Would you oppose a PBC world title?

[Left2theliver]

Considering that we already have the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO world titles (not including all the other **** like the Silver champion, platinum champion, premium champion, or whatever extra crap they can come up with), I'm okay with no PBC championship.

[techliam]

PBC is moving into the UK in 2016. They've been working with Hearn for months.

I don't think this is a money thing as much of an idea thing. I think the promoters with PBC right now have made a decision that working with PBC for a flat fee (one would assume thats whats happening) & still doing their own side shows also is a very favorable position for them & greatly reducing their risk. I don't see why more promoters all over the globe would be opposed to that. What exactly is all being shared or how money is all being split up is unknown but the influence that PBC has gotten already is some unheard of **** in the boxing business so if nothing else Haymon is an epic closer to get so many people on board in the first 8 months. With that said I don't think its crazy to suggest that Haymon & Ryabinsky could end up working together at some point or maybe Ryabinsky even becomes an investor in PBC. I mean a reasonable assumption if this is all about money than Ryabinsky would already own boxing or have a failed attempt at it if he was capable of it or driven to attempt it.

Hearn has been working with Haymon, but he won't put his star matchups on PBC, at least not exclusively. His monopoly in the UK with Sky Sports ensures that. It's not in his interest to become part of PBC when he effectively dominates the UK boxing scene, with little to no challenge.

Which leads nicely onto what you've already said - noone suggested that Haymon can't work with other promoters, but the suggestion of this thread is that he will eventually take them over, making everything else redundent. That's not going to happen. There's a world of difference between Hearn putting his fighters on PBC every now and again, and actually putting all of his fighters under the banner exclusively. Hearn would work with any promoter that fits his interest, not just Haymon. You'll see his fighters on Top Rank cards in the US, Sky at home and also PBC cards in the US, and Sky at home. Same with other major promoters. Miura is fighting on the Canelo-Cotto card tomorrow, but he'll go back to Japan and make his money there too (a huge payday vs Uchiyama possibly). He may end up on a PBC card at some point too.

This is why I don't see how Haymon is different to any other promoter, other than the free TV angle he's trying to promote. I'm still to be convinced that any of the above means that PBC is going to take over...

As for Haymon-Ryabinsky, I dont know. Thered be no need for Haymon to be there if Ryabinsky was interested in trying to shift the sport like that. The money he can burn without consequence is beyond ridiculous.

[ironmike2012]

Yeah i'd support it considering Haymon has shown the willingness to match his top fighters against each other.

Funniest thing I've heard in a long time.
Do you forget the fact that Porter, Thurman, Garcia and Khan have somehow avoided each other recently? Despite each fighter needing a good win (or fight).
PBC title fights would be a joke, I can see it now.
Wilder vs Briggs/ Tarver/ Arreola for the PBC title.
Broner vs Paulie/ Robert Guerrero
Thurman vs Chris Algeri
Khan vs Aaron Martinez
Garcia vs Berto
This would be their championship fights, based on what they have done so far as PBC. Add to that the cold war that Al started, yeah PBC will save boxing and Ronda Rousey beats Floyd and Tyson blindfolded at the same time.

[KillaMane26]

No real boxing fan should be okay with some **** like this

[boliodogs]

I would be completely against it. They aren't neutral They will name their own fighters as champions. Let's give Top Rank and Golden Boy the right to crown champions and then all their fighters could also be champions. There are way to many champions already and being a champion doesn't mean as much as it used to.

[Hewito]

One Punch -

They won't need to purchase new TV dates. They have years of TV paid up front and when those deals are up, they only need ONE of those channels to pony up for exclusive rights. Live sports rights are the only growth sector in TV and it's not like there are new leagues being created to buy the rights to. There will definitely be a channel that will want to lock up PBC 2-3 years from now.


Hewito -

That's clearly the plan. Too soon to say whether it will work, but there is no doubt it is the FANS that benefit if it does work.

Do UFC fans have to worry about everybody ducking each other and hiding behind four different belts in each division?

Do you know any UFC fans that wish each division had four belts so the fighters could hide behind them?


Pandas -

Very good points. If they ever hit those numbers, I definitely think PBC titles can be successful. Obviously there's no rush. Right now they just need to keep accumulating fighters and keep accumulating titles.


Techliam -

Reforming themselves how? You honestly thing the four organizations consolidating into one without another organization springing up is more likely than the smartest man in boxing with a 500 million dollar war chest and TV on every major network managing to cut them out of the equation?

As for Japan... the lower divisions ARE the minor league. What is a guy at 108 pounds getting paid compared to a guy at 160 pounds? How much more of a minor league could you be?


Hewito -

So you think nothing good has come from other sports having a dominant league? Do you see any football fans wishing there was still an NFL and AFL? Are basketball fans wishing there was still an NBA and ABA? Are baseball fans wishing the NL and AL didn't play each other?

How is it bad for fans to have the world's best fighters under one umbrella and fighting each other?

I see your point and thank you for keeping things respectful,but here is the difference,all those teams you are talking about are privately owned(expect green bay)so the NFL does not have one owner ,or one CEO who will say "here,i want my X team that is 10-0 play against y that is 0-10 for the championship"so there is a wide gap in differences between the organizations and Haymon..Lets put it this way,lets say haymon becomes the only organization where the belt matters,he will have the power too control not only fighters but also fees and I really think it might even be against the Ali act since he will have fighters and be a "sanctioning body"..Long story short,I really think if he has a belt,sooner rather than later he will doing same or much worse than what we currently have.

[Hewito]

People in UFC DO complain and very very importantly and I say this in the utmost respectful way,I have spoken with many many MMA fans and most dont have the knowledge about fighters(maybe some on the most popular ones) and I hate to bring MMA since is the apples and pears again comparison,but think about it,remember when dana white told one of his fighters on air to be quite( I think it was phil baroni) and he said it because Dana is their boss,not their promoter,their boss,the one who decies who gets a shot,the one that took them out of their sponsors because cut a better deal for him and the fertittas with reebok....I really dont think it would work.

[Baltimore]

I would be against it. Maybe in a few years in the PBC works and gets to be in a ufc-like position with boxing.

The only way I'd be cool with them making PBC belts this early is if they had legitimate tourneys with their best fighters and the end result is the winner getting the new PBC belt.

[jvsnypes]

Why or why not?

Personally I was totally against a PBC world title when that was in the rumor mill. It was just going to be another trinket but now it makes a lot more sense. I think the sanctioning bodies over the passed couple years have become abundantly greedy by ripping boxers and fans off and adding to the divide in boxing. If PBC had all their fighters drop their belts minor and world, itd really stick it to the sanctioning bodies and itd set up some nice tournaments within their own brand. In a perfect world there wouldnt be a divide between promotions but its not that way so hopefully Haymon continues to maximize his clients revenue and drops their belts and forms his own title...

I honestly think that is what the overall plan is. That would completely change the sport for the best. I think Haymon is trying to start his boxing version of the UFC. If that happens, boxing will go to a whole other level. One belt for every weight class with a company that has the interest of the fighter first, only positive results will come from that. It would also lead to the downfall of GB and TR.

[Jubei]

PBC Belt?

A Belt for the Protected Bums Crew?

Is that belt supposed to crown the biggest protected bum??

The boxing equivalent of the golden raspberry?

In all seriousness, you realize that PBC barely has any top fighters?