Comments Thread For: Stevenson's Promoter on Kovalev vs. Ward Showdown

[The Big Dunn]

You edited that quick lol. HBO banned Golden Boy to. And then changed their mind and allowed their fighters back. Also Haymon got himself banned when he tried to extort HBO into buying BS fights. Refused to allow his fighters to sign contracts with HBO. Also HBO asked his fighters to face better competition and he said no and kept cranking up the asking prices for bum tune up fights. When HBO said no we are not paying these ridiculous prices for crap fights he leveraged his army of fighters threatening them saying If you don't pay overprice for crap fight with Fighter A I'm taking Fighter B and C to another network. No contracts and strong arming networks to over pay for bum fights with no insurance that the next real fight against a top fighter will air on their network. That's why HBO banned him and he ran to Showtime where they gave him a blank check. That's the history HBO doesn't want to be strong armed and cut ties with him. But they have on countless times said they will work with him on 1 off fight deals with their fighters against HBO signed fighters. And since then Haymon refuses to allow it. Again that's his right he can make his fighters fight wherever he wants but stop acting like this is about money or phony purse bids. Haymon just doesn't want his guys on HBO if he can stop it he does.

Haymon got himself banned through extortion. Geez dude, you can't be serious. HBO wanted it their way, Haymon wanted it a different way. That's business, not extortion FFS.

No they did not say that. herschman said he would consider putting a haymon fight on if the price is right. You are smart enough to know what that really means.

HBO reduced their boxing budget and that's why they banned Haymon fighters. That is their choice. Haymon doesn't have to limit his fighters (and his) income based on HBO's budget.

[Eff Pandas]

HBO literally works with every fighter and entity except Haymon.

Is that why you believe HBO is lowballing Stevenson? Cuz they got a Haymon bias?

Haymon excluded himself not the other way around.

I've never heard Haymon said he wouldn't work with HBO. I have heard HBO saying they wouldn't work with him & iirc have banned Haymon from HBO.

How is HBO not paying fair purses?

Fair purses is debatable. One could suggest that fighters are getting paid too much or too little across the board right now. What I'm suggesting is HBO isn't willing to pay fair market value for this specific fight. They had the fight in their hands a few years back & due to lowballing Stevenson they lost the fight. Now they are being a conscientious objector to a purse bid situation from most accounts & Duva is a lil fish in a big pond who isn't willing to risk her position with HBO to make that happen & probably rightfully so she shouldn't make a move without HBO's backing for her own connections within HBO moving forward for her future fighters.

Haymon is trying to manipulate the purse bid so he can offer a higher amount for a fight that will never happen off of HBO. It's a sham and make believe. It's NEVER been about getting the most money or a fair purse it's about Haymon trying to get the fight OFF OF HBO at any cost. Also even if HBO were to win the purse bid there is NO ASSURANCE Haymon allows the fight to go forward. Look no further then Quillen. Roc Nation outbid Haymon and offered a huge career payday for a fight Haymon and Quillen wanted. But Haymon refused to let his fighter fight on a Roc Nation card because his beef with Jay-Z and forced his fighter to vacate his belt and turn down a career payday rather then live up to a purse bid that he lost. Haymon has proven if he doesn't like the channel or promoter he will not honor the purse bid so spare me this being about a Haymon fighter "entitled to better money". There are multiple examples of Haymon forcing his fighter to turn down bigger money fights because of his beefs and politics.

This is all a bunch of epic speculation about the "evils of Haymon". The business of boxing is a f#cked up business. No one is a saint. All I know is Haymon has been getting his fighters more money than anyone else & is the chief force behind a boxer many consider boring to become the biggest earner in boxing history. And I know HBO boxing is working with a smaller budget year after year for probably about a decade at this point.

Haymon doesn't want his fighters fighting on HBO

Do you think HBO Boxing wants any of their fighters to fight off HBO? Seems like a reasonable expectation Haymon would want his fighters fighting on a PBC affiliated TV channel also. And if either side isn't willing to get their way the fight won't happen...as it hasn't happened. Somehow HBO is the good guy & Haymon is the bad guy in this situation to some people instead of it just being two sides looking out for their own best interests & neither being willing to bend. The only difference I see is the willingness to pay more on behalf of the Adonis/GYM/Haymon side. If HBO was smart they'd let Kov go KTFO of Adonis on national TV for a one time only deal & perhaps gain a few more subscribers from people unexposed to Kov seeing how badass & fun to watch he is.

[bigdunny1]

HBO reduced their boxing budget and that's why they banned Haymon fighters. That is their choice. Haymon doesn't have to limit his fighters (and his) income based on HBO's budget.

How are they limiting his fighters income by offering his fighters a chance to fight HBO fighters for career paydays? Beterbiev turned down a offer 3x what he has made so far in his career for a title shot against a HBO fighter. It's not about money or boxing budgets or purse bids. Haymon refuses to allow his fighters on HBO. If it's about money Beterbiev doesn't turn that down to instead fight a eliminator fight on the undercard for peanuts. If it's about money when Haymon loses a purse bid he doesn't force quillen to turn down the career payday from roc nation. These moves are political and about haymons beefs not about the money.

[bigdunny1]

Again HBO said they are out of the Haymon showcase business. They are leaving that to other networks to overpay for. They have been on record many times saying they have no problem making a fight with HBO signed fighters facing a haymon fighter. And have proved it by signing off and making offers most recent example a deal for Kovalev to fight Beterbiev. A deal haymon turned down despite the huge offer. It's not about purse bids that is stopping Stevenson or any other haymon fighter from fighting on HBO. It's simple haymon won't allow it. It's his right he can take his fighters where ever he wants but don't pretend it's about HBO not wanting to pay or phony purse bids.

