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

[HarvardBlue]

Stevenson's boxing ability is underrated. I don't think he's one dimensional but he does rely on his power punches against lesser opposition. I think he's a slightly more powerful puncher than Kovalev but the latter has better boxing abilities. This wouldn't be an easy fight for either fighter but I would give a small edge Kovalev.

[youbeight]

One side wants the fight on their network for 50/50, the other side wants the highest bidder to win the fight to generate the most money. Purse bids are always the last straw when two sides can't make agreements on money and rights to a fight, so yes, the purse bid superceeds the contract. If kov-pascal was 6 mill Canadian purse on ppv, and gym was rumored to big 10 mill for the purse bid, then it's obvious they're willing to pay both guys career high purses. Is HBO willing to match that offer, especially considering they were offered to match Stevenson showtime deal and they bailed. Just do the purse bid and have HBO back you with enough money duva. Stop all this Russian currency thing.

[wasporbee]

Other than claiming they'd go through with the purse bid without actually having to back up those words, has Stevenson's side ever tried to make this fight? Main Events has made several public offers. What has Haymon done? This sounds like a lot of "Hold me back!" from Stevenson.

I also see people talking about Showtime being willing to pay Stevenson more than HBO. That's not how I remember it going down. HBO walked away from the deal because it was just for the Fonfara fight; Stevenson wouldn't agree to fight Kovalev.

[MDPopescu]

... Haymon's fighters are only allowed to fight on Haymon's franchise cards...
... Yvon Michel agreed to let Beterbiev fight Kovalev in Russia (for the IBF strap), but Haymon immediately cut Michel's tongue off and the fight vanished into thin air...

... (The pimp wasn't even able to stop old Bika. The farmer's boy doesn't count.)

[techliam]

ibf, wba, wbo belts do not equal wbc and lineal belt. kovalev might be the best but if he wants that lineal belt he has to take it from stevenson so in terms of belts, stevenson is ahead.

you are correct, he's doing well for having no built in fan base. but that's irrelevant here if stevenson can headline the fight in montreal which is guaranteed to sell out.

the people's champ thing is great but ask how that's working out for ggg and rigo. their top contenders aren't even mentioning them as a possible opponent. stevenson just said he'd fight kovalev and even participated in a purse bid to fight him. if money was as important as you say it is, he should have let it go to purse bid, that would definitely have been more money than what hbo would offer.

but my original point stands, when he signed the hbo exclusive contract, he basically guaranteed that stevenson fight won't get made because pbc fighters dont fight on hbo. this is the same thing stevenson did when he signed with haymon. yet you only see it as a stevenson issue when both are at fault. further to that, stevenson participated in the purse bid so he has actually shown a willingness at this point (maybe not when they were both on hbo in the past) to get the fight made. probably because he makes more money now on pbc.

Fighters make a belt, not the other way around

The lineal title at 175 means next to nothing, because Stevenson holds it and goes against any form of consensus

Being the best in the division is the best accomplishment. Various perspectives of 'championship' become irrelevant when that happens.

I hope the fight happens though. Stevenson looks to be the best candidate to challenge Kovalev at 175