Comments Thread For: Duva Responds, Still Hopeful For Kovalev vs. Stevenson

[Dr Rumack]

Fighters became complacent when they reach the top after paying a few dues. They stop giving ****s about fighting the best even when they're favored. We just learned Kovalev chose long term job security with HBO over risking fighting the best. This is undeniable fact.

Do you know anything about Kovalev's new HBO deal? When it was signed, duration etc?

[MDPopescu]

Yeah. He said he did that instead of calling Duva because of the past history between them.

Purse bids usually happen after negotiations break down, not before they begin!

Haymon isn't in the negotiating business -- he's in the ruining his opponents business... And, right now, HBO is his only opposition...

[DoktorSleepless]

Yeah. He said he did that instead of calling Duva because of the past history between them.

Purse bids usually happen after negotiations break down, not before they begin!

Where have you been living? Negotiations broke down multiple times already. And Gym already offered to continue negotiating as long they can maximize revenue with the network willing to offer the best fee.

[just the facts]

Is there a precedent for making a pursebid happen some 6-9 months before the fight is to happen and with interim fights scheduled? Wouldn't it be more sensible to have the bid after those interim fights?

Duva pushed for the purse bid figuring Team Stevenson would bock and Kovalev would pick up the now vacant WBC belt in his next fight. Instead Haymon called her bluff at her own game. I don't really believe Haymon really wants this fight but if he was going to be pushed into it, he wanted it on his terms

[BattlingNelson]

Duva pushed for the purse bid figuring Team Stevenson would bock and Kovalev would pick up the now vacant WBC belt in his next fight. Instead Haymon called her bluff at her own game. I don't really believe Haymon really wants this fight but if he was going to be pushed into it, he wanted it on his terms

So Duva pushed for the swift pursebid? That makes ME look even more pathetic.

TBH I thought that it was GYM asking for it to happen very quickly.

[just the facts]

Is there a precedent for making a pursebid happen some 6-9 months before the fight is to happen and with interim fights scheduled? Wouldn't it be more sensible to have the bid after those interim fights?

I love how Kovalev fans like you cheered loudly when you heard this was going to purse bid, then when that doesn't go your way the new story line is why is the purse bid 6-9 months before the fight. Can't have it both ways

[Dr Rumack]

Wait a minute, I thought Kovalev had signed a new deal. This tells a different story.

While his team is working on terms for a new deal, HBO still has first rights/final refusal on his next fight, an option exercised in lieu of a showdown with Stevenson taking place on another network, such as CBS, NBC, Spike TV, Showtime or any of the channels on which Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions series and other events now air these days.

It sounds like Klimas has gone over Duva's head here. Maybe that's why Duva's actions seem so disconnected. If Kovalev's management want to sign a new deal with HBO then she's in no position to stop them.

But it almost seems like she can't publicly acknowledge that she's lost control of the situation. It would make it look like her and Kovalev aren't on the same page, and given that her company's prospects depend on him at this point in time she can hardly announce that to the media.

[gspm23]

Stevenson wants to cash out and he needs Kovalev to do it. I can see him going over to HBO for this fight. Unless by some strange miracle Chavez Jr gets by Fonfara.

He need kovalev to cash out ???? Are you serious ???? LOL You clearly ain't no $h1t about Stevenson. Why are you talking about him if you don't know his situation???

He doesn't need kovalev to make money... KOVALEV NEED STEVENSON to make money. Superman has been paid 3 Millions to fight SAKIO BIKA. As ridiculous as it looks, he also got paid 2 millions to fight Sukorski... a freaking cab driver... While Kovalev struggled to earn a million against Hopkins. Lol.. So much ignorance here.

[Weebler I]

So Duva pushed for the swift pursebid? That makes ME look even more pathetic.

TBH I thought that it was GYM asking for it to happen very quickly.

It was GYM who asked for it quickly, Michel wrote to the WBC and asked for the bid to be speeded up on the grounds he wouldn't negotiate with Main Events.

The people saying that Duva asked for a purse bid are referring to back in Nov/Dec when she requested mandatory status and that any purse bid would be split 50-50.

[jjsmyth87]

I can understand the criticism of diva, but what she is saying makes perfect sense. Kovalev has an HBO contract and cant fight on ShowTime so therefore a purse bid is not an option. Kovalev is the much more popular fighter and draws much higher ratings, so if Stevenson and haymon wont agree to fight on HBO for 50/50 that is ducking because that's what the purse bid was going to pay and that's the only way for the fight to happen unless its joint between HBO and ShowTime but this fight isn't big enough yet for them to come together so therefore Stevenson and haymon need to quick ducking and fight kovalev to unify the lhw division. They are the only 2 at the top right now, and the winner should face beterbiev