Comments Thread For: Arum: If Loma-Lopez Doesn't Get Viewers I Hope It Gets, Networks Won't Want To Step Up

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Keith Idec - LAS VEGAS Vasiliy Lomachenko-Teofimo Lopez is far and away the biggest boxing match that'll be broadcast on free or cable television since the sport returned to the airwaves June 9. Their lightweight title unification match probably is the most significant fight to air on either of those platforms since Keith Thurman edged Danny Garcia by...
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[Ricardi]

Fans make a big difference, makes the moment feel more special.

[ShoulderRoll]

Arum was going to put this on PPV but changed his mind. Due to low predicted sales figures.

Keep that in mind when he now tries to run his BS.

[Fire4231]

Should do just fine. Let’s just not have any funny business.

[Kiowhatta]

It's confusing to figure out what they mean by 'free to watch'.

Here in Australia there is only one cable service that carries ESPN and subsidiaries - and that is Foxtel which costs around $25-$50 per month for a basic package, so it's not available on free-to-air here.

Boxing keeps blaming (somewhat rightfully) low viewership on Corona; but the truth is many main sports reporting outlets, devote little or no time to reporting or covering or promoting the sport except for the Americas, and the U.K.

The subscription services are many and varied, too complex for most people to bother with.

The reality is, boxing is going through a resurgence as an activity, a gym - based workout for soccer mums and young men; but that interest in boxcerxise training is hard to quantify in how many of those people become proper boxing fans.

You have three kinds of fans: First the die hards. We offer the most criticism, the most analysis, the most insight and we are the ones who pay to watch the big fights. There are hardcore diehards who are involved in the sport and watch every show they can concievably watch to keep an eye on the competition and stay up to date with the industry which is their job.

Secondly are the casuals. these are the guys and girls who have had a recent conversion due to the popularity of boxing training in most local gyms and want to learn more by watching 'the best', as well as experience what it's like to sit back and indulge in watching a show.

Then there are those who only turn out for the occasional mega crossover fight. Their cynical but want to see what the fuss is all about and have only heard of Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Canelo, GGG, Loma and AJ.

The real point here is boxing has to find a way to get back into the middle of regular sports coverage - that is the million dollar question.
How can boxing capture regualr sports fans imagination like it did in the 70's and 80's?

Here in Australia we are lucky if the national paper does a paragraph dumped inside the dark reccesses of the sports pages about the latest mega fight.

Boxing needs to undergo a major restructuring and come up with a new way to promote itself to the masses. It can be done. There is something that boxing has that no other sport has - and that is edge of your seat anticipation of the KO.
The spine tingling wars of Gatti v Ward, and Corrales Castillo - the essence of what made those fights great needs to be sold to the public.

[Boxing Logic]

Boxing just doesn't offer an interesting product anymore. UFC is pretty boring now too. Ever since May-Pac, May-Mac, Kovalev-Ward 2 fights, GGG-Canelo, and especially Canelo vs Kovalev, combat sports just don't feel the same. It's like a veil has been lifted. The punches don't look the same as before. What I perceived as a war, as an exciting fight, 5 years ago, I rewatch now and perceive as, "why are they punching weird? Why isn't anything hard landing, why are so many of the punches glancing and only connecting with the padding of the glove but not the fist? Why are 90% of the punches being thrown arm punches?"

Conserving stamina is one thing but when you have a giant LHW puncher in Kovalev fighting a middleweight Canelo, why are you not firing your big gun at least 50% of the time you punch seeing as when you throw it hard instead of soft, it gets there faster and more explosively, and all it would take to knock out a much smaller man like Canelo would be one hard punch to head or body. Kovalev broke Agnew's, a light heavyweight's, ribs with a jab, but it's not worth throwing hard power punches and jabs at Canelo? Even if Canelo can dodge 95% of your hard punches, which would be absurd for someone of Kovalev's skill, even then, that's fine. So you throw 20 hard ones for every 1 that lands, and you knock him out with that 1. Because Kovalev was doing that to top 10 light heavyweights already, so imagine if he hit Canelo, who came up from 154, even once? Look what Kovalev did to Silach, Mohameddi, Shabbransky who has a chin. He staggered Andre Ward with 1 jab.

But vs Canelo, he didn't throw hard punches. He just kept throwing spaghetti noodle arm punches, round after round. And honestly, so did GGG vs Canelo. And Pacquiao vs Floyd was *****ing weird. Of all the fights, that's the one the shoulder goes? But then how come he was still using it? And how come it healed so quickly in saltwater?

Mcgregor vs Floyd, Mcgregor fought the same way Kovalev fought vs Canelo. He had the size and power advantage, reach, but IMO he didn't throw... punches. It was weird. And then I watch Tank vs a shot Gamboa, and Gamboa not only lasts 11 rounds, but he fights 10 rounds against Tank with a torn achiles? You can't even walk with a torn achiles.

And now Errol Spence is supposedly going to be in a professional fist fight, against a world champion, only like 1 year after flying out of a 100MPH Ferrari convertible?

When I watch boxing and UFC now, I just don't believe what I'm seeing anymore. And when you don't believe it, it's no longer nearly as exciting to watch. But, not watching people punch each other is probably a good thing, so I'm kind of grateful that maybe it never was that, and that that realization has caused me to think more deeply about it, look at myself in the mirror, and come to terms with, and begin the journey of overcoming, my own ignorance, and examining and elevating my priorities and ethics about this kind of thing. Becoming more mature and wiser, and starting to understand how ignorant and wrong I was about many things.

But as for story, I'm just saying if Bob is wondering why viewing numbers for boxing have dropped, this might be the reason.

[A.K]

ESPN is doing horrible right now ratings wise as is all cable tv networks what exactly is the goal cause it won’t crack 1 mil or anywhere near.

[Nightfall]

Going to enjoy this fight. Eff Arum and whoever. 🥊

[TMLT87]

ESPN is doing horrible right now ratings wise as is all cable tv networks what exactly is the goal cause it won’t crack 1 mil or anywhere near.

The UFC did a million viewers on ESPN like a week ago.

[Bronx2245]

It's going to be hard! NCAA Football! #2 Alabama vs. #3 Georgia on CBS @ 8:00 EST! I won't be missing that! GO DAWGS! Hopefully the game will be over before the main event!