Comments Thread For: Espinoza Open to Discussing Bouts Between Showtime, ESPN Boxers

[N/A]

I grew up in in an era where fighters didn't have network exclusive deals.

What era did you grow up in?

[The Big Dunn]

What era did you grow up in?

I remember the John Tate/Mike Weaver fight. One of the first I saw.

[N/A]

I remember the John Tate/Mike Weaver fight. One of the first I saw.

there were exclusive network deals back then

[OnePunch]

That was once in a life time fight that produce over half a billion dollars and made everyone rich.

anyone who made any serious money on that fight was ALREADY rich.....

[Removed Now]

Sad that head of networks are determining when the best guys fight each other.

Bingo, one reason why boxing will never be big like before. Smdh

[The Big Dunn]

there were exclusive network deals back then

I don't recall there being exclusive deals but maybe I just didn't know about them.

It just seems network deals used to make big fights easier and now they seem to be an impediment.

your take?

[ELHITMAN606]

Reply

Why is this guy acting as if those are really his fighters? Showtime has nothing without Haymon. They're going to loose Joshua to HBO sooner than later. Those fighters he mentioned does not have unfinished business with each other because their all just waiting to fight one man, Thurman. None of them will entertain the thought of fighting each other. Thurman can only fight one at a time and he's not going to fight those guys back to back to back.

They basically are considering he's pals with Haymon and it's cheaper than actually signing them to his network directly quite smart I'd say

[N/A]

I don't recall there being exclusive deals but maybe I just didn't know about them.

The internet has completely changed how aware fans are of who is signed to which promoter, manager, network, etc.

It just seems network deals used to make big fights easier and now they seem to be an impediment.

your take?

Well in the glory days of HBO, when they had most of the top stars signed to exclusive deals, HBO was spending so much more money than everybody else that it was uncommon for there to be a big fight they couldn't make happen.

The issue now is that SHO is spending the most and has the best stable, but they're not as dominant as HBO was at HBO's best, and HBO just split in half with Top Rank going to ESPN.

So there are three completely separate factions that have very little incentive to work together.

[Dr.Cool]

Showtime and Haymon have all the cards. After Crawford beats some gym teacher, then what? Who's Crawford fight after that? Seriously, who the heck does Crawford fight after that? The answer is simple: no one anybody cares about.

The only big fight for Loma is Mikey.

Spence, Thurman, D Garcia, Porter, Peterson plus the likes of Berto, Alexander, Khan. All of those fighters are with Showtime and Haymon.

Crawford. Well, it seems Crawford is the only top fighter at WW who is with TR.

I honestly hope deals are reached to produce fights like Spence-Crawford or Thurman-Crawford or Garcia-Loma. Still, if Showtime just says no, that leaves Crawford fighting nobodies on ESPN while the rest of the ww's are all fighting each other in what should be another great era for ww's. Crawford will then have a choice. Stay with Arum and sure-fire wins, or dare to be great and actually fight top level opponents.

I have a feeling three or four years from now, the debate will be who was Bud's toughest opponent, The Hornet or Postol? But hey, he will still have a belt.

[Bronx2245]

I don't recall there being exclusive deals but maybe I just didn't know about them.

It just seems network deals used to make big fights easier and now they seem to be an impediment.

your take?

Primetime Boxing on Network TV? A Brief Examination – Part 1

While Hall of Fame promoters Sam Silverman and Chris Dundee seemed to regard televised boxing as something of a necessary evil, Herman “Mugsy” Taylor, a Philadelphian who was one of the legendary fight promoters in boxing annals, said at the time that “there is no question about TV doing boxing no good….When the fans can get the show free, too many of them stay away from the fight clubs. The result has been fewer clubs, fewer fighters, and many fighters who have been able to get TV shots were of low caliber.”

Merv McKenzie, who was the president of the World Boxing Association, thought TV had gotten too much control. “It was telling the promoters what to do, how and when,” he said. “As a result there were many fights that shouldn’t have gone on. But I feel now, with the extinction of live TV Friday night fights, there’ll be an upsurge in the game.”

https://www.*************.com/column...nation-part-1/

This article refers to the very old days, yet we see some very similar mistakes being made!