makes over a million per fight, he can more than afford to give him an acceptable purse. Pirog fans like to complain that everyone is ducking him, but there's Lara more than willing to take him on. I have no idea how much Pirog's opponents have been paid (probably crap), but Pirog could at the very least offer 200k to a guy of Lara's caliber and he would probably take it in order to get a shot at the belt.

[xAUGUSTUSx]

but hes also punishing himself by taking big paydays in mother russia instead of trying to get some spotlight in the us. hes not a houshold name, but he could become one if his team got their act together.

Yea he's so punished making his million dollar paydays.