Rigondeaux banned from HBO

[RealIzm]

Why buy it out when you can wait and get him for free? That's not smart business.

I wasn't sure if Rigo had some long contract. If he did and the price is right it would make great business sense. Why let big Bob let Rigo rot his prime away? Arum at this point already sees Rigo as a financial loss.

[joesaiditstrue]

wtf??? so a pure boxer who dominates his opponents can't fight in HBO????? what a joke, what a ****ing joke......

Not a joke really, you're just ignorant to the business side of the sport

Networks make money on subscriptions from CASUAL fans not NSB posters

Rigo isn't fan friendly because he choose to sit back and counter punch and move for 90% of every round

He has the talent to let his hands go more without sacrificing too much on defense, this is on him

Even mayweather balances his offense and defense better than these Cuban fighters

[Hyper Knuckles]

People who have been to a live fight can maybe sympathize with Arum, as horrid as that sounds. When you go from watching a spectacle like Kirkland-Tapia then suddenly dive straight into a cringeworthy main event where Rigo's own fans start booing/emptying the arena it's really a tough sell.
There's no angle from which to market him. Rigo deserves a solid paycheck, but shouldn't demand too much from the pot unless he's willing to change some things. Hire a pr team, take some risks, learn english .. anything to garner some interest. Banning him was bogus, I don't agree with scrutinizing a fighter for boxing the only way they know how AND winning. God bless the man and his family.

[richardt]

That being said....it won't help him on HBO. Apparently no one is watching him on TV (Lowest ratings ever) so while he might draw a bit more in Miami he's not going to be televised.

I'm saying if they give Rigo another chance, Miami could work. They could do mass promotions asking people to support their Cuban sports star. If that doesn't work, nothing will. But it may only work with ESPN if HBO has pulled the plug. HBO should have put Rigo on the undercard so that his lack of audience would not have existed. Now its most likely off to ESPN for Rigo.

[jas]

I don't think it's wrong by hbo to decide not to show rigos fights. He doesn't bring in viewers .

Maybe he can fight someone on espn, NBC or fox sports 1.

[jayblack]

Sorry but that's a ****ty excuse, UK fans travel across the pond to support their fighters. And what do mighty rigotards do? Nothing. They just ***** and complain

So you expect Cubans to travel over from Cuba huh? Bottom line is Rigo is a great boxer and deserves more respect than what he's receiving. Arum has done a horrible job promoting him. Rigo is one of if not the best amateur ever and beat the best in the division easily in just his 12th or 13th fight. Promote him of of his skills

[Joey_Torreo]

Like people have said before, boxing promoters shouldn't keep promises to fighters that they can't keep. This all goes back to that Nonito Donaire shit... Rigo was intentionally supposed to be used as a platform for Nonito's climb to fame (no fighter in the top 5 lb. for lb. has defeated a 2x Olympic gold medalist), but that plan backfired on Top Rank and HBO. Now Nonito is questioning his own place in boxing (he's flirted with the idea of retirement, and he looked like trash in his last fight), and HBO is left with a boxer that they don't want to promote. I don't TOTALLY buy that bullshit that Rigo is "un-promotable." They just don't want to promote a boxer that doesn't smile, isn't pretty, and he ethnically un-represented by Cuban-Americans (in large numbers). He's a hard sell, but nothing is impossible. Just don't say the man is going to be paid "x" amount of dollars when you know he's not a "hot selling" item.

And as far as the Erislandy Lara comparisons over there @ Golden Boy... Think about this. Did GB and Showtime ever threaten to pull Lara off their networks? Did Showtime openly disrespect Lara? Is Lara consistently still getting fights? Lara isn't getting the "cinnamon" plate he wants, but he's still eating! HBO is telling Rigo that they can't even eat off his table! So yeah... Rigo should look at going to Showtime and GB. They make not like him, but they'll respect him.

Good points on the Lara and showtime situation

[ElMeroChingon]

Whats funny is that people act like it's some big f@ken conspericy.

You can't blame HBO, they gave him a shot. The return wasn't good enough. It's Business bro, HBO wont waste their time if you can't keep fans in their seats.

[Art-illery]

This is a joke that he won fighter of the year...his fight last December was the worst fight of the year.

Not only should he be banned, but he should be punished. As least fighters like Money and Son of God try to change in the ring when they hear the boo birds, this fool (El Chacel) think that he's owed a 6 figure pay day for bringing in the lowest ratings in HBO for 2013 and causing paying customers to leave the arena in disgust.

He is a great boxer (probably p4p 10) but at this level if you want "CASUAL FANS" to take you seriously and a premium cable network to air you....YOU MUST ENTERTAIN!!!


Right now, El Chacel is unwatchable and must be banned from visual consumption until he realizes that our vision is precious and our entertainment value IS A MUST!!!


Hardcore fans like his fights is not enough for HBO and I don't blame them, this is a business.

Rachel Donaire, IS THAT YOU?

[DannYankee]

Rachel Donaire, IS THAT YOU?

I love all this **** Rigo getting more famous by the minute and if HBO are actually this ****** as they where with Floyd to insult a top p4p fighter again there are plenty of people who just to spite them will make Rigo look so good and put him with the best and then rub it in. I really hope this is all true