Help Me Understand This Ward HBO DEAL. WAS HE STRONG ARMED?

[ИATAS]

Short memory on NSB. Does anyone remember the guys he was trying to fight on HBO? Paul Smith was a huge name compared to some of these other potential opponents that HBO rejected, and that was the only reason Ward was having a somewhat difficult time getting a "deal" on HBO. HBO wasn't cool with spending roughly $2 million just on Ward alone, for three more Paul Smith type of opponents. But once Ward worked some things out and stepped the level up a bit things opened up (for example fighting Sullivan Barrera was a big improvement compared to the original names of guys that HBO rejected).

As for going to 175, that's always something Ward has said he's wanted to do. He obviously won gold as a light heavyweight and probably would have moved up sooner if not for injuries & the contract disputes that kept him sidelined for so long.

tl;dr
HBO & Ward never had major issues, only the "tune-ups" Ward initially wanted didn't really fly but fortunately they worked all that out.

[ThatDude44]

Well, if he beats Kovalev that'll be the last fight on his contract and he can fight wherever he wants.

[SUBZER0ED]

Let us not forget. LOL

Some of you claim to follow boxing but don't know **** about it.

Let us not forget that there is no super middleweight limit in the amateurs. 165 is the middleweight limit and above that is light heavy. But let us not forget.

Ward weighed 170 during the Olympics, a whopping 5lbs less than the pro limit LHW, 12 years ago. Point being that it's cake for him to make 175.

http://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story/_...running-scared

[MDPopescu]

SO Haymon has Showtime sowed up right, and Rocnation (jayz) and Haymon don't like each other so they(showtime,PBC) wont do business with Rocnation (Ward).

And HBO wouldn't do business with Ward unless he signed to fight KOVALEV.

So initially Ward didn't want to fight Kovalev and HBO said okay go fight where you can WARD ended up on BET on getting 325K viewers.

So with those ratings and on such an inferior ghetto network no one has even heard of, ward hand was forced to crawl back and beg hbo for the deal.

So safe to say Ward was strong armed by HBO into forcing him to face KOVALEV?

And what was this deal terms? 2 tunes and then he must face kovalev?
what are we on his first tune up or are 2 completed?

... nobody is "strong arming" Ward because he's shrewd... dude may grab $3-4 million from "tune ups" and get another 1-2 year(s) lay off...

[Nod]

Can you even read? Ward said he never fought above 170 as an amateur.

Let us not forget you were saying 3g needed to adjust or whatever to higher weights but fought above the 160 pro middleweight limit as an amateur at 165. A mere 5 pounds above his weight today 12 years ago. So let us not forget. LOL

[mathed]

Maybe not strong armed but I think HBO made it clear to Ward they would give him a 3 fight deal if he fought Kov, thus steering him away from GGG for the time being.

Ward, seeing he has no other real options to make the kind of money HBO was offering, took the deal. That's just how business works sometimes.

Dude, he couldn't even make 168 anymore and announced his intention to "move" up to 175 before the HBO deal. He wanted big money to fight super middle weight scrubs as his tune ups at 175 and HBO said enough, you get two tune ups, you have to agree to fight Kovslev and the tune ups must be against legit 175 pound boxers.

[about.thousands]

Yep. But the crazy part to meet is that they signed Kovalev when his only options were Pascal II & Mohamedi. Duva rejected the Stevenson purse bid while Kovalev didn't have an HBO contract. So they signed Ward to get Kovalev a big fight.

But Ward took a big chance and bet on himself because he only has a 3 fight deal. So after Kovalev he's a free agent. If he wins it pays off big. If he loses oh well. But if the fight is close either way he wins because they'll want a rematch.

[-MAKAVELLI-]

they lost the showdown that they were marinating (Kovalev-Stevenson), they weren't gonna lose this one

[just the facts]

HBO knew Ward couldn't make 168lbs so they told him to stop wasting their time, make the move to 175 and agree to fight Kovalev. HBO probably wouldn't enforced him to sign a contract so soon if Ward wasn't known for breaking agreements.

HBO wasn't about to go back and forth with Ward and allow him to drag up SMW's to 175lbs. They weren't going to pay 2 million guarantee and not get atleast 1 competive fight out of him.

Ironic how all of this OPINION fits your agenda. gstring ducked Ward, at least be honest about it

[HeroBando]

Yep. But the crazy part to meet is that they signed Kovalev when his only options were Pascal II & Mohamedi. Duva rejected the Stevenson purse bid while Kovalev didn't have an HBO contract. So they signed Ward to get Kovalev a big fight.

But Ward took a big chance and bet on himself because he only has a 3 fight deal. So after Kovalev he's a free agent. If he wins it pays off big. If he loses oh well. But if the fight is close either way he wins because they'll want a rematch.

Nothing crazy there. The guy is very good, exciting, comes very cheap. Score