Comments Thread For: Top Rank Exec: ESPN to Televise Beterbiev-Koelling

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

One of the most explosive punchers in boxing is about to get a lot more exposure. Carl Moretti, vice president of boxing operations for Bob Arum's Top Rank Inc., told BoxingScene.com on Tuesday that Artur Beterbiev's next fight will be televised by ESPN as part of the company's partnership with the cable giant. The Russian knockout artist's IBF elimination match against Enrico Koelling likely will be broadcast by ESPN sometime in October from an undetermined site.
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[Mitchell Kane]

Solid plan.....

“We at Top Rank believe Andre Ward is the best light heavyweight in boxing,” Moretti told BoxingScene.com. “We also believe the next best fighters in the division are [Oleksandr] Gvozdyk and Beterbiev. And to have those guys on ESPN over the coming weeks & months we believe is great exposure for them, as well as for the division.”

[Boxing Logic]

Good. Hopefully Beterbiev, Kovalev, Ward, Stevenson, etc etc can all fight each other before they get even older.

I mean, for everyone praising boxing this year like the naivé, abuse victim fans most boxing fans are, try this on for size: Beterbiev, Kovalev, Ward, and Stevenson are all between the ages of 32 and 39, so either at the tail end of their primes or already past their primes, and out of the six possible match-ups that can be made between those fighters, only one (Kovalev-Ward) has happened.

So half of the four best light heavyweights of the last 2 - 5 years are already past their primes, and less than 20% of the match-ups that should have happened years ago have happened! Less than 20 ****ing percent! 20!!!! And it's starting to look like half of them never will, and even if they do, they won't be the exciting fights they would have been three years ago!

In other words, boxing is still broken. Oh yeah, and the only match-up that did happen between members of the four best at 175 was marred by controversy and possible corruption both times. And any new boxing fans that tuned in to see the card witnessed a blatant robbery in favor of the Roc Nation boxer in the co-main event before Kovalev-Ward I, only to see the Roc Nation boxer get a quite controversial decision in the main event as well. So all they had to do was put 2 and 2 together to say, "at the very least this is very su****ious, and I can see boxing has not changed, and I'm not going to waste my time on this anymore." Way to grow the sport!

So let's stop praising 2017 just for being a little bit better than what boxing fans usually get. When the top 4 in each division actually fight each other before they're all 33 and older, then boxing will deserve praise. But as long as a majority of the divisions are still like light heavyweight has been, where a huge majority, over 80%, of the best match-ups either never happen at all, or happen too late, boxing is still a broken, non-functioning sport, with non-legitimate competition.

[Boxing Logic]

Solid plan.....

From that quote claiming Ward is the best light heavyweight (lol) and both Gvozdyk and Beterbiev are also ahead of Kovalev, I gather two things:

1. The rumor of Andre Ward signing with Top Rank soon is true.

2. The rumor of Sergey Kovalev signing with Top Rank is false.

Because while Beterbiev could definitely beat Kovalev, though I doubt I'd favor him, Kovalev definitely beats Gvozdyk IMO. Kovalev's skills are better, he doesn't open himself up when he punches like Gvozdyk does, and his power is significantly better than Gvozdyk's, as may possibly be his chin. It would be an action fight but I think Kovalev would take Gvozdyk out.

Hope we see Kovalev and Ward get to fight all those guys, though, as well as Stevenson. As I just said in my last comment, all these top light heavyweights are either at the end of their primes, or already past them, and yet the only two that have fought out of 5+ guys when you include Gvozdyk, are Kovalev and Ward.

How the **** is that possible? If they were all still 26, and only two of them had fought, that would be one thing, but none of them had fought when they were 26, and now it's already too late for half of them to fight in their primes, and still only Kovalev and Ward have fought! It's a ****ing joke! Get your **** together boxing! I mean I'm far from perfect myself but the success of an entire sport is not dependent on me, either! This is a billion dollar sport, with many fans that invest their time and money into it, so this really is unacceptable by any standard of either sport or competence.

