Comments Thread For: Adonis Stevenson Vows To Drill Fonfara, Wants Ward or Kovalev

[Scipio2009]

money talks

you have a very vivid imagination. No way Haymon lets RNS get dates on Showtime. His fighters barely fight once a year now and don't have very many dates to go around so that isn't happening

Andre Ward(c) vs Adonis Stevenson(c) is a PPV fight that likely draws good PPV numbers in the US, good PPV numbers in Canada, and strong bidding in the UK between BoxNation/BT and Sky Sports (in addition to likely drawing strong interest to host the fight from MGM Resorts).

You add Artur Beterbiev, Badou Jack, and Marcus Browne (Sean Monaghan is with Lou DiBella, and Joe Smith Jr are also viable options), and you could easily end up in a Floyd Mayweather/Golden Boy Promotions-type situation (Andre Ward as the champion/star, with all of the viable opponents coming from the ranks of folks tied to Al Haymon).

Also, beyond Andre Ward, the rest of Roc Nation's roster is basically fit far better for ShoBox than Showtime Championship Boxing, at this point [an added benefit for Roc Nation and Haymon could also be the pairing of Erislandy Lara/Guillermo Rigondeaux as a possible attraction is South Florida].

Showtime/CBS are on pace to broadcast 20 boxing cards this year, not counting the ShoBox dates [which likely count for another 15 cards]; and that's not counting the dates still left to fill for PBC. Haymon isn't scraping around for dates.

[killakali]

Andre Ward(c) vs Adonis Stevenson(c) is a PPV fight that likely draws good PPV numbers in the US, good PPV numbers in Canada, and strong bidding in the UK between BoxNation/BT and Sky Sports (in addition to likely drawing strong interest to host the fight from MGM Resorts).

You add Artur Beterbiev, Badou Jack, and Marcus Browne (Sean Monaghan is with Lou DiBella, and Joe Smith Jr are also viable options), and you could easily end up in a Floyd Mayweather/Golden Boy Promotions-type situation (Andre Ward as the champion/star, with all of the viable opponents coming from the ranks of folks tied to Al Haymon).

Also, beyond Andre Ward, the rest of Roc Nation's roster is basically fit far better for ShoBox than Showtime Championship Boxing, at this point [an added benefit for Roc Nation and Haymon could also be the pairing of Erislandy Lara/Guillermo Rigondeaux as a possible attraction is South Florida].

Showtime/CBS are on pace to broadcast 20 boxing cards this year, not counting the ShoBox dates [which likely count for another 15 cards]; and that's not counting the dates still left to fill for PBC. Haymon isn't scraping around for dates.

actually they are scraping around for dates. 20 cards is good but Haymon has about 200 fighters. That's why guys like porter Broner thurman lara Stevenson fonfara etc all only fought once last year and why many of them are complaining about it.

Ward is nowhere near superstar level of Mayweather. You're high AF. Ward-Stevenson isn't even as big as Ward Kovalev and wouldn't break 200k ppvs in the USA. It's a good fight but not a big ppv.

Haymon ships his guys to be cannon fodder for hbo stars all the time so guys like fonfara can go get fed to ward and Kovalev just like Haymon served up his b sides in Felix diaz John Molina arroyo Dominic wade danny Jacobs Chavez etc to get slaughtered on hbo.

Plus Haymon doesn't want his old star in Stevenson to lose to Kovalev or ward who he doesn't control. He would rather him get old and lose to his own guys Alvarez. He won't even do that fight and is doing the pointless Fonfara rematch instead.

As for Ward and Kovalev they still have plenty of opponents. A trilogy could happen, Sullivan Barrera vs joe smith winner vs the ward Kovalev winner. Plus the loser of each fight against each other. You got Gvozdyk ready to get to that level.

Haymon will do Alvarez after fonfara for Stevenson and if adonis wins he will make the grudge match vs pascal who is beyond shot but the fight will do big numbers in Quebec

[Scipio2009]

actually they are scraping around for dates. 20 cards is good but Haymon has about 200 fighters. That's why guys like porter Broner thurman lara Stevenson fonfara etc all only fought once last year and why many of them are complaining about it.

