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This is what went down as I understand it. The Fonfara fight by itself is of little interest to either broadcaster except as a build up to a subsequent unification fight - neither broadcaster would have been willing to pay big $s for Stevenson - Fonfara without the follow on, but with Stevenson now working with Haymon the Hopkins fight was always gonna look more likely.
As to whether Stevenson does, in the end, earn more from fighting Hopkins than he would from Kovalev remains to be seen, but for a guy who was expecting well in excess of a $mil for fighting Kovalev (which is way more than either Dawson or Cloud got for BHop) I think he might not be rewarded quite as well as he seems to expect. Simple fact is Haymon can't make millions for every fighter in every fight - the revenues from the sport just won't support it.
Much as I'm disappointed that the Kovalev - Stevenson fight looks to be slipping away (and for me personally Bhop vs Stevenson is not of huge interest outside of the BHop legacy issue) there is the reasonable argument to be made that BHop probably has only a couple more fights left in him, and if Stevenson wants to fight him, it'd have to be soon. Kovalev ought, at least, to be around for a number more years, though whether the intense interest in the fight will remain is another matter.
Straight up sucks from my point of view - Kovalev vs Stevenson was the fight I wanted to see more than any other in 2014, but I predicted this scenario unfolding as long ago as Shumenov signing with Haymon / GBP.
Sucks for Kovalev too I expect, being left with no meaningful fights (outside of possibly Pascal, 'less he defects with his fellow GYM rat) and the self perpetuating excuse that 'he ain't fought nobody' to let guys avoid him.
As to whether Stevenson does, in the end, earn more from fighting Hopkins than he would from Kovalev remains to be seen, but for a guy who was expecting well in excess of a $mil for fighting Kovalev (which is way more than either Dawson or Cloud got for BHop) I think he might not be rewarded quite as well as he seems to expect. Simple fact is Haymon can't make millions for every fighter in every fight - the revenues from the sport just won't support it.
Much as I'm disappointed that the Kovalev - Stevenson fight looks to be slipping away (and for me personally Bhop vs Stevenson is not of huge interest outside of the BHop legacy issue) there is the reasonable argument to be made that BHop probably has only a couple more fights left in him, and if Stevenson wants to fight him, it'd have to be soon. Kovalev ought, at least, to be around for a number more years, though whether the intense interest in the fight will remain is another matter.
Straight up sucks from my point of view - Kovalev vs Stevenson was the fight I wanted to see more than any other in 2014, but I predicted this scenario unfolding as long ago as Shumenov signing with Haymon / GBP.
Sucks for Kovalev too I expect, being left with no meaningful fights (outside of possibly Pascal, 'less he defects with his fellow GYM rat) and the self perpetuating excuse that 'he ain't fought nobody' to let guys avoid him.
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