Comments Thread For: Deontay Wilder: As Soon as Joshua Accepts The Fight, I'll Be There!

[Butch.McRae]

The public doesn't know who Ortiz is and they don't care. The public knows two heavyweights (if any at all). AJ & Wilder. Period. If AJ & Wilder get 2-3 more wins each on Showtime, that fight can do 300-500k buys on US PPV.

You're under estimating the attention the mainstream media would give this fight. Undefeated vs undefeated. To unify the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight championship for the first time since 1999.

It is undoubtedly a PPV fight if it takes place. Even at 300k buys, it's too much extra revenue to pass up. The Ward-Kovalev comparison is ludicrous. Nobody wanted that fight. HBO tried to force that fight on the public because they let Stevenson slip through their fingers. AJ vs Wilder is the fight the public actually wants, not a poor substitute.

The biggest problem here is that HBO is going to make Hearn a massive offer to try to prevent that fight from happening. Which is another reason Hearn needs to delay the fight. He can maximize the leverage he has with AJ once Showtime's matching rights expire. The last thing HBO wants is for Showtime to be able to crown an undefeated (essentially) undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. They will do everything possible to try to sign AJ so this fight can never happen.

The history of PPV in the US would suggest that fight has zero chance of doing over 300k in the US PPV sales within the next year (maybe even two) Neither guy has any following to speak of here today. Wilder does the worst ratings of all PBC fighters on primetime network TV (I have all the data recorded across all platforms) and Joshua is virtually unknown here. It's just reality.

You're underestimating how hard it is to sell PPVs in the US. The fight certainly wouldn't get 500k in buys. Much more popular fighters in US culture have never been able too grab those numbers without having a guy legit name or marque fighter on the ticket. (B hop, Roy Jones; the Ruiz fight did pretty good at 525k though, and several others couldn't get any PPV base to speak of). Its just not an easy thing to do.

The networks don't even make money unless a fight clears 300k in buys and that's only if fighter purses stay below $10 - $15 million in total, because of agreements with distributors and carriers.

That fight wont happen here unless Eddie strings this fiasco out to mid 2019 or early 2020.

[N/A]

The history of PPV in the US would suggest that fight has zero chance of doing over 300k in the US PPV sales within the next year (maybe even two)

If they win 2-3 fights each and meet in November 2018 while both are still undefeated with all of the big3 belts at stake, I'll bet you $10,000 that the fight does more than 300k US PPV. You are seriously clueless about how much mainstream coverage the fight would receive. The attention will be massive. Two undefeated heavyweights fighting in the US for all three of the original major belts has no problem breaking 300k. It'd be the biggest unification in almost 20 years. You're out of your mind if you don't think it doubles Ward-Kovalev, two guys with no fanbase in a fight nobody cared about.

Neither guy has any following to speak of here today. Wilder does the worst ratings of all PBC fighters on primetime network TV (I have all the data recorded across all platforms)

Please post the data so we can see whether you're lying or mistaken.

[oscar9992]

Then you need to leave your hometown Alabama then land in UK to have a fight AJ...

And you are B side dude...

[N/A]

Then you need to leave your hometown Alabama then land in UK to have a fight AJ...

And you are B side dude...

Wilder is the b-side, but the pot is larger if they fight in the US.

It'll likely be a trilogy regardless, so surely at least one of the fights will be in the UK.

That's if they fight at all, as HBO will try everything possible to make sure they never do.

But if AJ sticks with Showtime, it'll be a two fight deal with Wilder and if they split the two fights, you'll have a rubber match.

[skinnystev]

plain and simple "fast eddie" and "biblical" ain't got the balls to go to tuscaloosa

[Man-Joe]

Wilder has this pride attitude of calling out AJ every time. Having watched both of their fight, Wilder can't and will never beat AJ

[daggum]

Wilder is the b-side, but the pot is larger if they fight in the US.

It'll likely be a trilogy regardless, so surely at least one of the fights will be in the UK.

That's if they fight at all, as HBO will try everything possible to make sure they never do.

But if AJ sticks with Showtime, it'll be a two fight deal with Wilder and if they split the two fights, you'll have a rubber match.

no its not. you are playing fantasy boxing manager.

[N/A]

no its not. you are playing fantasy boxing manager.

We're not playing fantasy anything. We speaking plainly about the realities of the industry.

They can't put the fight on PPV in the US unless it takes place in the US.

The amount of lost revenue in the UK if the fight takes place in the US is much less than the lost revenue in the US if the fight takes place in the UK, hence the pot being larger in the US.

It's basic economics. None of this may matter as Hearn will attempt to leverage AJ to land a major deal with HBO, but if AJ sticks with Showtime and actually fights Wilder, you're likely looking at a two fight deal with a US fight on PPV and a UK fight on Showtime.

[j.razor]

You have no name on your resume after 40 fecking fights yet you seriously think you can talk your way into the top divisions money fight? You are even too scared to fight whyte SMH. Earn your shot you bum.

Wait, since when does a Champion have to "earn your shot"? That sounds like a lil g fan saying Jermall Charlo that is lil g's mandatory has to "earn your shot" LMAO! You guys duck harder than the promoters. #Lions Only!!

[Butch.McRae]

If they win 2-3 fights each and meet in November 2018 while both are still undefeated with all of the big3 belts at stake, I'll bet you $10,000 that the fight does more than 300k US PPV. You are seriously clueless about how much mainstream coverage the fight would receive. The attention will be massive. Two undefeated heavyweights fighting in the US for all three of the original major belts has no problem breaking 300k. It'd be the biggest unification in almost 20 years. You're out of your mind if you don't think it doubles Ward-Kovalev, two guys with no fanbase in a fight nobody cared about.




Please post the data so we can see whether you're lying or mistaken.

Haha you're delusional. The only way that fight would have any chance of pulling those numbers would be if ESPN and Fox Sports gave it week long attention w/ several buildup interviews and features, two to three months in advance. I don't see that happening. You're going to have to point to some type of objective support for your assumptions because being a HW fight alone doesn't mean it will do well in the PPV market.

But on to the ratings. Btw, the data below represents cards only shown on Network TV in primetime on Saturday nights (which for obvious reasons represents the most important slot financially). These are the averages of each fight/card (in millions).

Keith Thurman (averaging 3.4):
v. Guerrero - 3.4
v. Porter - 3.1
v. Garcia - 3.7

Danny Garcia (averaging 2.9):
v. Peterson - 2.9
v. Guerrero - 2.3
v. Thurman - 3.7

Shawn Porter (averaging 2.75):
v. Broner - 2.4
v. Thurman - 3.1

Wilder (averaging 1.9):
v. Duhaupas - 2.2
v. Spilka - *500k on Showtime, not included in average
v. Arreola - 1.8
v. Washington - 1.8

There have been three other cards (which I consider throwaways (for obvious reasons), as these cards were clearly put on with little funding and promotion).

These are (averaging 1.4):
Ortiz v. Berto - 1.6
Fonfara v. Smith - 1.2
Santa Cruz v. Avalos - 1.4