Ward is nowhere near superstar level of Mayweather. You're high AF. Ward-Stevenson isn't even as big as Ward Kovalev and wouldn't break 200k ppvs in the USA. It's a good fight but not a big ppv.

Haymon ships his guys to be cannon fodder for hbo stars all the time so guys like fonfara can go get fed to ward and Kovalev just like Haymon served up his b sides in Felix diaz John Molina arroyo Dominic wade danny Jacobs Chavez etc to get slaughtered on hbo.

Plus Haymon doesn't want his old star in Stevenson to lose to Kovalev or ward who he doesn't control. He would rather him get old and lose to his own guys Alvarez. He won't even do that fight and is doing the pointless Fonfara rematch instead.

As for Ward and Kovalev they still have plenty of opponents. A trilogy could happen, Sullivan Barrera vs joe smith winner vs the ward Kovalev winner. Plus the loser of each fight against each other. You got Gvozdyk ready to get to that level.

Haymon will do Alvarez after fonfara for Stevenson and if adonis wins he will make the grudge match vs pascal who is beyond shot but the fight will do big numbers in Quebec

200+ fighters, spread out over 20 Showtime Championship Boxing dates, a least 15 ShoBox dates, another 25-30 dates on FS1, the coming 10-date summer series on ESPN, the remaining few primetime FOX dates, and his open door with SpikeTV.

Haymon's got plenty of dates (injuries and fighter's camps at that top level only looking for the best matchups had more to do with the lack of activity than any issues with finding dates).

Knock it if you want, Kovalev-Ward did $3.7m at the live gate (with the crowd apparently being very pro-Andre Ward), with the US PPV basically generating $10m, depending on what you believe). The man's not "Money" Mayweather yet, but Andre Ward is just about at that point where the business that he generates on his big fights is beyond what a broadcaster can cover on regular premium TV.

Ward-Stevenson (boxer vs puncher, to finally unify and declare an undisputed champion at 175lbs) is a bigger fight than can be covered on regular TV.

Beyond that, from the outside looking in, it doesn't look like HBO even sees Andre Ward as one of their stars, tbh. Showtime was the stage that launched Ward onto the national/international stage, Showtime (under Hershman and under Espinoza) never bagged on Ward, and Showtime is the channel expanding it's commitment to boxing. A move back to Showtime, for Ward and his camp, simply makes more sense to me (with Gvozdyk, Barrera, and Kovalev as the only three fighters stuck to HBO).

Lastly, people are deeply confused of what Haymon's actual role seems to be. Looking at the man's track record, it's not his job to not "want his old star to lose"; Haymon's sole responsibility is to secure the best opportunity for the biggest money for the fighter he works for.

The Fonfara fight this June, and the mandatory defense against the Alvarez-Pascal winner later this year are already pretty much set (even if Ward wins this June, he still has the IBF mandatory to settle before doing anything else); after those two fights, there's not a fight out there that Haymon can present Stevenson that makes more sense than the Ward fight.

[killakali]

200+ fighters, spread out over 20 Showtime Championship Boxing dates, a least 15 ShoBox dates, another 25-30 dates on FS1, the coming 10-date summer series on ESPN, the remaining few primetime FOX dates, and his open door with SpikeTV.

Haymon's got plenty of dates (injuries and fighter's camps at that top level only looking for the best matchups had more to do with the lack of activity than any issues with finding dates).

Knock it if you want, Kovalev-Ward did $3.7m at the live gate (with the crowd apparently being very pro-Andre Ward), with the US PPV basically generating $10m, depending on what you believe). The man's not "Money" Mayweather yet, but Andre Ward is just about at that point where the business that he generates on his big fights is beyond what a broadcaster can cover on regular premium TV.

Ward-Stevenson (boxer vs puncher, to finally unify and declare an undisputed champion at 175lbs) is a bigger fight than can be covered on regular TV.

Beyond that, from the outside looking in, it doesn't look like HBO even sees Andre Ward as one of their stars, tbh. Showtime was the stage that launched Ward onto the national/international stage, Showtime (under Hershman and under Espinoza) never bagged on Ward, and Showtime is the channel expanding it's commitment to boxing. A move back to Showtime, for Ward and his camp, simply makes more sense to me (with Gvozdyk, Barrera, and Kovalev as the only three fighters stuck to HBO).

