Pre-fight hype: When it's warranted and when it's not

[Alpha]

Nice thread Tito, I will come back later with some other thoughts.

Did anyone mention Floyd/Mac?

[El Kabong]

Ah yes fight hype where Boxing and Wrasslin meet


I think a lot of this pageantry that goes on before fights is not even trying to sell a fight but fighters trying to psych their opponents out or psych themselves up for the hard training and dedication. That said SOME fighters are 100% Show and 0% Go...David Haye comes to mind, the later career of Shannon Briggs, the later career of Bernard Hopkins the over the top shenanigans it's ridiculous, the fans ain't dumb (most of them anyway) but some fighters have their shtick and it draws in fans I don't know how or why.

Some guys see pressers and contract signings as something they just go through the motions on and they talk in the ring.


I just hate the guys who run their fucking mouths nonstop and then show up to the ring and don't deliver Peter McNeely vs Tyson was one of those guys just yak yak yak yak and then soon as he's touched by Tyson it's all over. Ridiculous


Some guys just are characters Mike Tyson's pre-fight pressers you never knew what you'd get...could be a simple interview about how he's focused and having a good camp, could be him trying to take a bite out of Lennox Lewis' leg you didn't know.


I think a lot of this gained traction in how Ali handled himself.....trouble is, not everyone is Ali and some of Ali's shit was very personal which not to say it's against the rules or off limits but as fighters you're in a brotherhood of risking life and limb to bring home a paycheck, it's bad mojo to step over certain lines.


Larry Holmes dropkicking Trevor Berbick...I'm not sure we'll see something like that again, we DAMN sure won't see this again...

[Master]

Nice thread Tito, I will come back later with some other thoughts.

Did anyone mention Floyd/Pac?

Titifan mentioned it under a waste of time.

Lewis v Tyson was another pure con job as was Floyd v McGregor

[El Kabong]

Nice thread Tito, I will come back later with some other thoughts.

Did anyone mention Floyd/Pac?

Titifan mentioned it under a waste of time.

Lewis v Tyson was another pure con job as was Floyd v McGregor

For Lewis vs Tyson the selling point was #1 nostalgia "Ahhh old Tyson is back" and #2 "Is Mike Tyson actually nuts? and waaaaaaay down the line at #3 Well COULD Lennox handle Tyson?


For Floyd vs Mac the selling point was A#1 gimmick match....it was no different than when wrestlers do hair vs hair match, loser leaves town, lumberjack, rings on fire, "I quit" match...it was 100% a GIMMICK which is here's how the best MMA fighter would do in boxing vs the best boxer and let's all be honest here Floyd carried him, Floyd allowed McGregor success and just carried him and I am sure a few folks (In the know ) made big money on the fight lasting as long as it did. Not saying McGregor was in on the deal or is a poor fighter, but come on had Floyd at any point in time put the pedal to the metal McGregor would have been finished in a heartbeat and hell a similar thing could happen if Floyd ever did the MMA, but he's not going to because he only takes fights he has advantages in.

[Alpha]

I thought the Oscar/Pac fight was also going to be a mid-match, but I wasn't sure how Oscar would look after roughly 6 years away from welter.

I thought Floyd/Oscar would be an easy win for Floyd, but he struggled early until Oscar abandoned his jab.

Floyd/Pac when it happened was a mid-match for me, 5 years earlier aping 2010 would have been even going in for me.

Fights like
Ali/Frazier (the fight of the century)
Louis/Schmeling 2

Carried great well deserved hype.

Tyson/Holyfield (both fights)
Lewis/Tyson

Had great hype, but were arguably foregone conclusions heading in if we be honest with ourselves.

I admit I picked Tyson in all 3,mainly on heart than head.

[Alpha]

Nice thread Tito, I will come back later with some other thoughts.

Did anyone mention Floyd/Pac?

Titifan mentioned it under a waste of time.

Lewis v Tyson was another pure con job as was Floyd v McGregor

Sorry McGregor is who I was referencing.

[Master]

I thought the Oscar/Pac fight was also going to be a mid-match, but I wasn't sure how Oscar would look after roughly 6 years away from welter.

I thought Floyd/Oscar would be an easy win for Floyd, but he struggled early until Oscar abandoned his jab.

Floyd/Pac when it happened was a mid-match for me, 5 years earlier aping 2010 would have been even going in for me.

Fights like
Ali/Frazier (the fight of the century)
Louis/Schmeling 2

Carried great well deserved hype.

Tyson/Holyfield (both fights)
Lewis/Tyson

Had great hype, but were arguably foregone conclusions heading in if we be honest with ourselves.

I admit I picked Tyson in all 3,mainly on heart than head.

You honestly telling me you thought Floyd would beat Oscar? I thought it was a gimmick. Credit to Floyd for winning when he had most of the cards stacked against him.

[Alpha]

I thought the Oscar/Pac fight was also going to be a mid-match, but I wasn't sure how Oscar would look after roughly 6 years away from welter.

I thought Floyd/Oscar would be an easy win for Floyd, but he struggled early until Oscar abandoned his jab.

Floyd/Pac when it happened was a mid-match for me, 5 years earlier aping 2010 would have been even going in for me.

Fights like
Ali/Frazier (the fight of the century)
Louis/Schmeling 2

Carried great well deserved hype.

Tyson/Holyfield (both fights)
Lewis/Tyson

Had great hype, but were arguably foregone conclusions heading in if we be honest with ourselves.

I admit I picked Tyson in all 3,mainly on heart than head.

You honestly telling me you thought Floyd would beat Oscar? I thought it was a gimmick. Credit to Floyd for winning when he had most of the cards stacked against him.

