Which network could produce the best card?

[john l]

ESPN saw what they wanted to see with combat sports, saw what things we're like with boxing, and simply decided to put up the money to do things properly with the UFC deal (namely buying up the full slate of content at whatever the price).

The current Top Rank deal will likely be allowed to expire, with the likelihood that, if boxing stays on the network, it'd be almost solely on ESPN+.

Yea boxing is blowing a HUGE chance to become more relevant and who will put this kind of money in boxing again, this goes for FOX and PBC as well.At one time most of us boxing fans thought the way back was getting back on free tv(in states)and their blowing it with these 20-1 mismatches.

[Scipio2009]

Yea boxing is blowing a HUGE chance to become more relevant and who will put this kind of money in boxing again, this goes for FOX and PBC as well.At one time most of us boxing fans thought the way back was getting back on free tv(in states)and their blowing it with these 20-1 mismatches.

I think PBC is in a pretty good spot, tbh, especially with this joint Showtime/Fox Sports effort (one broadcaster backing the 40-50 total PBC shows was never going to be a thing); it's a bit clunky to start but Showtime is still getting good events, Fox Sports has more than filled the content hole left with the departure of the UFC, and the profile pieces (plus the seeming dozen plus fighters that they've found that they can use outside of the ring) are set to help deliver value over time as the stories get told for the non-hardcore fan.

The Showtime/FOX/FS1 partnership (with SHOPPV and Fox PPV basically splitting 4-6 events per year) seems set to thrive and grow for a good long while if the trust holds up.

Outside of that is where the trouble is, tbh. With Oscar now tied to Canelo's DAZN deal for at least the next 4 years, Disney (ESPN/ABC) throwing their lot in with the UFC, Turner Sports (HBO/TNT/TBS/TruTV) moving on, and NBC Sports not really bringing the money, Arum is ****ED if the ESPN deal goes belly-up.

Top Rank Boxing on YouTube.

[john l]

I think PBC is in a pretty good spot, tbh, especially with this joint Showtime/Fox Sports effort (one broadcaster backing the 40-50 total PBC shows was never going to be a thing); it's a bit clunky to start but Showtime is still getting good events, Fox Sports has more than filled the content hole left with the departure of the UFC, and the profile pieces (plus the seeming dozen plus fighters that they've found that they can use outside of the ring) are set to help deliver value over time as the stories get told for the non-hardcore fan.

The Showtime/FOX/FS1 partnership (with SHOPPV and Fox PPV basically splitting 4-6 events per year) seems set to thrive and grow for a good long while if the trust holds up.

Outside of that is where the trouble is, tbh. With Oscar now tied to Canelo's DAZN deal for at least the next 4 years, Disney (ESPN/ABC) throwing their lot in with the UFC, Turner Sports (HBO/TNT/TBS/TruTV) moving on, and NBC Sports not really bringing the money, Arum is ****ED if the ESPN deal goes belly-up.

Top Rank Boxing on YouTube.

LMAO nice last line!!The thing though about FOX and their shows is the ratings they keep going down for most point unless they get a GREAT lead in.I think PBC would be smart to lose a little money on a couple and put on 50-50 fights instead of all these mismatches or one where their is a big prefight fav(Porter v Ugas).Its like bringing up a prospect, you lose money in beginning betting it/he will pay off at end, but boxing has NEVER been good at looking ahead.

[john l]

Anyone pick Crawford vs Progais? If Progais can get by Tayler(no easy feat)that would be the best fight between ALL of the possible 3 different in house fights.Boxing with this 3 league BS is like baseball with no World Series.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Hey Goat, Id say Canelo v GGG is the biggest.The best is tough if Thruman can get back to what he was I would prob say Spence v Thruman.After looking at that its a bit depressing though, look at all the fights if we could just put them all together.Its got so bad its like their is 3 different sports inside one.Can you imagine if football,basketball,baseball and for you non Americans soccer fans had to deal with this crap.I have always said being a boxing fan is like being a abused wife, you get beat up almost all year and then every once in a while it brings you flowers and tells you they love you Corrales v Castilo, Gatti v Ward and the WBSS.I really do wish I would have never got addicted to this sport almost from birth but when its RIGHT their is NOTHING like it.Enjoy fights this week and who you got in Canelo v Jacobs?Its a tough pick, but I think the way Jacobs seems to check out sometimes mentally will be the difference in a close dec for Canelo, but I just have this funny feeling karma and the press around "Canelo judging"will result in a close Jacobs dec.It goes against every thing as far as big money fighters getting the benefit and Canelo's own history, but I just have this funny feeling.

It’s so frustrating, you just wanna see the best face one another but it happens so rarely nowadays.

I got Canelo by decision. If Jacobs can keep it long he can cause Canelo huge problems but I just don’t think he’s capable of doing it for 12 rounds. Canelo is very good at judging distance and I expect him to close the gap and land the more effective shots. Good insight on Jacobs mentality, I’ve never really thought about it that way but I think you’re right, Danny can become very passive in there. He can’t afford to do that tonight.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

I'll give it a go.

ESPN:
Crawford/Jose Ramirez
Loma/Teofimo
Fury/Pulev
Zurdo/Kovalev
Beterbiev/Gvozdyk
Navarrete/Burnett
Valdez/Warrington
Frampton/Stevenson

PBC:
Spence/Pacquiao
Wilder/Ortiz 2
Thurman/Porter 2
LSC/GRJ
Benavidez/Plant
Hurd/Charlo
Nery/Rigo
Kownacki/Ajagba

DAZN:
Canelo/GGG 3
Joshua/Usyk
Jacobs/Andrade
Bivol/Mundo
Estrada/Yafai
Brook/Khan
Roman/Vargas
Haney/Ryan Garcia

Completely forgot about Valdez-Warrington. I’d have put that on my ESPN card for sure. I really want to see that fight.
I like the sound of Nery vs Rigo as well...