Lastly, people are deeply confused of what Haymon's actual role seems to be. Looking at the man's track record, it's not his job to not "want his old star to lose"; Haymon's sole responsibility is to secure the best opportunity for the biggest money for the fighter he works for.

The Fonfara fight this June, and the mandatory defense against the Alvarez-Pascal winner later this year are already pretty much set (even if Ward wins this June, he still has the IBF mandatory to settle before doing anything else); after those two fights, there's not a fight out there that Haymon can present Stevenson that makes more sense than the Ward fight.

alvarez, beterbiev, pascal all make more sense than fonfara. Stevenson already beat him clearly. No need for a rematch.

As for PBC you seem to be mixed up. Spike dropped them and said they MIGHT show another one of their or ANY OTHER promoters fight if it is THE RIGHT fight so that isn't anything to count on and may never turn into anything. ESPN is already off and that is why they are looking to possibly suing the PBC. They want the money PBC owes them.

You mention show box but Haymon doesn't have a strangle hold on those dates. He only gets about half of those low budget dates.

So now that we are almost halfway through June here is what PBC really has: a few bounce tv low level cards, consistent low level fs1 cards which are the same level espn 2 was and Unimas is now to develop his upcoming talent and Showtime with a show or two a month. That plus 3 or so Fox primetime shows is all he has.

Now if he pares his roster down to 60-70 guys then he has enough dates but not for 200. Why do you think the December 10 showtime card still hasn't seen any of those fighters fight in the first half of 2017? Charlo, Mares, Cuellar, J Rock all on the shelf? Why? Not enough dates.

Why did established guys like Thurman, Porter, Stevenson, Jacobs, Broner, Dirrell, [B]ERTO ETC only fight once last year and even guys like Santa Cruz who usually fights 3-4 times a year was lucky to get 2 fights in? Why? Too many guys and not enough dates. Thats why he ships out Molina, Diaz, Wade, Arroyo etc to HBO. He doesn't have enough dates and they aren't priorities

The last thing Haymon wants is RNS getting a foot in the door at Showtime and limited his dates.

[Scipio2009]

alvarez, beterbiev, pascal all make more sense than fonfara. Stevenson already beat him clearly. No need for a rematch.

As for PBC you seem to be mixed up. Spike dropped them and said they MIGHT show another one of their or ANY OTHER promoters fight if it is THE RIGHT fight so that isn't anything to count on and may never turn into anything. ESPN is already off and that is why they are looking to possibly suing the PBC. They want the money PBC owes them.

You mention show box but Haymon doesn't have a strangle hold on those dates. He only gets about half of those low budget dates.

So now that we are almost halfway through June here is what PBC really has: a few bounce tv low level cards, consistent low level fs1 cards which are the same level espn 2 was and Unimas is now to develop his upcoming talent and Showtime with a show or two a month. That plus 3 or so Fox primetime shows is all he has.

Now if he pares his roster down to 60-70 guys then he has enough dates but not for 200. Why do you think the December 10 showtime card still hasn't seen any of those fighters fight in the first half of 2017? Charlo, Mares, Cuellar, J Rock all on the shelf? Why? Not enough dates.

Why did established guys like Thurman, Porter, Stevenson, Jacobs, Broner, Dirrell, [B]ERTO ETC only fight once last year and even guys like Santa Cruz who usually fights 3-4 times a year was lucky to get 2 fights in? Why? Too many guys and not enough dates. Thats why he ships out Molina, Diaz, Wade, Arroyo etc to HBO. He doesn't have enough dates and they aren't priorities

The last thing Haymon wants is RNS getting a foot in the door at Showtime and limited his dates.

Leo Santa Cruz fought a blockbuster fight in last July, fought another blockbuster fight in January, and apparently has the Mares rematch in the works for this summer (in another blockbuster fight).

Keith Thurman took a big fight in his hometown, and then fought back-to-back blockbuster fights, with eyes toward coming back this Fall.

When you're not simply can crushing, it's pretty tough for anyone to keep fighting 3-4 times a year, lol.

You just talked about Haymon not having a lock on the ShoBox dates, and the bulk of the fighters under the RNS banner are basically ShoBox-level fighters.