Yea I honestly did, his last great performance for me was the 2nd Mosley fight, almost 4 years prior to the Floyd fight. I thought he lost to Sturm, then Hopkins stopped him, Mayorga was a tune up, even tho they had the bogus WBC title in the line. I'm pretty sure Oscar wasn't on any P4P lists at the time and he wasn't the top guy at 154. He was also getting on at 34.

[Master]

I thought the Oscar/Pac fight was also going to be a mid-match, but I wasn't sure how Oscar would look after roughly 6 years away from welter.

I thought Floyd/Oscar would be an easy win for Floyd, but he struggled early until Oscar abandoned his jab.

Floyd/Pac when it happened was a mid-match for me, 5 years earlier aping 2010 would have been even going in for me.

Fights like
Ali/Frazier (the fight of the century)
Louis/Schmeling 2

Carried great well deserved hype.

Tyson/Holyfield (both fights)
Lewis/Tyson

Had great hype, but were arguably foregone conclusions heading in if we be honest with ourselves.

I admit I picked Tyson in all 3,mainly on heart than head.

You honestly telling me you thought Floyd would beat Oscar? I thought it was a gimmick. Credit to Floyd for winning when he had most of the cards stacked against him.

Yea I honestly did, his last great performance for me was the 2nd Mosley fight, almost 4 years prior to the Floyd fight. I thought he lost to Sturm, then Hopkins stopped him, Mayorga was a tune up, even tho they had the bogus WBC title in the line. I'm pretty sure Oscar wasn't on any P4P lists at the time and he wasn't the top guy at 154. He was also getting on at 34.

Fair enough but Floyd was going up a weight and I thought he was taking the cash.

[Alpha]

I thought the Oscar/Pac fight was also going to be a mid-match, but I wasn't sure how Oscar would look after roughly 6 years away from welter.

I thought Floyd/Oscar would be an easy win for Floyd, but he struggled early until Oscar abandoned his jab.

Floyd/Pac when it happened was a mid-match for me, 5 years earlier aping 2010 would have been even going in for me.

Fights like
Ali/Frazier (the fight of the century)
Louis/Schmeling 2

Carried great well deserved hype.

Tyson/Holyfield (both fights)
Lewis/Tyson

Had great hype, but were arguably foregone conclusions heading in if we be honest with ourselves.

I admit I picked Tyson in all 3,mainly on heart than head.

You honestly telling me you thought Floyd would beat Oscar? I thought it was a gimmick. Credit to Floyd for winning when he had most of the cards stacked against him.

Yea I honestly did, his last great performance for me was the 2nd Mosley fight, almost 4 years prior to the Floyd fight. I thought he lost to Sturm, then Hopkins stopped him, Mayorga was a tune up, even tho they had the bogus WBC title in the line. I'm pretty sure Oscar wasn't on any P4P lists at the time and he wasn't the top guy at 154. He was also getting on at 34.

Fair enough but Floyd was going up a weight and I thought he was taking the cash.

No doubt it was a huge money earner, they just seemed on different trajectories at that point for me. I was more surprise with how much he struggled.

[Master]

Oscar was old and that is why he could not sustain the jab for 12 rounds. Roach used that inside knowledge for his own fighter later on.

[Spicoli]

As much as I dislike the red headed beef eater cheater I didn't think it was a total forgone conclusion in the early hype stage and talk about it. It wasn't until the Trout finish that it became clear he didn't have a proper approach. He thought he was a pick your spots boxer instead of jumping Trout late. Became clear as day Floyd was going to clown him but in the back of my mind I hoped Canelo would land a brick.

Hype and build has gone from promotion centered and main media sources to massive and constant self promotion by the fighters themselves via every form of social media available. Point, click talk smack and the fans start carrying and discussing potentials. Networks do solid promotion but I miss the old hbo or showtime face offs with satellite live feeds and two guys just going on . Tyson and Ruddock comes to mind right off. Hbo doesn't even do full 24-7s now which were pretty good. I'll give it to PBC they really keep the ball rolling with potential and future matches in house. They rotate on air announce with active fighters and always have others on hand, in the crowd and grabbing a mic. Today hype is almost to easy compared to guys way back in the day doing the complete talk show circuits and radio programs.

Random one for whatever reasons..Moorer v Holyfield was a rough build. Frankly both have the 'pop' and demeanors of distracted Wal Mart greeters at times. I remember Moorer dressing up like G.I Joe complete with black beret and that surly attitude talking about going to war etc. He stood at some obvious set piece decked out in full camo and 'pounded' his fist until the little podium collapsed and acted surprised . It was total 'wraslin 101. Press people start laughing and Holyfield nearly falls out of his chair rolling.."Well I'm glad I'm not a podium".

[Master]

Spicoli, that reminds me of Roy Jones v Trinidad hype which was bad and they used the military for that too.

A fight way past its sell by date.

[Alpha]

Spicoli, that reminds me of Roy Jones v Trinidad hype which was bad and they used the military for that too.

A fight way past its sell by date.

Now that you mention Trinidad, you jogged my memory.

Remember the Tito/ Hopkins presser in PR, when Hopkins threw the flag on the ground. That sh-t was intense. Real hype for that one.

[TitoFan]

Spicoli, that reminds me of Roy Jones v Trinidad hype which was bad and they used the military for that too.

A fight way past its sell by date.

Now that you mention Trinidad, you jogged my memory.

Remember the Tito/ Hopkins presser in PR, when Hopkins threw the flag on the ground. That sh-t was intense. Real hype for that one.

It certainly got MY blood boiling back then.

Fans with an emotional type of backing of a fighter can get sucked in by promotional stuff like that.