Comments Thread For: Are Controversy, Animosity Enough to Sell Ward-Kovalev Rematch?

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Keith Idec - LAS VEGAS Kathy Duva made a passionate plea Thursday. A day after the official announcement of Mayweather-McGregor completely consumed the event her company is co-promoting, Sergey Kovalev's promoter implored consumers and media to give the Kovalev-Andre Ward rematch the attention it deserves over the next couple days. Even before the Mayweather-McGregor announcement Wednesday, she sensed that a fight the magnitude of Ward-Kovalev 2 hadn't gained the type of traction it warrants...
[Click Here To Read More]

[The Hammer]

If the PPV doesn't sell, it will hurt Ward in the long run.

He isn't a humble man like Kovalev, he's selfish and greedy and demands huge paydays that are too high for HBO or Showtime to afford. So his fights need to be on PPV.

But Ward doesn't understand with his ugly "arm-clamp, clinch and push" tactics, he's painful to watch. People don't want to pay to see prima donnas get gifts from corrupt judges, or to see boxers use illegal tactics and get away with it because of shady refs.

I doubt whether this PPV will sell very well, partly because people were disappointed in the robbery that was Kovalev-Ward I, and partly because recent PPVs have not been interesting (Canelo-Chavez, Mayweather-Pacquiao).

[kushking]

Ward sounds like a straight flomo. How can you not care,it shows Ward knows absolutely nothing about how the fight game actually works promotion wise. He should be doing what mayweather would be doing if roles were reversed,he should be calling it the circus that it is,& deriding them at every turn,thats how mayweather makes news constantly,its not by earning it,its simply by creating controversy, I cant believe this guy right now. When his ppv bombs & the networks dont pay enough for more unifications going forward to make it worth fighters while then we wont get many more big fights next yr,& itll be just like before when mayweather was cashcow. This coward couldnt at least have made his announcement later,& he couldn't stage his circus later,he is why boxing had become irrelevant to casuals,& kov vs ward fight will tank because of this garbage.

[Mike D]

I already think that this fight was likely going to do mediocre numbers (again), but now in light of the Mayweather/McGregor announcement -- this fight has the feel as if it's been completely buried somewhere in a hole in the Nevada desert.

I wouldn't be surprised if it does terribly.

[aboutfkntime]

GREAT article !!

very positive and uplifting

I bet this thread is FULL of Ward fans wishing him the very best

or, those other guys could be here.....

[aboutfkntime]

wow, so 5mil the first fight, 6mil the second..... and likely 8mil+ for Stevenson next

that is a GREAT year for Ward

doing his thang, and raking in the bucks

he reminds me so much of Mayweather

[BoxHec]

Freedom .: "If the PPV doesn't sell, it will hurt Ward in the long run."
Really? and?

Freedom .: "He isn't a humble man like Kovalev"
LOL!!!! you mean humble as ***** and stalin? sorry; *****a & stalina?

And put your "shakespeare" into your @r$

[Bronx2245]

Main Events Sucks!!!

June 16, 2017:

Kovalev, along with manager Egis Klimas and trainer John David Jackson, walked out of the final news conference as Ward's team was making its comments, is perhaps even upset about it than Duva.

While Ward has a guaranteed purse of $6.5 million from his promoter, Roc Nation Sports, regardless of how the fight sells, Kovalev's only compensation will come from his percentage of the pay-per-view and ticket sales, neither of which is expected to be strong. The first fight generated about 165,000 buys and the rematch, even before Mayweather-McGregor overwhelmed it, was not expected to much more.

"I think [Kovalev] is frustrated too. His paycheck is dependent, unlike his opponent, on the business we do," Duva said. "We're all frustrated. I hope we do what we did last time. I'm worried we won't, and it's a shame because it is such a good fight. We're really collateral damage here. That's the risk we take."

http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/i...r-announcement

[SteveM]

I don't see how walking out of the press conference is going to help sell it .. and Kovalev is dependent on the sales.

Imagine Tyson Fury doing that. No way - he'd be in a Batman Cape with "Ward is my arch enemy!!" written across the back and he'd convice Kathy Duva to have dressed up as Wonder Woman.

People on here hate on K2's promotion of Golovkin but contrast that with M.E's handling of Kovalev - Kathy needs to go and do an internship at K2.

[j.razor]

If the PPV doesn't sell, it will hurt Ward in the long run.

He isn't a humble man like Kovalev, he's selfish and greedy and demands huge paydays that are too high for HBO or Showtime to afford. So his fights need to be on PPV.

But Ward doesn't understand with his ugly "arm-clamp, clinch and push" tactics, he's painful to watch. People don't want to pay to see prima donnas get gifts from corrupt judges, or to see boxers use illegal tactics and get away with it because of shady refs.

I doubt whether this PPV will sell very well, partly because people were disappointed in the robbery that was Kovalev-Ward I, and partly because recent PPVs have not been interesting (Canelo-Chavez, Mayweather-Pacquiao).