Comments Thread For: Sergey Kovalev's Return Has Cloud of Uncertain Horizons

[Ham Porter]

Wasn't Wilder's last fight on Showtime? If so, didn't know Showtime was televising PBC shows.

****ing hell, just log off.

The question here is why HBO wouldn't back the purse bid and throw everything behind Duva to land the fight on their network.

Because they don't give enough of a **** about boxing anymore to do so.

[Eff Pandas]

Wasn't Wilder's last fight on Showtime? If so, didn't know Showtime was televising PBC shows.

Sure but PBC have been hyping Wilder since the start of PBC & they aren't doing that for the hell of it. They showed that lil bio blurb on him like 52 times during one card ffs. I assume there was an outstanding deal in place for Wilder's fights with Showtime & GBP when he won the title as both were involved in one or both of his last fights as PBC has been hyping him like crazy despite not showing his fights...yet.

I would say Showtime is basically showing some PBC cards though, but just not in name. There have been at least two cards I recall since PBC's creation that had all PBC headliners or mostly PBC guys on the whole card. I assume there is issues with Showtime's already labeled product right now, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is PBC on Showtime within the next 6-12 months. Showtime & PBC clearly have a relationship still thru CBS & Haymon fighters, besides Floyd, still fight on Showtime.

[The Big Dunn]

Yes, and they were dropped for PBC. Main Events are not putting Kovalev on PBC, period.



They were both fighting on HBO, the fight was going to be made. Stevenson didn't want the fight, then turned Hopkins and Pascal down too. GYM didn't want Kovalev as mandatory, so they expedited the purse bid to scare Main Events off with PBC. It worked, but let's not pretend it was anything other that.

And no amount of spin will change the fact Stevenson turned down three big names and is deliberately fighting bums.

PBC and NBC are not the same thing. NBC is the network, PBC is a series on NBC and other networks. Main events doesn't have an exclusive HBO deal.

If they do not want to fight on PBC as you say, why ask for the purse bid when you know the highest bidder will choose the network?

Neither had an exclusive deal. If the fight were made any network could've bid on the fight. We are no longer in 2014. We know what happened then. its 2015 now.

Kov avoided the purse bid, killing the fight and resigned with HBO. He is now fighting a 45-1 underdog instead of Stevenson. Its ok if you like Kov, but he did the exact same thing as Stevenson.

Call it the same.

[SUBZER0ED]

PBC and NBC are not the same thing. NBC is the network, PBC is a series on NBC and other networks. Main events doesn't have an exclusive HBO deal.

If they do not want to fight on PBC as you say, why ask for the purse bid when you know the highest bidder will choose the network?

Neither had an exclusive deal. If the fight were made any network could've bid on the fight. We are no longer in 2014. We know what happened then. its 2015 now.

Kov avoided the purse bid, killing the fight and resigned with HBO. He is now fighting a 45-1 underdog instead of Stevenson. Its ok if you like Kov, but he did the exact same thing as Stevenson.

Call it the same.

It's not the same, Dunn. Kovalev and Stevenson were fighting on the same network. There couldn't have been a more perfect scenario to set up a showdown between them, but Stevenson bolted to a competing network. You can say that this occurred in 2014, which is true, but it's also true that Stevenson's move then still affects the situation today. Here's why he made it: The man came to the game late in life, so his career is shortened. His amateur background is short, therefore, he's not a completely developed fighter. He only has his monster left, and what limited skills that Emanuel Stewart was able to hone before his passing. All of these factors, plus the fact that he is signed with the master tactician of milking a career, are the true reasons behind the delay in a showdown with Kovalev. Sergey's loyalty to HBO and the network's reluctance to take a bath in order to work with Haymon, should not be used as reasons to blame team Kovalev for this fight not happening.

[MDPopescu]

... I don't know if Kovalev has any backing from those big (money) shots in Moscow. Without them Kovalev can't enter a purse bid with Haymon.

[Weebler I]

PBC and NBC are not the same thing. NBC is the network, PBC is a series on NBC and other networks. Main events doesn't have an exclusive HBO deal.

If they do not want to fight on PBC as you say, why ask for the purse bid when you know the highest bidder will choose the network?

Neither had an exclusive deal. If the fight were made any network could've bid on the fight. We are no longer in 2014. We know what happened then. its 2015 now.

