Comments Thread For: Stevenson Stops Karpency In Three, Calls Out Kovalev

[Scipio2009]

Stevensson is way too one-dimensional to hang with Kovalev.

Ronda Rousey is often pretty one-dimensional too though; doesn't mean that has helped her opponents.

Stevenson is one-dimensional, yet his one dimension wrecks guys (people underrate Stevenson's actual boxing ability/knowledge of space, but that's a separate conversation).

If Kovalev gets nailed by that left hand, he's going to sleep; make no bones about it. You add that Kovalev would need to get into Stevenson's firing range to even land a shot (Stevenson: 77" reach, Kovalev: 72.5"), and Stevenson's one dimension would make for an entirely stressful night for Kovalev's whole camp.

[HeroBando]

but kovalev signed an extension with hbo knowing that would eliminate the fight with stevenson...or does this logic only go one way?

It doesn't eliminate it, since Stevenson is offered 50/50 on HBO ppv apparently. Unlike Kovalev he's not bound to any network, so the question is does he take this, or yet another no hoper for much less. What's your guess?

[danktrees]

He beats both. Let's not go full ****** here.

true story.

i know guys have a hard on to see kovalev knock him out which is the likely outcome if they fight but that doesn't mean stevenson is a scrub.

[danktrees]

It doesn't eliminate it, since Stevenson is offered 50/50 on HBO ppv apparently. Unlike Kovalev he's not bound to any network, so the question is does he take this, or yet another no hoper for much less. What's your guess?

but it did eliminate it. the fight was ready to go, purse bid then fight. main events pulled out of the purse bid because of the hbo contract. duva just said it in the article. stevenson is not bound by contract to a single network, but he's probably bound by contract to not fight on hbo as no pbc fighter has been on there.

also, as the challenger, why does kovalev get to dictate the terms? it's not like either are huge draws. i would actually argue that stevenson is a much bigger draw if you hold the fight in montreal. that would guarantee a packed house and those guys definitely wouldn't be going there to see kovalve. so why does stevenson absolutely have to go to hbo for this fight? if stevenson counters with 50/50 for kovalev to fight on showtime, does that mean kovalev has to take it?

[Scipio2009]

Main Events:...........

Duva sold the WBC that Pascal was the final fight on the HBO deal, therefore there'd be no impediment to negotiating the light heavyweight fight that everyone wants to see.

Any talk of matching rights for a fight would've applied to the Mohammedi mandatory defense, which was already owed and agreed to before the Pascal fight. The notion that an possible matching option to HBO would've extended beyond that one fight is laughable.

Main Events no longer had the NBC TV relationships, so Duva was working to leverage Kovalev(the only fighter she has that HBO is interested in) into a TV relationship with HBO for Main Events.

Haymon turning out to be sitting on a ****load of money, which wrecked Duva's entire scheme, and now she's left doing damage control. No need to carry her water.

[HeroBando]

but it did eliminate it. the fight was ready to go, purse bid then fight. main events pulled out of the purse bid because of the hbo contract. duva just said it in the article. stevenson is not bound by contract to a single network, but he's probably bound by contract to not fight on hbo as no pbc fighter has been on there.

also, as the challenger, why does kovalev get to dictate the terms? it's not like either are huge draws. i would actually argue that stevenson is a much bigger draw if you hold the fight in montreal. that would guarantee a packed house and those guys definitely wouldn't be going there to see kovalve. so why does stevenson absolutely have to go to hbo for this fight? if stevenson counters with 50/50 for kovalev to fight on showtime, does that mean kovalev has to take it?

He has to go to HBO if he wants the money, exposure, and 3 more belts. Otherwise keep fighting no hopers s for much less money, viewers, acclaim

[Pac=Duran]

but kovalev signed an extension with hbo knowing that would eliminate the fight with stevenson in the future. and judging by the duva quote in this article it already has...or does this logic only go one way?

also, im pretty sure when stevenson signed on to pbc, he was trying to get the fight with hopkins. everything looked like it was lined up and it somehow fell apart. cant blame him for trying to get hopkins instead of kovalev at that point, that would be a much bigger name on the resume.

You pic in your sig makes me sad, still can't believe scumbag boxing business men have frozen out the Ringodeaux like that.

[danktrees]

He has to go to HBO if he wants the money, exposure, and 3 more belts. Otherwise keep fighting no hopers s for much less money, viewers, acclaim

the exact same thing can be said for kovalev? sergey would have to go somewhere non hbo (pbc fighters dont fight on hbo) if he wants stevenson's lineal belt. he's not fighting a murderer's row right now either. he has the better win in hopkins and that's about it. everyone else he beat stevenson would have crushed as well.

the money doesnt matter. im pretty sure pbc/haymon fighters make more money than non haymon fighters. but even if that's not the case, kovalev isnt making crazy money fighting the guys he's fighting either. so if stevenson needs kovalev for his biggest payday, the same is probably true for kovalev needing stevenson.

also, pairing stevenson with beterbiev and another canadian fighter will result in a full stadium in montreal which is probably more likely to provide stevenson with more money and leverage. if sergey can headline and fill a stadium of 20000 then maybe there's an argument to be made regarding the money situation but i dont think he's there yet.

as for exposure, he will get more exposure on pbc than on hbo. pbc does higher ratings. not on spike, but when they put him on a main card on cbs or something like that, it will have higher ratings.

[danktrees]

You pic in your sig makes me sad, still can't believe scumbag boxing business men have frozen out the Ringodeaux like that.

that and guys straight ducking him. it is quite sad. i swear he just needs to pretend like he gets seriously hurt in his next fight to trick a big name into thinking they can beat him and take the fight.

[Scipio2009]

It doesn't eliminate it, since Stevenson is offered 50/50 on HBO ppv apparently. Unlike Kovalev he's not bound to any network, so the question is does he take this, or yet another no hoper for much less. What's your guess?

Showtime valued Stevenson more than HBO seemingly ever even considered valuing Stevenson. Showtime stepped in and delivered for Stevenson/GYM where HBO did not. With the fight being a mandated title defense for Stevenson, why should he freeze out Showtime from competing for the fight?

Stevenson isn't likely to fight again until February 2016; by that point, the Fonfara-Cleverly winner and the Chilemba-Alvarez winner would both be available for fights (Beterbiev-Barrera winner[Beterbiev] heads to an IBF title fight, but I think Kovalev drops the belt and Beterbiev fights Edwin Rodriguez, knocking off another possible opponent for Stevenson).

The real question, though, is who does Kovalev fight if he doesn't take the 50/50 split fight with Stevenson(open bid)?

Pascal didn't impress in his last fight, Top Rank isn't going to serve up Sean Monaghan, and every other light heavyweight with any kind of name is fighting with Haymon.

Kovalev has his homecoming fight due for November, and he might possibly fight a guy in the top 50, lol.