I'd say I hope they make all the fights, but it's already too late for light heavyweight. Stevenson and Kovalev are old. Many Ward fans have also said they noticed Ward's legs are gone, although maybe that was just an excuse for losing the first fight against Kovalev, even if some wouldn't admit it. Beterbiev may get old before he even graduates from prospect status.

They completely ****ed up and ruined what should have been the best division in boxing the last 4 years. Instead, we only got one important match-up in four entire years, and that one came too late too. Kovalev has not had a gas tank since Chilemba, for whatever reason. And it also came with controversy and apparent corruption, so boxing gets no credit for that either.

In what should have been the best division in boxing for four years, boxing delivered exactly zero unfixed, uncorrupt, competently officiated, significant top level match-ups. Are you ****ing kidding me????

So I don't hope to see any of those match-ups at 175 anymore. It's too late. Every scientific study I know shows the reflexes of top athletes begin to decline subtly around 30, give or take, but 32 and then 33-34 is when the significant, huge decline happens. So all I can hope for is that boxing does not ruin another division, and does not make the same mistake in any more divisions.

For example, Jorges Linares is 31. Mikey Garcia is 29. Vasyl Lomachenko is 29. Age 30 is the last guaranteed prime age, barring injuries, so Mikey and Vasyl need to fight by the end of next year at the latest to get the purest match-up. Linares is 1 or 2 years away from the start of significant decline, so with those three names at the top of the 135 division right now, all between 1 and 4 years away from the start of significant decline, those fights need to happen right away, especially if they are to evolve into a string of important fights at 135, not just one last fight before the fighters age. Those fights should be the start of an important era at 135, not just one good fight to end a non-era.

I hope boxing actually listens to the fans this time and starts making fights while the boxers are prime ages, before they hit 32 at the latest, with the only exceptions being low activity fighters who fight very defensive styles and use holding and lots of other fouls to negate the fight and therefore not rely on prime levels of stamina or activity. It's too late for light heavyweight now, as the great 4-year era that could have been has been entirely wasted, along with all the money that could have been made (well done, "businessmen"!), but it's not too late for lightweight, or many other divisions, if they act now, and stop marinating the sport into it's deathbed.

[Bronx2245]

Good news for boxing! TR and ESPN is looking like a good deal for the fans! I think the decline of the HBO PPV is actually turning out to be good for the fans! Fights like this on ESPN! Crawford vs. Indongo on ESPN! Broner vs. Garcia on Showtime! NO PPV! All good things! Hopefully more to come!

[Mammoth]

Solid plan.....

Outstanding..........

[Catrin]

I was not sold on PBC due to the weird set up they had from the walk to the ring to the black ring not to mention all the IN HOUSE fights not allowing the best fight the best! But ESPN has been around with boxing for sometime! Not to mention tedy atlas honesty when it comes to BS judges!

[bikeboatski]

For real?

So I guess this means that Beterbiev (after all the delays/cancellations) will finally get to fight again?
Based on his admittedly few pro fights he looks very impressive! Hope he get's his chance!

[BOXEO _]

Yes. Beterbiev is must watch TV.

[Mitchell Kane]

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2017/07/31/beterbiev-avec-top-rank-une-question-de-temps

Beterbiev with Top Rank: a matter of time?

According to information obtained by Le Journal Monday, negotiations would already be very advanced between Top Rank and the Beterbiev clan for a contract of several fights.

However, both parties will not be able to announce an official agreement until the boxer is free from his commitments with GYM.

For this, Beterbiev and his lawyers will have to have the last word against Yvon Michel before a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec. The cause would not be heard before November in the best of scenarios.

If this contract between Beterbiev and Top Rank came to fruition, it should not come as a surprise that Eye of the Tiger Management is also part of it. We could see the birth of an agreement similar to that of David Lemieux with Golden Boy Promotions. Both promoters would hold the athlete's rights on a 50-50 basis. In this way, when he does not see action in the United States, Beterbiev could fight in Quebec.