Kov avoided the purse bid, killing the fight and resigned with HBO. He is now fighting a 45-1 underdog instead of Stevenson. Its ok if you like Kov, but he did the exact same thing as Stevenson.

Call it the same.

Because when they asked (last December) PBC didn't even exist, it was only February that Haymon came along with his borrowed millions.

That was when GYM (publicly upset by Kovalev as mandatory) wrote a letter to the WBC asking to speed up the purse bid in the knowledge they would win it, correctly ******** on the likelihood that Kovalev would pull out.

Big Dunn ultimately you're not blind so you can keep up the charade if you want but you know even without Kovalev that Stevenson is fighting bums and has turned down the three top guys in the division. His next fight won't be a top guy outside of Kovalev either, but you'll keep supporting the mismatches anyway.

[SUBZER0ED]

If that happens I suspect the most likely outcome is for Kov to drop the belt(s). I do hold some feelings that Beterbiev could want to fight Kov so bad that he would leave PBC for this opportunity. And with Haymon being willing to allow Andre Dirrell & Lucas Matthysse to leave seemingly of their own accord & definitely without drama as others seem to have upon break ups I don't think this is out of the realm of possibilities.

I strongly disagree with this. Kovalev has stated several times that since he was a boy, he has dreamed of being a champion. Furthermore, he has demonstrated a great desire to unify the division. Giving up his belts is like giving up on his dreams of ultimate success.

[Mr.Daddy]

What do you need sourced?

I want a link to the specifics of why Stevenson did what he did (when Stevenson bolted HBO it certainly appeared that he was running from Sergey - also, Stevenson appeared to be reluctant to fight BHop), so if it was all about HBO refusing to give Stevenson $300,000 more, that seems quite amazing (and pass up the opportunity to feature the top two high heavyweights on HBO) for basically small change and lose that opportunity perhaps forever. By the way, given the opponents Stevenson has faced since he left HBO, it really appears that he doesn't care to be matched against the best opponents.

[The Big Dunn]

Because when they asked (last December) PBC didn't even exist, it was only February that Haymon came along with his borrowed millions.

That was when GYM (publicly upset by Kovalev as mandatory) wrote a letter to the WBC asking to speed up the purse bid in the knowledge they would win it, correctly ******** on the likelihood that Kovalev would pull out.

Big Dunn ultimately you're not blind so you can keep up the charade if you want but you know even without Kovalev that Stevenson is fighting bums and has turned down the three top guys in the division. His next fight won't be a top guy outside of Kovalev either, but you'll keep supporting the mismatches anyway.

SO it would've been on showtime. Duva/Kov made the request, got it, then they pull out, and you blame GYM. Geez man.

Stop trying to shift the issue. Kov is avoiding Stevenson at this time. Call it what it is. Stevenson fought bums while Kov fought Hopkins and Pascal. We know this and have discussed it.

Now, in 2015, as of this debate, Kov is fighting a 45-1 mandatory instead of Stevenson. Call him on it. You didn't give Stevenson credit for previous tough fights, so don't do it here.

Lets stay current!

[hitking]

Sure but PBC have been hyping Wilder since the start of PBC & they aren't doing that for the hell of it. They showed that lil bio blurb on him like 52 times during one card ffs. I assume there was an outstanding deal in place for Wilder's fights with Showtime & GBP when he won the title as both were involved in one or both of his last fights as PBC has been hyping him like crazy despite not showing his fights...yet.

I would say Showtime is basically showing some PBC cards though, but just not in name. There have been at least two cards I recall since PBC's creation that had all PBC headliners or mostly PBC guys on the whole card. I assume there is issues with Showtime's already labeled product right now, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is PBC on Showtime within the next 6-12 months. Showtime & PBC clearly have a relationship still thru CBS & Haymon fighters, besides Floyd, still fight on Showtime.

Oh OK. I was at Wilder's last fight. Didn't really pay attention to who was televising or promoting it.

As for Kovalev. He sounds like he may have f.ucked himself with the exclusive HBO deal. Because every significant fighter around him is a Haymon guy, with the exception of Ward. There's a couple Russian beltholders at cruiserweight. And there's Marco Huck there who has somewhat of a name. Maybe he outta consider trying to fight one of those guys as a belt grab later this year. And hopefully the Ward fight happens next year.