ITV pulling the plug?

ITV told Frank Warren that unless they broke 5 million viewers on Saturday, they would look at pulling the plug on boxing. The viewing figures? 3.9 million. That's not bad considering that nobody is interested in boxing these days, but compare it to Benn and Hamed doing 8 million and Eubank doing 16 million every time then you get the picture... not that it's fair to compare, but there you go.

Warren's contract runs out in June, and I have it on good authority that he will be taking his stable to Setanta. You heard it here.

Bad news for Boxing ultimately and Setanta are gathering pace and getting into the big league with football too.

This is crap news it should go back on skysports then that would be better

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Originally Posted by tysonbruno

This is crap news it should go back on skysports then that would be better

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Only for people who can afford £40 a month ;)

True Big H thats a good point hope it stays on itv thing is 3.9million is really good in this day and age where theirs hundreds of channels

Dont blame ITV being pissed off with the Cardiff show.The 3 main fights were mis matches.


I think ITV should try and show a few big fights from the states as well as Warrens shows.

At the end of the day it would be a case of 'Serves you right' for Warren if they didn't renew the contract (They would if he was getting Benn v Eubank figures) for putting on such SH*T bouts - bar Lacy.

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Originally Posted by porkypara

Dont blame ITV being pissed off with the Cardiff show.The 3 main fights were mis matches.


I think ITV should try and show a few big fights from the states as well as Warrens shows.

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Ive wondered recently if that was what Warren was up to.... The fights with Manfredo & Taylor.
Maybe he's 'using' his fighters in a way that eventually improves relationships with US & UK networks and utimately US & UK Fighters.

If that wasn't the plan, it should be.

It's hardly surprising

Look at pandemonium caused by the prospect of Haye-Enzo...only to end up with a mismatch that was met with complete derision

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Originally Posted by Fenster

It's hardly surprising

Look at pandemonium caused by the prospect of Haye-Enzo...only to end up with a mismatch that was met with complete derision

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It was embarrassing enough that the commentator was even thinking of putting Gunn in the same catagory as Chuvalo :-X

I didn't mind seeing GOOD fights being shown on the BBC even if it was 24 hours later, they were quality fights, no adverts, no paying through the nose for sky and no PPV.

and yes people aren't that stupid they know a mismatch when they see it.

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Originally Posted by Missy

I didn't mind seeing GOOD fights being shown on the BBC even if it was 24 hours later, they were quality fights, no adverts, no paying through the nose for sky and no PPV.

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Cor yeah! Dela Hoya v Vargas, Lewis v Tyson, Reid v Otke...

Countless Esham Pickering fights ::**

Good stuff ;)

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by tysonbruno

This is crap news it should go back on skysports then that would be better

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Only for people who can afford £40 a month ;)

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My question is really that as I already buy Sky Sports anyway....I'd be gutted if it went to Setanta, cause I probably won't buy that on top of the packages I already have, so it'd be even less coverage of big time boxing that I'd be able to access. I also think it'd be bad news for boxing, as 3.9million is much more than any boxing on satellite channels get, and by moving to Setanta FW would reduce his audience, and we'd be unlikely to see the stadium fill as much as it did last week. Bad Move.

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by tysonbruno

This is crap news it should go back on skysports then that would be better

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Only for people who can afford £40 a month ;)

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Ive got no problem with that, I pay the £40 a month and its nothing really if youre getting at least one or two good fights a week, I'd even pay PPV for a lot of them. What really pisses me off is when we have no option at all to see a fight. Big fights for world titles go by all the time without being on TV at all, not even through a PPV.

They can pull it, I haven't seen one card on ITV that has come close to an above average friday fight night, with the exception of Calzaghe v Lacy but I didn't even see that... because I was there ;D