HBO to show UFC! What does this mean for boxing?

[yoitsdan]

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=6501

Some very worrying news indeed IMO. Sounds like Greenberg and co. just couldn't stop it.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

UFC is by far the more marketable sport out of the two as it is actually offering what the New-Gen wanna see.

As far as PPV goes... I really cant say, im not the worlds brightest business man but i can only see numbers dropping all over the place.... Like a scence out of the matrix!

[SweetPea]

I don't watch UFC but I'm all for it if they use the boxing commentators. I'd love to see Merchant call one of these things.
Or hear Steward say, "See that choke hold he's using? He learned that during his solid amateur background."

[killersheep]

Showtime will be replacing boxing as well. Check this out.

http://www.sho.com/site/exc/home.do?source=shocom_nav

[Preme]

The more i watch of the ufc, the more i get into it but I'm still boxing first. If hbo are now going to start showing the UFC, what i hope is boxing my revert back to its old and "prestigious" ways of having the best fight the best, the fights the fans want to see with ONE champion.

Thats the two things the UFC has that boxing doesn't right now. No joke fights, no calzaghe v manfredo, Taylor v oumas, no established champions fighting contenders, no champion taking an easy night off, there have been so many joke fights in boxing of the last few years is shocking. no wbc, ibf wba wbo champions, just one champion - HBO have massive influence on boxing, and if they see why the ufc is so successfull, it could help out the current bad state of boxing.. either that or they will screw the UFC up.

[moofo]

Perhaps Boxing will wake up and smell the coffee and realise that people are sick of seeing politics ruin every decent match-up.
The UFC has a winning formula because the fighters get contracted to do more than one fight.
THe best in each division regularly fight each other and don;t do any ducking like what happens in Boxing.
Ultimately Boxing has been destroying itself with the amount of Synthetic titles it has produced.
The best way to save Boxing would be to have just ONE recognised belt.
A Boxers union should be set up where fighters all agree to be loyal to one single code like the UFC.
This probably won't happen so no doubt due to Greed the sport will continue to decline.
And UFC will grow in popularity due to better value for money.

[Punisher136]

The more ufc i watch and how the fights end when one guy just throws highly inaccurate punches til the ref calls it off, the more i wanna punch a baby.

[moofo]

The more ufc i watch and how the fights end when one guy just throws highly inaccurate punches til the ref calls it off, the more i wanna punch a baby.

Thats what happens when a Boxing Fan watches UFC.
Any casual fan of fighting in general loves it.

[Lords Gym]

I think both HBO and Showtime are adding more boxing matches this year ? , in addition they adding this MMA for Friday nights ! I think this could actually help boxing.. boxing fans could give two shits about mma... but I feel that those young mma fans could get into the boxing game, those who have never really watch boxing before. . just my feeling.

[SweetPea]

I think both HBO and Showtime are adding more boxing matches this year ? , in addition they adding this MMA for Friday nights ! I think this could actually help boxing.. boxing fans could give two shits about mma... but I feel that those young mma fans could get into the boxing game, those who have never really watch boxing before. . just my feeling.

It'll be interesting to see just how many boxing commercials and promos HBO will run during the UFC cards. I would assume they'll run a ton. Nothing to lose.

[Lords Gym]

In 2006, HBO engendered 3,700,000 pay-per view buys with $177,000,000 in gross sales

Boxing is here to stay my friends ! any corporate executive that would mess with that number would soon find themselves on the unemployment line.

[Lords Gym]

this is an interesting article, goes more in depth to the business of all this

http://secondsout.com/USA/news.cfm?ccs=229&cs=21089

[Lords Gym]

i like this quote from the article

http://secondsout.com/USA/news.cfm?ccs=229&cs=21089

"There aren't many great fighters today, but that doesn't mean there can't be great fights. Matchmaking is an art, not a science. Fights don't always turn out the way they look on paper, but HBO is more likely to have great fights if it starts out with match-ups that are great to begin with.

Here, it should be noted that styles make fights. And one doesn't learn styles by looking up records on Boxrec.com. Micky Ward had 13 losses in 51 fights. Arturo Gatti has been beaten eight times. But they gave HBO wonderful action, and not just against each other. Good fights make more good fights. And great fights create stars.

HBO calls itself "the heart and soul of boxing." It should act like it and tell promoters, "Don't bring us fights that aren't quality fights." It should tell fighters who won't go in tough, "Make your name somewhere else and come to us when you're ready to fight in a competitive fight." Regardless of what happens "

[Lords Gym]

Then Greenburg adds words that are music to the ears, saying, "We're going to invigorate Boxing After Dark by loosening our commitments to promoters. Our last commitment is in June and, after that, we're going to abandon the practice of giving dates to promoters without specific fights attached. It has cramped our style and it just hasn't worked. We'll also dig our feet in a little more on mismatches and not give in to promoters, managers, and fighters who don't want to take a risk."
__________________________________________________ _________________

Now that’s what I am talking about ! Balls to the walls approach... all these soft cakes and mismatches are fucking up boxing. I been preaching all along, that it matchmaking ! you get the right guys in there and you got a fucking fight ! Take the feather dusters out of the game unless they want in tough !

[Preme]

Then Greenburg adds words that are music to the ears, saying, "We're going to invigorate Boxing After Dark by loosening our commitments to promoters. Our last commitment is in June and, after that, we're going to abandon the practice of giving dates to promoters without specific fights attached. It has cramped our style and it just hasn't worked. We'll also dig our feet in a little more on mismatches and not give in to promoters, managers, and fighters who don't want to take a risk."
__________________________________________________ _________________

Now that’s what I am talking about ! Balls to the walls approach... all these soft cakes and mismatches are F****** up boxing. I been preaching all along, that it matchmaking ! you get the right guys in there and you got a F****** fight ! Take the feather dusters out of the game unless they want in tough !

CC bro, interesting read