Comments Thread For: ESPN Scrapped Joshua, Miller Appearances At 11th Hour

[Scipio2009]

I don't think people are getting the point here. ESPN is supposed to be a sports network. They don't ignore NBA or NFL games that happen on other networks, but now they'll ignore boxing fights on other platforms.

What are they going to do, ignore Canelo-Jacobs too?

Canelo is a known commodity and star, be it on Showtime, HBO, or anywhere else. It's a two-way deal there.

Anthony Joshua's last fight was streamed by an alleged less than 50k people stateside. Tough titty, but that's the reality.

Where's the benefit of taking a guy who's yet to really break out in the US (Showtime/CBS did great for him, but there's only so much you can do from 2pm; his jumping didn't help), rolling him out like a superstar across all of ESPN, only to see said fighter behind a paywall that's almost explicitly anti-Showtime/ESPN/Fox Sports?

[MC Hammer]

ESPN and their boxing affiliates are showing a pattern here. They make sure to occupy the time of someone, then when they can't do anything else cancel the agreement. I would flip the script when dealing with ESPN. Have 2 things scheduled and then cancel ESPN if the other is a better offer.

[Scipio2009]

Seems pretty bizarre to not have the Biggest star in boxing on your channel. Almost like not interviewing Tom Brady.

Especially since he just broke record ticket sales.

More like the CFL's "Tom Brady", lol.

Joshua is a huge star in the UK, but he's not there here yet (and hitching to DAZN doesn't help).

Something like 30k watched the Povetkin fight, maybe a miracle happens and 50k watch this Miller fight.

It's admittedly a brand new market for him, but the tickets went on sale Tuesday, and (outside of most of the ringside, with a heap of salt there), you still scoop up 5+ seats together in basically every section of the venue.

The juice isn't worth the squeeze

[observer]

ESPN and their boxing affiliates are showing a pattern here. They make sure to occupy the time of someone, then when they can't do anything else cancel the agreement. I would flip the script when dealing with ESPN. Have 2 things scheduled and then cancel ESPN if the other is a better offer.

Exactly! Whether ESPN will or won't promote DAZN fights is beyond the point. They arranged the interviews and canceled them last minute. **** move!

[greeneye99]

Canelo is a known commodity and star, be it on Showtime, HBO, or anywhere else. It's a two-way deal there.

Anthony Joshua's last fight was streamed by an alleged less than 50k people stateside. Tough titty, but that's the reality.

Where's the benefit of taking a guy who's yet to really break out in the US (Showtime/CBS did great for him, but there's only so much you can do from 2pm; his jumping didn't help), rolling him out like a superstar across all of ESPN, only to see said fighter behind a paywall that's almost explicitly anti-Showtime/ESPN/Fox Sports?

Your post makes no sense at all
This event Broke Pre sales records
AJ is the Biggest HW star in Boxing
I wonder what you will post June 2nd after AJ sells out MSG

[greeneye99]

More like the CFL's "Tom Brady", lol.

Joshua is a huge star in the UK, but he's not there here yet (and hitching to DAZN doesn't help).

Something like 30k watched the Povetkin fight, maybe a miracle happens and 50k watch this Miller fight.

It's admittedly a brand new market for him, but the tickets went on sale Tuesday, and (outside of most of the ringside, with a heap of salt there), you still scoop up 5+ seats together in basically every section of the venue.

The juice isn't worth the squeeze

ESPN covered Wilder/Fury
But Wilder/Fury wasn't a sell out
Tix were available the same day
Did a Horibble 325k PPV
Wilder predicted a 1M Ppv buys

[Jubei]

Something like 30k watched the Povetkin fight, maybe a miracle happens and 50k watch this Miller fight.

Post sources or shut up.

[Scipio2009]

Don't know about that but Sky Sports makes a big deal out of covering Tysons fights in the UK despite it being on a smaller rival network ... guess that may go too then.

What's weird is Arum and Hearn get on Hearn has sent fighters over eg Kahn and said Joshua could potentially fight on ESPN for Fury.

Tyson Fury is the Brit who went to Germany and beat Wladimir Klitschko; of course they're going to cover it.

Did they spend much time rolling out Parker-Ruiz for the WBO belt? Or Glazkov-Martin for the IBF belt? Or Stiverne-Wilder?

I doubt it. Does that say much about Sky Sports' sports coverage? Not really

[!! Shawn]

Stephen A Smith is annoying as fu#k when he talks about boxing. He yells just as loud as Teddy Atlas, but at least Teddy has knowledge. I mean, I understand why Teddy annoys people and rubs people the wrong way, but Stephen A Smith, come on!

He actually called an ESPN fight one time. He was one of the guys calling the fight. I was shocked. All the other guys must’ve been on other projects.

Not only did he call the Pacman vs Vargas fight, he told Tim Bradley that he was wrong when Bradley said that a fighter was hurt, and when Tim was saying what adjustments Vargas needed to make, he was like "why didnt you make those adjustments?"

It was ridiculous.

[Scipio2009]

Your post makes no sense at all
This event Broke Pre sales records
AJ is the Biggest HW star in Boxing
I wonder what you will post June 2nd after AJ sells out MSG

21000 seats, for a star use to selling out 80000 seats within hours, and there's still an 80% chunk of the venue open on the official site.

To that you can add non-friendly NYC radio and ESPN sitting on their hands.

June is still a ways away though.