Comments Thread For: Barrera Angles For Beterbiev Clash in the United States

[Weebler I]

If Barrera beats Beterbiev, then he's suddenly a quality opponent for Kovalev who badly needs such.

If Chilemba knocks of Alvarez as expected, he's a dangerous risk for Stevenson and that could force GYM/Haymon to finally come to the table and make the Kovalev fight.

As is, neither Chilemba or Barrera are very sellable opponents to HBO for Kovalev. They might give him tough fights, but he wouldn't receive much credit for them. These fights not only give ME good paydays for those two, but gives them a chance to improve their stock.

Barrera is not beating Beterbiev, Main Events's matchmaker will surely know this.

At 16-0 the Cuban Barrera is already a respectable opponent for Kovalev, certainly at least as respectable as Agnew and Caparello. He becomes less of a respectable opponent if he gets knocked out by Beterbiev. Who would complain if Barrera was named as Kovalev's opponent in Russia on November 28th? (rhetorical q, not too many)

I may be completely wrong but I think Main Events are just fking with Beterbiev, dragging out the process to delay an eliminator fight and ultimately a purse bid for Kovalev's title.

Chilemba is being sent after Stevenson's belt, that move is completely understandable since Stevenson won't come to the table and the purse bid is a non-starter.

[Eff Pandas]

Barrera's visa issues with entering Canada only just came up when they accepted IBF's request to make the fight. That said, rather than negotiate, once they learned of the situation GYM/Haymon once again ordered an immediate purse bid in order to kill the fight. Barrera represents a tough challenge to Beterbiev and it's looking like GYM/Haymon don't want the risk vs an out-of-house fighter.

Barrera will be a tough opponent, but that was gonna be the case whoever got this mandatory spot vs Beterbiev more than likely. And I don't see an issue with going right to purse bids when you got some nutty situation like this lined up with Duva of all people. I mean if Duva & GYM had a clean slate it'd sound shady, but these two have history & there is always levels of bs going on with these two.

[Eastcoast]

Barrera will be a tough opponent, but that was gonna be the case whoever got this mandatory spot vs Beterbiev more than likely. And I don't see an issue with going right to purse bids when you got some nutty situation like this lined up with Duva of all people. I mean if Duva & GYM had a clean slate it'd sound shady, but these two have history & there is always levels of bs going on with these two.

But what does Duva have to gain by dragging this out only to lose Barrera the opportunity? This fight will get Barrera/ME more money than any other fight they could get him. Barrera's not getting on tv anymore w/o NBC or ESPN. He's the underdog vs Beterbiev, but if he wins or loses close or controversially, then his stock goes up. And this doesn't change Beterbiev going after an eventual purse bid against Kovalev.

PBC could just as easily put this fight on the Lara undercard in Miami in November. And that's really my point, PBC has no shortage of dates and money to make this fight rather than kill it.

[Eff Pandas]

But what does Duva have to gain by dragging this out only to lose Barrera the opportunity?

Far be it from me to propose what Duva is thinking. But I don't think Duva cares all that much for anyone on her roster like she does for Kov (& rightfully so, he's The Guy with ME right now). Barrera's opportunity is just to get squashed by Kov & she could set that up whenever she wanted to since she promotes both guys & Barrera is ranked.

If this dragging things out theory is real or not on Duva's behalf isn't really important. Its the fact that there is enough history between Duva & GYM where it could be reasonably thought by GYM to be a Duva strategy at all. And that reality alone is enough to dictate this playing out as GYM is trying to play it out.

[Scipio2009]

It was surprising to me that Main Events agreed to this fight in first place.

It's an eliminator for a title that Main Events already hold with Kovalev, what's in it for Barrera or Main Events?

Kovalev has the possibility of not having to vacate the IBF belt.

Duva's not going to better her terms offered initially to Beterbiev, and Duva doesn't have the willingness to put up the required money to win the purse bid.

GYM is likely to win the bid and HBO can't legally prevent Kovalev from fighting his mandatory (but Duva's entire business wrests on not falling out of grace with HBO, who only have interest in Kovalev from her company).

The WBA "Super" champion never owes any mandatory defenses, and the WBO's rankings at 175 are flat out de****able.

[garfios]

Why fight in New York when the plan by GYM seems to have been -

November 2015 on Canadian PPV [corresponding US TV carrier; primetime ESPN/Spike TV or Showtime]:

Degale(c) vs Bute - IBF 168 title
Beterbiev vs {} - IBF 175 title eliminator
Chilemba vs Alvarez - WBC 175 title eliminator

Why would GYM/Beterbiev risk ******** on a market that they don't even regularly run, to make concessions for the IBF's 9th-rated challenger (lets be honest about Barrera's standing in this scenario), when they could simply plug in Edwin Rodriguez into that same spot and not mess up their plan?

do you ever hear about the best fight the best, this is a very intriguing match up and none of them have a big fan base, if they getting pay it doesn't matter where you show the fight, as long as is on national tv, they should reach more fans through tv than with a live gate, the only thing the boxers need to do is, train hard and give 100% the night of the fight, the rest will come...

[garfios]

Barrera is not beating Beterbiev, Main Events's matchmaker will surely know this.

At 16-0 the Cuban Barrera is already a respectable opponent for Kovalev, certainly at least as respectable as Agnew and Caparello. He becomes less of a respectable opponent if he gets knocked out by Beterbiev. Who would complain if Barrera was named as Kovalev's opponent in Russia on November 28th? (rhetorical q, not too many)

I may be completely wrong but I think Main Events are just fking with Beterbiev, dragging out the process to delay an eliminator fight and ultimately a purse bid for Kovalev's title.

Chilemba is being sent after Stevenson's belt, that move is completely understandable since Stevenson won't come to the table and the purse bid is a non-starter.

there is nothing sure in a boxing match, specially if involves two hungry and talented athletes...

[daggum]

beterbum's fake ass promoter haymon is willing to make alexander-martinez in arizona where they sold zero tickets, lara in chicago which was completely empty and so on but he can't have beterbum fight in the usa? he sure is selliing out those stadiums while on canadian undercards

[Hougigo]

Better hope Duva and those "Russians" help you out... you bouta lose your spot

[Scipio2009]

do you ever hear about the best fight the best, this is a very intriguing match up and none of them have a big fan base, if they getting pay it doesn't matter where you show the fight, as long as is on national tv, they should reach more fans through tv than with a live gate, the only thing the boxers need to do is, train hard and give 100% the night of the fight, the rest will come...

lol

Barrera apparently knew that he couldn't fight in Canada when Main Events accepted the fight, and now GYM is supposed to not put on a show in a 20k-seat building that they were likely to sell a ton of tickets in? gtfoh

How about Barrera make sure he could actually travel for a fight before wasting everyone's time