Comments Thread For: Seth Mitchell-Chazz Witherspoon To Open Hopkins-Dawson

[The Hammer]

You're right, Tunney. BUT only to a certain extent, for one neither Bute or Pirog have been fighting great competition. Number two, Bute and Pirog are not known the the general american public, is that racist or prejudice?

Their promoters can't afford to fight better opponents without TV money to help pay for them. Fighters get paid much more if their fights are on HBO.

They have actually been fighting the best available opposition, given their monetary restraints. Showtime's and HBO's decision to refuse to televise Froch-Bute has made the fight difficult to make.

In contrast, Al Haymon-managed fighters can afford the best opponents because of HBO money, but more often than not, they end up facing soft opposition!

Most of the top 25 heavyweights and ranked HW contenders would have jumped at the chance to be Mitchell's opponent on HBO for a good payday, but instead they chose Witherspoon so they can be certain Mitchell wins. But fights where you know for certain who is going to win beforehand do poor ratings.

Mitchell-Witherspoon is fine as an undercard fight, but it shouldn't be televised. However, Mitchell-Chambers or Mitchell-Arreola would be good matchups for HBO to televise, because those would be COMPETITIVE fights.

[The Hammer]

two words:

Al Haymon.

Al Haymon and Bob Arum are ruining boxing, by too often refusing to allow their fighters in the best possible matchups, and having HBO put on mismatches like Broner-Perez, Chavez-Manfredo and Mitchell-Witherspoon.

(that being said, once in awhile Arum does allow a good matchup, like Rios-Gamboa).

[The Hammer]

The nerve of an American TV network, attempting to showcase American fighters, to sell to a primarily American audience.

This is fucking outrageous!

HBO is in many countries, including Bute's homeland of Romania and in his adopted homeland of Canada.

HBO Canada:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBO_Canada

HBO Central Europe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBO_Romania

[The Hammer]

So the bulk HBO's subscribers are located in Canada and Romania?

You know, when the mods check the IP address of this alt account, it will be banned. Your other account -Deal With It- was recently banned.

[sicko]

The nerve of an American TV network, attempting to showcase American fighters, to sell to a primarily American audience.

This is fucking outrageous!

hahaha yeah I know...SHAME ON YOU HBO!

[joe strong]

It's not fair that Al Haymon-managed prospects like Seth Mitchell get to have showcase fights against journeymen televised by HBO, while the HBO refuses to show top HWs and good European boxers like Bute, Pirog, and others.

Bute got blackballed by Kery Davis after two exciting KO wins on HBO. Pirog scores an exciting KO over one of HBOs favored boxers, and he can't get back on.

It's an injustice and it's not going to help the HBO ratings.

why is it unfair? it's an AMERICAN NETWORK & they had bute & dropped him because the ratings were low. i don't see saurland showcasing americans on their big events. HBO has shown over a dozen klitschko fights but the ratings are too low. HBO lives & breathes off the american public. if HBO isnt the host they don't go to the event anymore. 99% of eurpoean cards are not going to have HBO as the host.

[joe strong]

chazz witherspoon is getting a big opportunity here. this is his 3rd attempt with the next tier of heavyweights. chazz is a C+ gatekeeper type. he was overwhelmed by arreola & ko'd by thompson but he gets a chance to stop the mitchell train. i think this is a decent fight. it also puts 2 american heavyweights who are trying to get to the next level in the ring together. i dont know why people are hating on it. all americans in the 2 main events on that card.

[The Hammer]

i don't see saurland showcasing americans on their big events.

Joe, Sauerland is a PROMOTER not a TV network.

Many, many American boxers have been shown on RTL TV over the years: Thompson, Johnson, Arreola, Briggs, Brewster, Byrd, Brock, Austin, Banks, Chambers, Gavern, Rahman, Walker, etc.

ARD TV has shown Brewster, Cunningham and many other American boxers on their telecasts of Sauerland events.

And many Americans have been shown on by other networks in Germany such as ZDF and Sport1 as well.

HBO has shown over a dozen klitschko fights but the ratings are too low.

Wrong, Joe. The Klitschkos' HBO ratings were always good, in fact Wlad-Peter had the best rating of 2005 and Vitali-Arreola had the best rating of 2009.

Read this boxingscene article. Ken Hershman says they don't plan on showing the Klitschko fights, not because of ratings, but because they prefer to show American boxers:

http://www.boxingscene.com/hbo-not-i...heavies--49367

[joe strong]

Joe, Sauerland is a PROMOTER not a TV network.

Many, many American boxers have been shown on RTL TV over the years: Thompson, Johnson, Arreola, Briggs, Brewster, Byrd, Brock, Austin, Banks, Chambers, Gavern, Rahman, Walker, etc.

ARD TV has shown Brewster, Cunningham and many other American boxers on their telecasts of Sauerland events.

And many Americans have been shown on by other networks in Germany such as ZDF and Sport1 as well.



Wrong, Joe. The Klitschkos' HBO ratings were always good, in fact Wlad-Peter had the best rating of 2005 and Vitali-Arreola had the best rating of 2009.

Read this boxingscene article. Ken Hershman says they don't plan on showing the Klitschko fights, not because of ratings, but because they prefer to show American boxers:

http://www.boxingscene.com/hbo-not-i...heavies--49367

good point...lol! i guess i'm a

[HeroBando]

It's not fair that Al Haymon-managed prospects like Seth Mitchell get to have showcase fights against journeymen televised by HBO, while the HBO refuses to show top HWs and good European boxers like Bute, Pirog, and others.

Bute got blackballed by Kery Davis after two exciting KO wins on HBO. Pirog scores an exciting KO over one of HBOs favored boxers, and he can't get back on.

It's an injustice and it's not going to help the HBO ratings.

HBO only deals with certain promoters, and pushes guys that are promotable (for the most part, some guys like Berto slip by). That would mostly be American fighters, or those with strong ethnic support in the US. That's just good business, common sense. If there was parity everywhere, you'd hardly ever see a Canadian fighter on Canadian tv.

Mitchell has been moved pretty fast and this is a good fight for him. I'll probably be fun, and I've seen much worse showcases on HBO. Or look at Showtime, is Lara Hearns and Russell TBA any better? In fact if there's one thing to complain about, it's the apparent direction at SHO. They used to pounce on the best fight for the buck, not so much anymore. I mean, they went to Canada to cover Caballero Molitor, but no interest in Bute Froch?!