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Barely HALF the 19,000 tickets for this fight have been sold.
Golden Boy Promotions, are so embarrassed they've already given back $2m of the site fee, scared that Planet Hollywood will walk away from boxing after this.
Hopkins is fighting a losing battle for his credibility | Sport | Guardian Unlimited
This fight would have been MUCH bigger had it happened in the UK. For starters - minimum 50,000 tickets sold. Fact.
i'm a hopkins fan but i have to admit hopkins has not got much of a fanbase. but i don't feel the numbers are all hopkins fault. calzaghe isn't really popular in the states so thats also to blame
I think VD and DS are two of his perhaps 500 true fans. Everybody respects him, but he doesn't exactly inspire hardcore devotion.
That's trueQuote:
Originally Posted by ds91
But.. Calzaghe is a foreigner. He's bringing 5-10 thousand of his own fans.
Where are Hopkins fans?
Hopkins may not be appreciated fully now, but like Lennox Lewis we'll miss him when he's gone and realise what a good technician he was/is.
Exactly. Calzaghe is bringing over a healthy sized contingent. Not as many as for Hatton because a lot of punters cannot affort to jet set to Las Vegas twice a year. Hopkins doesnt appear to have many interested in him outside of the media.Quote:
Originally Posted by FensterThat's trueQuote:
Originally Posted by ds91
But.. Calzaghe is a foreigner. He's bringing 5-10 thousand of his own fans.
Where are Hopkins fans?
bernard hopkins will be missed by true boxing fans, he's defencive but not a runner like other boxer are in the same style, along with james toney i love watching them box and winky to. 3 great defencive boxer all leaving the sport in a short period of time having been around forever...........you dont last as long as these guys if your not good
It is a shame isn't it. The UK has so many who love boxing. Over here it is so watered down now.
To be perfectly honest though, even if I was near where the fight is taking place, I would have to take a very close look at the under card before going to this event. I respect Hopkins and what he has accomplished, but I cannot equate him with exciting fights any more. When he was younger, he was far more exciting to watch as far as I am concerned.
It is not fair as Hopkins deserves more respect from myself and others. He is a true champion and any fan of the sport should want to jump at the opportunity to watch him perform his craft. I see it as I just don't want to spend my hard earned money, on a fight that in all probability will put me to sleep. When you see fights like Cotto vs. Margarito on the horizon, you see fights that you want to throw money at.
Boxing's just not that big here. There aren't many Oscar de La Hoya's, it even took Roy a long time and Floyd too, I mean we know who carried the Gatti and DLH pay per views with Floyd.
But its not just that. Hopkins when he was an exciting fighter wasn't very well known. He became well known late in his career when he was fighting in a way that most fans think is boring.
I said from the beginning that the magnitude of this fight among non-hardcore fans was being a bit overrated. Hopkins isn't a huge star and look at the Calzaghe/Kessler ratings, American's weren't paying attention for the most part.
I'm sure he's got some true fans in PA state prison.
Hopkins clearly isn't a big star. So they must have been banking on Calzaghe bringing even more support - but he's clearly not Hatton-level.
Bet the fight wouldn't have happened if they knew the interest would be so poor.
Wonder if Calzaghe would have done better against Roy, Tito or Tarver in the States? Probably :-\
Hopkins fans are on the east cost, staging the fight on the west cost is essentially placing it in neutral territory. If you wanted B-hops fans to come out, they should have had the fight at the Garden or Boardwalk Hall.
Hopkins is mayweather-esqe in the way that you either hate him or love him as he constantly plays the role of the bad guy, difference is people pay to see mayweather loose since it's such a slim slim possibility, for hopkins it isn't. Also calzaghe is popular among boxing fans here in the u.s. but that's about it, at least going by my own personal experience, i'm hyped as hell for this fight while most of the people i know are much more interested in the nba playoffs. 8 out of 10 people i know don't even know who the hell joe is, and that's something he's done to himself being a sheltered fighter overseas. They were counting on more people showing up to see calzaghe and it just isn't happening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lance Uppercut
yeah I didn't think about that but that's true, he was the clear crowd favorite against Tarver (maybe not saying much) when the fight was in Atlantic City I think.
Remember originally Hopkins wanted the fight in Yankee Stadium.. but that idea was quicky killed.. I guess we now know why ;D
Thats the beauty of this for Calzaghe, here in the states outside us purists there isint much expectation for Calzaghe, when he whips Hopkins ass he will gain a measure of popularity, noteriaty so when he fights a Jones or Trinidad it will mean$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for Joe and maybe enjoy a measure of U.S appreciation like Hatton does in the states, Joe certainly deserves it at this pointQuote:
Originally Posted by Fenster
Hopkins does have his share of fans. That's why we had all this controversy with the Nard-Taylor decisions when in fact there shouldn't be any as Nard ran the whole two nights long.