[Scipio2009]

LMAO nice last line!!The thing though about FOX and their shows is the ratings they keep going down for most point unless they get a GREAT lead in.I think PBC would be smart to lose a little money on a couple and put on 50-50 fights instead of all these mismatches or one where their is a big prefight fav(Porter v Ugas).Its like bringing up a prospect, you lose money in beginning betting it/he will pay off at end, but boxing has NEVER been good at looking ahead.

We'll see, man. From the looks of it, it's kind of a "win above replacement" type situation here in my opinion.

Name versus name (I assume this to be what you're calling 50/50, since the matchups haven't all been bad, tbh) comes with a price that may or may not be paid for by the broadcaster.

Spence-Porter is a borderline PPV fight (I would've taken the shot if it were me; Porter doesn't bring too much extra heat, but I think you use this fight as a barometer to see if Spence's star is at least to that early Canelo level, against Lara and Angulo. I think it is) that it's looking like Showtime is going into the pocket to cover.

Hurd-Williams is a good fight for May, Harrison-Charlo 2 is a really good fight for June, and we'll see what they put out for July and August (before going on hiatus from FOX for the main chunk of the NCAA football season, coming back late November/December).

Beyond that, I think PBC has done a pretty good job setting things up, tbh. Showcase everyone at 147lbs before having them all square off in an unofficial box-off for the WBC/WBA/IBF 147lb titles, having a similar setup at 154, lining up their 168lb fighters to keep busy and eventually get to a WBC/IBF 168lb unification, priming the que full of quality heavyweight prospects to square off with Wilder eventually (after he knocks off Joshua, or as quality fights while Joshua waits out), and making a real effort to introduce prospects to the audience who are easily 2-3 years away from really being problems for folks.

It's not perfect, but it works, the content is at or better than what the UFC seems to have been offering, Fox Sports actually now has a significant piece in the upside on some of the biggest possible fights (PPV), and the sheer volume of prospects ticking along (on or off TV) is priming the pump for many meaningful fights as the deal rolls on, imo.

[john l]

It’s so frustrating, you just wanna see the best face one another but it happens so rarely nowadays.

I got Canelo by decision. If Jacobs can keep it long he can cause Canelo huge problems but I just don’t think he’s capable of doing it for 12 rounds. Canelo is very good at judging distance and I expect him to close the gap and land the more effective shots. Good insight on Jacobs mentality, I’ve never really thought about it that way but I think you’re right, Danny can become very passive in there. He can’t afford to do that tonight.

Im really surprised that many thought that was a close fight, I thought Canelo looked GREAT and won 8-3-1.Im no Canelo fanatic I had him losing a 7-5 with Lara, but no robbery, also had him losing 1st to GGG, 2nd a draw.Last week though I thought the judges had it too close, his defense looked GREAT and, like you pointed out his control of distance and in this fight his control of center ring was really good.Thought Danny was pretty good, he obv needed to push it more like always, but looked sharp, Canelo was just on imo.

[john l]

We'll see, man. From the looks of it, it's kind of a "win above replacement" type situation here in my opinion.

Name versus name (I assume this to be what you're calling 50/50, since the matchups haven't all been bad, tbh) comes with a price that may or may not be paid for by the broadcaster.

Spence-Porter is a borderline PPV fight (I would've taken the shot if it were me; Porter doesn't bring too much extra heat, but I think you use this fight as a barometer to see if Spence's star is at least to that early Canelo level, against Lara and Angulo. I think it is) that it's looking like Showtime is going into the pocket to cover.

Hurd-Williams is a good fight for May, Harrison-Charlo 2 is a really good fight for June, and we'll see what they put out for July and August (before going on hiatus from FOX for the main chunk of the NCAA football season, coming back late November/December).

Beyond that, I think PBC has done a pretty good job setting things up, tbh. Showcase everyone at 147lbs before having them all square off in an unofficial box-off for the WBC/WBA/IBF 147lb titles, having a similar setup at 154, lining up their 168lb fighters to keep busy and eventually get to a WBC/IBF 168lb unification, priming the que full of quality heavyweight prospects to square off with Wilder eventually (after he knocks off Joshua, or as quality fights while Joshua waits out), and making a real effort to introduce prospects to the audience who are easily 2-3 years away from really being problems for folks.

It's not perfect, but it works, the content is at or better than what the UFC seems to have been offering, Fox Sports actually now has a significant piece in the upside on some of the biggest possible fights (PPV), and the sheer volume of prospects ticking along (on or off TV) is priming the pump for many meaningful fights as the deal rolls on, imo.

Nice well thought out post with some good points! Not sure I agree with level of main events or as optimistic, but hopefully their will start matching up their top fighters, and working with other promoters, which ALL are to blame for.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

Im really surprised that many thought that was a close fight, I thought Canelo looked GREAT and won 8-3-1.Im no Canelo fanatic I had him losing a 7-5 with Lara, but no robbery, also had him losing 1st to GGG, 2nd a draw.Last week though I thought the judges had it too close, his defense looked GREAT and, like you pointed out his control of distance and in this fight his control of center ring was really good.Thought Danny was pretty good, he obv needed to push it more like always, but looked sharp, Canelo was just on imo.

I had it 116-112 Canelo. Danny lost way too many early rounds for it to be considered close or controversial. Two judges scoring it 115-113 is generous to Jacobs IMO. It reminds me of when people say Maidana was robbed against Floyd, they want him to lose that bad they become delusional.

All that aside Canelo looked really sharp especially in the early rounds. It was a very impressive performance. I wanna see GGG 3 next, I had GGG winning both (second was extremely close) so I think he deserves a third opportunity.