[The Big Dunn]

How are they limiting his fighters income by offering his fighters a chance to fight HBO fighters for career paydays? Beterbiev turned down a offer 3x what he has made so far in his career for a title shot against a HBO fighter. It's not about money or boxing budgets or purse bids. Haymon refuses to allow his fighters on HBO. If it's about money Beterbiev doesn't turn that down to instead fight a eliminator fight on the undercard for peanuts. If it's about money when Haymon loses a purse bid he doesn't force quillen to turn down the career payday from roc nation. These moves are political and about haymons beefs not about the money.

They are only fighting on HBO for smaller money and not getting the chance to take the bigger fights.

Yes, Bieterbiev turned Kov down. Kov walked away from a purse bid that would've paid him the most of his career. You can't only kill Haymon guys and not HBO guys for this.

Please dude, at least be honest. HBO banned Haymon fighters, that's why he isn't working with HBO.

Of course its about something else. But HBO made it about that and Haymon decided to fight them by trying to take their spot.

SO what? HBO isn't entitled to the top spot. WHy do you as a fan care who is "#1"?

Isn't getting the fights you want to see more important?

[The Big Dunn]

Again HBO said they are out of the Haymon showcase business. They are leaving that to other networks to overpay for. They have been on record many times saying they have no problem making a fight with HBO signed fighters facing a haymon fighter. And have proved it by signing off and making offers most recent example a deal for Kovalev to fight Beterbiev. A deal haymon turned down despite the huge offer. It's not about purse bids that is stopping Stevenson or any other haymon fighter from fighting on HBO. It's simple haymon won't allow it. It's his right he can take his fighters where ever he wants but don't pretend it's about HBO not wanting to pay or phony purse bids.

why should any Haymon fighter go on HBO for less money than can be made elsewhere?

why not just go to the purse bid. If HBO wins, its on HBO. If Haymon wins, its on PBC.

would you be with this?

[Butt stuff]

Stevenson was with HBO up to the point when they were settling his fight with Kovalev... Then Adonis immediately left for Haymon and Sho... Kovalev didn't move an inch... This is of common knowledge, kid...

Of course it is common knowledge, its also common knowledge that B-Hop had preference to fight Stevenson and the deal was close to happening before Haymon's side messed him about too much (possibly because of his role in GB) and he defaulted to Kovalev instead.

More common knowledge; now you have Ward signing a big deal with HBO because he is with Roc Nation, which obviously throws another road block in (Haymon/Jay-Z).

I'd say Hopkins/Ward would have a field day with Stevenson's style as well, which relies mostly on athleticism and his left hook. They'd walk him into shots and traps unlike Kovalev who is actually terrific at managing distance. I'd have thought they'd much prefer to fight a Stevenson than a Kovalev.

[kafkod]

huh? Just 2 points:

HBO banned Haymon fighters, Haymon didn't walk away.

Kov/Dua walked away from the purse bid, how is that Haymon's fault?

Stevenson is with Haymon, and HBO have offered him a ppv fight with Kovalev. So if there ever was a ban, it isn't in place now.

[tiliheels]

The deal was done years ago when Kovalev and Stevenson were both on HBO and set to fight each other. Then Stevenson signs Haymon as his "advisor" and immediately killed the fight. Moved Stevenson off HBO and turned down the Kovalev fight with the excuse at that time being he wanted to fight Bernard Hopkins for more money. Not only does that fight never happen with Haymon stalling and refusing to agree to the contract and after waiting too long Hopkins instead fights Kovalev. Stevenson's TV ratings dropped big time from moving from HBO to Showtime. His last 2 tv ratings on PBC have been dreadful and he hasn't gotten a significant fight since turning down Kovalev. Stevenson is not a young dude he's pushing 40 and wasting the most important years of his career.

No doubt not fighting Kovalev has hurt Stevenson's career more then Kovalev. Since the time Stevenson backed out the fight he has gone on to fight and beat top light heavyweights like Hopkins, Pascal and once Ward's deal is official he will have a guarantee that he get's that fight next year. Kovalev is more relevant and popular now then when he was originally supposed to fight Stevenson. So his arrow is pointing up. While Stevenson's is pointing down he is stuck facing weak competition on PBC that does nothing for his legacy and gets killed by fans. Stevenson was more relevant and popular when he was fighting on HBO.

word is that haymon was fine with the fight and trying to get a fighter that was on hbo in order to get back on hbo..but hbo wanted no parts of stevenson when haymon got behind him...haymon showed him money that hbo hides from the fighters...this is the reason they let him go and also bc he got floyd a huge deal with their rivals...haymon never wanted a pbc until he saw that showtime ratings arent that high..he was just fine with using hbo as a his platform but they weren't fine with it..HE ADJUSTED AND BROUGHT PBC

[kafkod]

And, when they renegotiated, Kovalev's people could have done something about that and worked toward the REAL fight in that division. Instead, they're happy fighting pizza guys. You can't hide behind that contract excuse when they go right back to signing themselves up for the same shyt. And, even embracing the idea that they shouldn't push the network/promoter to make this happen is pathetic. They're supposed to lie down for the slave masters and not strive for change?

Pizza guys ... WTF?

Kovalev has fought Hopkins and Pascal and offered fights to Beterbiev and Ward.

He has also called out many times for Stevenson to come and fight him on HBO.

He's happy fighting pizza guys doe ...