Ring Ratings: Stevenson stripped

[OnePunch]

Were you at the WBC convention in 2014? I was. She specifically asked for a 50/50 purse bid, which the WBC agreed to.

that is NOT what she asked. She asked that IN THE EVENT THE BOUT ENDED UP GOING TO BID, the split should be 50-50, instead of the standard WBC split. She did NOT request that the bout go straight to purse bid.

But you claim to own several businesses, and I only own 1, so I'm sure you are correct.

[Cuban Linx]

The problem with Stevenson was that he didn't have good enough backup plans if he couldn't get the Kovalev fight. He put his eggs into one basket and then dropped the basket. I mean look at his last few opponents, Sukhotsky, Bika(168er) and Karpency, you can't just hold onto the title, call out the other title holder, and just fight bums in the meantime. You have to at least challenge yourself. The only guy he's beaten in the Top 10 is Fonfora (who is no.8). He could have fought Jean Pascal and kept his belt instead he said nope.

His promoter (GYM) also has Beterbiev and Alvarez yet for some reason those guys aren't fighting each other... I don't expect him to fight Braehmer. But at least fight someone good. It's almost ridiculous that he went 2 years without fighting anyone in the top 5. It's a really bad looking resume.

[TripleGFightFan]

Hero -

And Kovalev would have gotten a career high purse on whatever network offered the most for the fight. You're using a double standard.


Koba -

Kovalev's promoter, at the WBC convention, requested that Kovalev be allowed to fight for Pascal's diamond title, that Kovalev be recognized as the mandatory if he won and that a 50/50 purse bid be ordered for the fight. Kovalev's promoter had just sued Stevenson's promoter and surely the fight was destined for a purse bid. The WBC, without Stevenson's knowledge or consent, agreed to Kovalev's request to:

a) fight for the diamond title
b) be named mandatory for the world title
c) have a purse bid ordered with a 50/50 split

Kovalev's television contract was expiring after the Pascal fight and Kovalev would be free to fight on whatever network the winning promoter sold the fight to.

After the Pascal fight in March, a 50/50 purse bid was ordered as originally requested by Kovalev in December. Stevenson's promoter did ask for the fight to take place ASAP so Stevenson could satisfy his mandatory. Kovalev did have an IBF mandatory due, but a unification takes precedence under IBF rules.

You admit Duva was outplayed. You admit she's been fast talking since. So we're in agreement for the most part. However, you say Kovalev didn't request a purse bid, so perhaps you were not aware of the requests that were made at the convention.


One Punch -

I am not mistaken. In December 2014 at the WBC convention, Duva requested that Kovalev be allowed to fight for Pascal's diamond title, that Kovalev be named the mandatory in the event that he won and that there be a 50/50 purse bid.

It was only later that GYM asked that the previously requested purse bid be enforced as clearly any "negotiations" would be a waste of time.

At that point, Duva COULD participate. Kovalev's television contract expired after the Pascal fight. However, Duvas CHOSE not to participate, as she felt signing another contract with HBO was the best business decision.

Which was her right. I'm not saying she was wrong. But you can't blatantly duck a fight and then pretend the other side ducked you.

That's exactly what happened!!!...especially the last 4 paragraphs...

[NEETzsche]

The problem with Stevenson was that he didn't have good enough backup plans if he couldn't get the Kovalev fight.

he had two excellent back-up plans but he ducked them too. he doesn't want any risk or glory whatsoever, just easy money and easy opponents

[Cuban Linx]

he had two excellent back-up plans but he ducked them too. he doesn't want any risk or glory whatsoever, just easy money and easy opponents

I still don't know why he turned down the Pascal fight... That was a big money, winnable fight that would have kept his Ring Title. Instead he let his ego get in the way and now he's in this unfortunate situation.

[OnePunch]

That's exactly what happened!!!...especially the last 4 paragraphs...

except that Duva NEVER requested that the fight go to bid. She asked for an adjusted split in the event it went to bid, but what she wanted was to freely negotiate the fight. She did not anticipate that Gym would flatly refuse to negotiate at all.

Think about it for a second. WHY would anyone ask for a bid they cant participate in? On what planet would that make any sense?

[The Big Dunn]

except that Duva NEVER requested that the fight go to bid. She asked for an adjusted split in the event it went to bid, but what she wanted was to freely negotiate the fight. She did not anticipate that Gym would flatly refuse to negotiate at all.

Think about it for a second. WHY would anyone ask for a bid they cant participate in? On what planet would that make any sense?

Come on dude. It was obvious to everyone that once kov got the mando as she requested that this would go to a bid. How Katny didn't see this is ridiculous.

You also know there is NO WAY she went to the WBC to ask to be the mando without checking with HBO first since Kov had a fight left on his HBO deal.

Kathy backed out because HBO couldn't have afforded to bid against GYM/Haymon.

[OnePunch]

She didn't anticipate that a promoter she just sued wouldn't want to negotiate? Then her business acumen needs to seriously be called into question.

No, what she didn't anticipate was that Stevenson would agree to the purse bid. She didn't think Haymon would allow him to fight on HBO. She was wrong. Haymon was willing to take that risk, she wasn't.

She could have participated in the bid. Kovalev's HBO contract expired. GYM pushed for the bid at a time when Kovalev would have been able to participate.

BUT, Duva realized it was wiser to sign another deal with HBO rather than risk losing to Stevenson and then having nowhere to go.

Which is fine, but don't duck the fight and then manipulate the public into believing the other side ducked it.

She signed another HBO contract knowing full well it meant giving up the Stevenson fight. I'm not knocking her for it. She went with the sure thing. I would have done the same thing.

At that point I believe Duva did not know the extent of GYM/Haymons war chest, and thought she might be able to negotiate, and even if she couldnt negotiate, she could likely win the bid with HBO's backing. She had no clue how much money Haymon had behind him at THAT time.

But thats not the point we were discussing. My point was she asked the WBC to name Kovalev as the mandatory, NOT to send it straight to purse bid. Her naivete is not the issue here.

I dont know why I bother even trying to discuss things here. Nobody is ever wrong about anything, regardless of what the FACTS show.......

[OnePunch]

Come on dude. It was obvious to everyone that once kov got the mando as she requested that this would go to a bid. How Katny didn't see this is ridiculous.

You also know there is NO WAY she went to the WBC to ask to be the mando without checking with HBO first since Kov had a fight left on his HBO deal.

Kathy backed out because HBO couldn't have afforded to bid against GYM/Haymon.

I think Kathy didnt know how deep Haymons pockets were at the time (nobody really did), and even if it ended up going to bid, it would be a showtime vs hbo thing, and she would win.

[The Big Dunn]

I think Kathy didnt know how deep Haymons pockets were at the time (nobody really did), and even if it ended up going to bid, it would be a showtime vs hbo thing, and she would win.

OK that is plausible but I can't see it. Kathy has been around a long time and had to know Haymon had big money as he had taken her gig from NBCSports.

This would have to be PPV for HBO and I don't know that it makes HBO its money back. HBO was lowering the budget, so it seems crazy for her to think they would pony up for this fight when, lets face it, this fight is more of a "hardcore" fans fight and not casual fans.

Just a bad miscalculation by Kathy on several fronts.