Comments Thread For: Wilder-Fury Rematch: Purse Bid Set For February 5, 60-40 Split

[factsarenice]

What am I missing?

Frank Warren is backed by BT Sport. If you think they are short of money .. think again. It was BT who were funding the $50million guarantee Finkel offered to AJ.

Also, Eddie Hearn is saying he will bid, "a f***ing fortune" with DAZN money, if he gets a chance at it.

How exactly does that work? Assuming the argument is about money...where is the benefit in Warren putting up $50 million for a fight and fighter he has nothing to do with? $50 million is massive amount of money for a fight Warren has no control over in another country and not on his contracted network. Where is the profit in that? Can someone please explain because as far as I can see it doesn't make financial sense which leads me to believe it was a BS statement to make Anthony Joshua look bad to the casual fan with no business sense.

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation? What am I missing?

[NahMean]

that would be a cool story..... if Hearn had offered Wilder anything close to 30%

but, he did not

so that is not a cool story..... it is a cool story bro

No he did not offer 30%, he offered 40%.. cool story.

[Toffee]

Wouldn’t ordering Breazele instead of Fury be the WBC protecting Wilder and the belt?

It would protect Wilder. But I said that they're not protecting Wilder.

I think they're pissed that they've got a paper champ and an embarrassing outcome to their big fight.

They need to protect their belt because, right now, the WBC Heavyweight Championship of the World is meaningless. If Wilder fights Fury, they've got a legitimate champion again.

[_Rexy_]

It would protect Wilder. But I said that they're not protecting Wilder.

I think they're pissed that they've got a paper champ and an embarrassing outcome to their big fight.

They need to protect their belt because, right now, the WBC Heavyweight Championship of the World is meaningless. If Wilder fights Fury, they've got a legitimate champion again.

This is the WBC we are talking about. They aren’t embarrassed by the draw. Do you know how many worse decisions they’ve just shrugged at? All they care about is the fees.

Look how Mauricio slobbers all over Canelo every chance he can. Guy came out and said the tainted beef story was true, said he was proud of Canelo for beating G, etc. Etc.

I had fury ahead, but I’m not mad at a draw. Not like this is Whitaker/Chavez (which was ironically for the WBC belt)

[Toffee]

This is the WBC we are talking about. They aren’t embarrassed by the draw. Do you know how many worse decisions they’ve just shrugged at? All they care about is the fees.

Look how Mauricio slobbers all over Canelo every chance he can. Guy came out and said the tainted beef story was true, said he was proud of Canelo for beating G, etc. Etc.

I had fury ahead, but I’m not mad at a draw. Not like this is Whitaker/Chavez

But the alternative is?

That they suddenly decided that the fans deserved to see this fight and that it would be for the good of the sport? That they thought Fury had earned another shot?

I'm struggling to think why a mob like the WBC would order the rematch. If you order a fight, you're threatening to strip your Champ!

They haven't taken this decision lightly, but what has motivated them? My first thought always goes to self interest with the alphabets.

[Holler]

How exactly does that work? Assuming the argument is about money...where is the benefit in Warren putting up $50 million for a fight and fighter he has nothing to do with? $50 million is massive amount of money for a fight Warren has no control over in another country and not on his contracted network. Where is the profit in that? Can someone please explain because as far as I can see it doesn't make financial sense which leads me to believe it was a BS statement to make Anthony Joshua look bad to the casual fan with no business sense.

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation? What am I missing?

This BT Sport involvement is a red herring.

Warren says that Finkel contacted him when he was putting together a counter offer to Eddie Hearn. Finkel asked Warren to go to his contacts at BT Sport for a quote on how much a Joshua v Wilder fight in the US could make in UK PPV. They would then use this number whilst calculating what the fight was worth and how much they could offer AJ to sign. So BT Sport weren't funding the $50m, they were giving the US based team an idea of the market value of the UK rights to the fight.

This has subsequently been spun into BT Sport funding the offer or that the $50m offer was dependent on BT sport getting the rights. I don't believe this was the case. I think the plan would be to tell Sky, 'this is what we think the fight is worth, match or better it or your guy will be appearing on the rival BT Sport network'

[_Rexy_]

But the alternative is?

That they suddenly decided that the fans deserved to see this fight and that it would be for the good of the sport? That they thought Fury had earned another shot?

I'm struggling to think why a mob like the WBC would order the rematch. If you order a fight, you're threatening to strip your Champ!

They haven't taken this decision lightly, but what has motivated them? My first thought always goes to self interest with the alphabets.

It’s an order in name only. Mauricio is posturing. End of the day, even if a deal isn’t done, they can’t punish Fury, and they won’t strip wilder.

It’s basically the WBC bluffing. They know Fury/Wilder II in Vegas is a huge money fight for everyone involved (including them)

Wilder/Breazele is likely a Barclays fight on Showtime. Not like that’s a bad thing, but it’s not PPV money.

They also know that to maximize revenue, style while the iron is hot. Everyone saying that wilder has no reason not to fight AJ need to understand that if wilder did hypothetically beat AJ, the Fury fight loses the energy it has just by waiting. Boxing fans will watch boxing no matter what. It’s the casuals people try to appeal to. Just like politicians only try to appeal to undecided voters.

EDIT - also, if Fury wins, it guarantees a third fight. WBC looking at it as an investment. Chess, not checkers.

[Toffee]

It’s an order in name only. Mauricio is posturing. End of the day, even if a deal isn’t done, they can’t punish Fury, and they won’t strip wilder.

It’s basically the WBC bluffing. They know Fury/Wilder II in Vegas is a huge money fight for everyone involved (including them)

Wilder/Breazele is likely a Barclays fight on Showtime. Not like that’s a bad thing, but it’s not PPV money.

They also know that to maximize revenue, style while the iron is hot. Everyone saying that wilder has no reason not to fight AJ need to understand that if wilder did hypothetically beat AJ, the Fury fight loses the energy it has just by waiting. Boxing fans will watch boxing no matter what. It’s the casuals people try to appeal to. Just like politicians only try to appeal to undecided voters.

EDIT - also, if Fury wins, it guarantees a third fight. WBC looking at it as an investment. Chess, not checkers.

If a deal isn't done it will go to purse bids. Wilder's only way to back out then would be to drop the belt in the bin, surely?

Even the WBC couldn't bend the rules enough to avoid that?

In any case, regardless of their motives for wanting the fight, they still wouldn't have had to order it if Wilder was trying to make it. This indicates to me that Wilder wasn't keen or was heading in another direction.

[_Rexy_]

If a deal isn't done it will go to purse bids. Wilder's only way to back out then would be to drop the belt in the bin, surely?

Even the WBC couldn't bend the rules enough to avoid that?

But what if Fury doesn’t like the cut? They have no way to punish him, and they can’t strip wilder for that.

[Toffee]

But what if Fury doesn’t like the cut? They have no way to punish him, and they can’t strip wilder for that.

Completely agree. This isn't an order to Fury. The only claim they have over him is rankings. It's an order to Wilder.

If Fury's in at 40%, Wilder has to fight or vacate.