Although I am a big Hopkins fan, I can see why he has such a small fan base. His style, as masterful as it is, just isn't crowd pleasing. Plus, I think he has hurt himself with the dispicable ways he choses to hype a fight. I think people can easily see through these acts and it just makes him look foolish.
Although I don't think he deserves all the blame. Maybe Joe Calzaghe isn't generating as much interest in the states as they figured he would.
Either way, this fight should have happened in Europe. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20
What exactly do you mean by that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mar
Judging by the "failure" of this fight in Vegas was there any reason for Calzaghe to have ever fought in the States?
He did just beat his main Supermiddle rival, right? In front of 50,000 odd people to boot....
In front of 50 thousand but no one stateside cared to watch.
I think they should have had it in Yankee Stadium. The fans most definitely would have come out for that for a few reasons, first being that a lot of people would go just for the novelty of having it at Yankee stadium like the old days in that stadium's last year. And Hopkins fans are on the East Coast and with a hurting economy, it's not exactly easy to travel across the country to see a fight.
Hopkins has fans but their are not hardcore fans that are willing to travel and pay the money to see him.
Add that to Joes super stardome here in the states and you've got the results...
I just meant in order for him to be popular over here, he needed to fight over here more. But to think he'd be able to pull a crowd here where he is a little more than an unknown isn't going to work. I highly doubt they were counting on b -hop to rake em in, so for a guy who hasn't fought here and another guy who isn't the most popular especially out west as mentioned selling half the arena doesn't seem half bad to me. Thier expectations were set way to high for the casual fan. One of the main knocks on the guy was that he was good over there but how would he fare here (for what that really matters) he choose to hold out and wait towards the end of his career to make this trip that he always knew he would have to make. Now to be dissappointed in a low turnout i belive is only himself and his advisors to blame if anyone. He can't expect the casual fan (who was more interested in the stupid match between floyd and the big show) to jump on board all of the sudden cause he finally wants to prove what we've been waiting for him to prove long ago. One thing that i fear of this fight is that joe wins impressively and still won't get his due as it may be a little to late toQuote:
Originally Posted by FensterWhat exactly do you mean by that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mar
Judging by the "failure" of this fight in Vegas was there any reason for Calzaghe to have ever fought in the States?
He did just beat his main Supermiddle rival, right? In front of 50,000 odd people to boot....
I think Hopkins has true fans, but will simply never be a huge draw. Kind of like a Terry Norris or a Mike McCallum.
Don't you think Hopkins lost alot of fans do to his ridiculous comments.I liked both fighters fighters until Hopkins opened his mouth.Call it silly if you will but Why would he do something like that.
Margarito and Calzaghe? Benedict Arnold >:madQuote:
Originally Posted by JT RockThats the beauty of this for Calzaghe, here in the states outside us purists there isint much expectation for Calzaghe, when he whips Hopkins ass he will gain a measure of popularity, noteriaty so when he fights a Jones or Trinidad it will mean$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for Joe and maybe enjoy a measure of U.S appreciation like Hatton does in the states, Joe certainly deserves it at this pointQuote:
Originally Posted by Fenster
Im a huge B-Hop fan and if I could afford to go i would. But I think people know that they arent likely gonna see a war. Hop relies on his smarts and craftiness, even more now that hes older. Hes rarely in a fight of the year type fight, though i like to watch him .
LOL!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by amatMargarito and Calzaghe? Benedict Arnold >:madQuote:
Originally Posted by JT RockThats the beauty of this for Calzaghe, here in the states outside us purists there isint much expectation for Calzaghe, when he whips Hopkins ass he will gain a measure of popularity, noteriaty so when he fights a Jones or Trinidad it will mean$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for Joe and maybe enjoy a measure of U.S appreciation like Hatton does in the states, Joe certainly deserves it at this pointQuote:
Originally Posted by Fenster
Thats a little harsh dont you think? I became a Calzaghe fan after the Kessler fight because all I was doing at the end of the day was hatin on the man and ignoring his skill...
Margarito, I dont know what the hell I was thinking but again the man is a ferocious bastard that just wants to hurt you and takes pleasure in doing so.... I enjoyed the energy last Saturday that he injected into me taking right hands of the head and chin without even a blink...
I havent turned my back on any of my fighters just added 2 to the fold... Lacy is still my #1 and Mayweather my #2 and then the rest..;)
The ticket prices were way to high to be taken by the casual fan, it's only the casinos that could back the financing over in the states, they could have easily doubled the number on the east side but the tickets would have to be cheaper.
I like Bernard ny the way, any other fight I'd be supporting him.
well i rekon to be a true fan of someone you have to LOVE there style in AND out of the ring. Therefore i do not count myself a true Hopkins fan however, i do 100% respect the guy and struggle to understand how some people cannot bring themselfs todo that.....becuase like it or not the man is a GREAT boxer, one of the top 5 middles of all time, and is still winning fights into his 40's....thats fooking impressive by anyones standards.