Why does it have to be HBO's way or the highway?

[Rich2123]

I wish the fight would happen. I'd be fine with it happening on Showtime, or preferably PBC as I just dropped Showtime.

But, I do understand why HBO put their foot down sometimes, especially in this case. They helped build Stevenson up, only for him to bail to Showtime (which was an idiot move on their part to not have him locked up to begin with). Stevenson's popularity has stalled since. I wouldn't want to share the pot if I was them either.

I also think "Oh, it has to be a joint PPV with Showtime" is just his way out of the fight. Funny, Showtime didn't demand the Karpency fight be a joint broadcast with Spike.

[Ham Porter]

Why would Showtime be involved at all? Stevenson's last fight was on Spike, FFS. There is absolutely nothing contractually prohibiting him from fighting on HBO, whereas Kovalev is contracted to do so.

This isn't Mayweather-Pacquiao or Lewis-Tyson. It's utterly ******ed to think these two networks are oing to come together for a fiht that does about a 150,000 buys at best.

[kidbazooka]

Thank you.

Only kovalev nutthuggers see it that way with hbo.

Fuuck hbo and there cheerleader dickriding crew.

Hbo is just as much to blame as anyone else.

[original zero]

Rich -

HBO did have Stevenson locked up. HBO had the right of first refusal. All they had to do was match Showtime's offer.

HBO refused.

What choice did Stevenson have? Why would he stick with HBO when HBO had the contractual right to match any offer Stevenson received and they refused to match the offer?

Then Kovalev becomes Stevenson's mandatory and the fight is all set to happen, but Kovalev pulls out of the purse bid!

This whole ordeal is ridiculous and it's only gone on because the fans buy into the HBO propaganda, which is what allows HBO to get away with blocking the fight over and over.



Anita -

Stevenson is a Viacom fighter. CBS, Showtime and Spike are all owned by the same company (Viacom) and Stevenson has been fighting exclusively on Viacom properties.

Viacom is willing to pay more for the fight than HBO is willing to pay. Why should the fight take place on the network offering the least amount of money?

[ИATAS]

Why would Showtime be involved at all? Stevenson's last fight was on Spike, FFS. There is absolutely nothing contractually prohibiting him from fighting on HBO, whereas Kovalev is contracted to do so.

This isn't Mayweather-Pacquiao or Lewis-Tyson. It's utterly ******ed to think these two networks are oing to come together for a fiht that does about a 150,000 buys at best.

That's right, Stevenson doesn't have an exclusive contract with Showtime, it's just boxing politics as usual, PBC fighter wants whatever network they are aligned with involved since hbo is essentially pbcs rival. I think both fighters want the fight though

[-PBP-]

Great thread. A bunch of ****ing network cheerleaders on this site.

The fight was scheduled for a damn purse bid which would've solved everything.

[Jsmooth9876]

The fact that they won't even budge and be flexible is frustrating.

HBO has worked out deals before to where they'll let one of their guys fight on another network for a 1-fight deal under special circumstances.

They won't even do that much.

And for everyone that advocates this reasoning with "I don't like it, but I understand" train of thought doesn't make it any better.

But you have these weird alliances on boxingscene where guys advocate certain networks and promoters because it goes back to Mayweather-Pacquiao. People need to get over that choosing sides sht and choose the side of seeing the best fight.

We are all boxing fans and need to unify against this sht and start demanding better.

Who wants another 6 years of Mayweather-Pacquiao?

They are not letting one of the faces of their network go fight in a huge fight on some competing network. That's why they sign fighters to exclusive contracts...so the sooner you get that through your head the sooner we don't have to see you post the same thread over and over again.

GGG,Kovalev,Crawford,and whoever else are the up and coming faces of HBO boxing will not be seen on PBC or Showtime unless it's a Mayweather-Pac situation and Kovalev-Stevenson is not 1/1000 of that.

[Jsmooth9876]

Great thread. A bunch of ****ing network cheerleaders on this site.

The fight was scheduled for a damn purse bid which would've solved everything.

Yeah, exactly the way a Quillen-Korobov purse bid went...that's what would have happened in this case as well. They're not letting an exclusive fighter fight elsewhere, that's the bottom line.

[Lester Tutor]

Crawford vs Lundy....

yeah clearly HBO doing it right...

[-PBP-]

They are not letting one of the faces of their network go fight in a huge fight on some competing network. That's why they sign fighters to exclusive contracts...so the sooner you get that through your head the sooner we don't have to see you post the same thread over and over again.

GGG,Kovalev,Crawford,and whoever else are the up and coming faces of HBO boxing will not be seen on PBC or Showtime unless it's a Mayweather-Pac situation and Kovalev-Stevenson is not 1/1000 of that.

So this is what we get: Kovalev/Pascal 2, Crawford/Lundy, GGG/Wade. But that's OK because HBO is still winning by budgeting and waiting for their competitors to fold!!!!!!

Now let me wait for some network homer to research crappy PBC fights thinking they're countering me even though I **** on Stevenson's semiannual bum beatings regularly.