Not so sure this Showtime thing is gonna work out....

[Sleepwalker]

First of all that 30 Days in May was horrible...were we really supposed to feel bad for Mayweather for getting locked up for 60 days?? lol

Showtime, because of Golden Boy, does have a better talent pool than HBO (3 potential PPV fighters by next year: Mayweather, Alvarez, Broner) It is really dumb for fans to be taking sides in the hbo/top rank vs. showtime/golden boy bs. In the short term both promotional companies and networks are trying to make good entertaining fights but in the long term it sucks because of all of the good matchups that the fans will never get to see.

but they still have a lot going against them:

1. Budget: Showtime will have to increase its budget for boxing by a huge amount of money to take advantage of showcasing their talented fighters. Lets just say Broner fights 2 more times this year...obviously these are cards he would headline for showtime..so showtime is going to have to make much larger investment to have more dates...and with all of the talent that showtime has now, if they don't add a lot more dates, top fighters could get frustrated and leave golden boy when their contracts are up to try to go back to HBO.

2. Viewers: HBO simply has more viewers than Showtime, and its not very close. Of course, Showtime can make a dent in this and compete but for most boxers, HBO is still the best option to reach the most people.

3. Production: HBO has always put on a better show than showtime..better picture, better sound, better lighting, etc. Watching an HBO boxing event always looks better than a showtime event.

4. Al Haymon: The only think that I like about what happened is that HBO had the balls to basically tell Al Haymon to go f**k himself. Finally. Like I said, in the short term good fights are being made, but Al Haymon will use his power for horrible one sided matchups that nobody wants to see, yet get put on TV. Look at what he has done with Thurman and Broner, both young, talented, exciting fighters who have been put on TV to fight against bums...and theres many more examples than that.

Im looking forward to several of the upcoming Showtime cards...especially Alvarez-Trout (which deserves its own thread because of the corruption potential if Trout is winning close rounds) and Mathyse vs Peterson which will be awesome...also, the Mayweather Guerrero card is very strong...

But at time when the talent in boxing is as strong as its been in a long time, the fans are the ones who get screwed in these disputes and we shouldn't be rooting for a network or promotional company.

[ykdadamaja]

Corruption potential of Trout winning a few close rounds? WTF??


Anyways... Showtime can't EVER be HBO. How HBO let the boxing package slip through their fingers is beyond me. Oh, I know what happened?!!? Showtime forces fighters to make certain fights IF they are going to be on their station- HBO just kinda lets things happen and followsthe fighters.

As of the last 3 years, in my humble opinion, Showtime cards have been a heck of a lot better- better quality, better setting, better and more exciting commentary (face it, Commentators are equally important to the fight experience via cable. Merchant and Lampley have lost a step!), just simply better in almost every category on fight night.

Showtime doesn't have the experience or manpower to deliver docu-drama's like HBO does- not even close. But, on fight night, they have been responsible for magic. And, choosing to air certain cards and assisting in making fights and their pre-fight promotions (as we are seeing develop quite nicely, especially with the Donaire vs. Rigondeaux fight) they will give us memories for years to come!

[bzkfn]

Corruption potential of Trout winning a few close rounds? WTF??


Anyways... Showtime can't EVER be HBO. How HBO let the boxing package slip through their fingers is beyond me. Oh, I know what happened?!!? Showtime forces fighters to make certain fights IF they are going to be on their station- HBO just kinda lets things happen and followsthe fighters.

As of the last 3 years, in my humble opinion, Showtime cards have been a heck of a lot better- better quality, better setting, better and more exciting commentary (face it, Commentators are equally important to the fight experience via cable. Merchant and Lampley have lost a step!), just simply better in almost every category on fight night.

Showtime doesn't have the experience or manpower to deliver docu-drama's like HBO does- not even close. But, on fight night, they have been responsible for magic. And, choosing to air certain cards and assisting in making fights and their pre-fight promotions (as we are seeing develop quite nicely, especially with the Donaire vs. Rigondeaux fight) they will give us memories for years to come!

HBO did this with Martinez for the Dzinziruk fight. They told him Dzinziruk or you aren't fighting on HBO.

[beenKOed]

Corruption potential of Trout winning a few close rounds? WTF??


Anyways... Showtime can't EVER be HBO. How HBO let the boxing package slip through their fingers is beyond me. Oh, I know what happened?!!? Showtime forces fighters to make certain fights IF they are going to be on their station- HBO just kinda lets things happen and followsthe fighters.

As of the last 3 years, in my humble opinion, Showtime cards have been a heck of a lot better- better quality, better setting, better and more exciting commentary (face it, Commentators are equally important to the fight experience via cable. Merchant and Lampley have lost a step!), just simply better in almost every category on fight night.

Showtime doesn't have the experience or manpower to deliver docu-drama's like HBO does- not even close. But, on fight night, they have been responsible for magic. And, choosing to air certain cards and assisting in making fights and their pre-fight promotions (as we are seeing develop quite nicely, especially with the Donaire vs. Rigondeaux fight) they will give us memories for years to come!

I agree. Sometimes, when watching HBO specials or PPV, I get the feeling it's more about HBO than the subject they're covering.
I understand self promotion and HBO always does a decent job, whatever they do, but I am glad to see the change.

[IamInuit]

Excuse me but f$%^ HBO where boxing is concerned. They have been acting like a defacto governing/ranking body for more then a decade.

[Spicoli]

Agreed ^. I've enjoyed Showtime much more than HBO for at least the last decade. Aside from the barking clowns Renallo(?) and Gus Johnson on the mic recently who are as much a distraction and call fights like Lampley...like the are shout reading comic books. Albert, Pacheco and Czyz on the mic were just as good as Merchant, Lampley and Foreman if you ask me.

HBO has always had tunnel vision with a very select group of fighters who fans fall into the myth that they "are" boxing. They have more flavors of the month than a Baskin Robbins. Showtime actually works and maintains a main event show as well as a up and coming prospect telecast, done monthly. They also have huge potential for crossover as they seem to put on as much mma as they do boxing...hence the barking clown on the mic. They also offer the fan a chance to watch the entire undercard on one of its channels. Thats huge! Its time HBO has been knocked down a notch, Showtime will be fine and a has always been what we need more of...an alternative.

[ykdadamaja]

Agreed ^. I've enjoyed Showtime much more than HBO for at least the last decade. Aside from the barking clowns Renallo(?) and Gus Johnson on the mic recently who are as much a distraction and call fights like Lampley...like the are shout reading comic books. Albert, Pacheco and Czyz on the mic were just as good as Merchant, Lampley and Foreman if you ask me.

HBO has always had tunnel vision with a very select group of fighters who fans fall into the myth that they "are" boxing. They have more flavors of the month than a Baskin Robbins. Showtime actually works and maintains a main event show as well as a up and coming prospect telecast, done monthly. They also have huge potential for crossover as they seem to put on as much mma as they do boxing...hence the barking clown on the mic. They also offer the fan a chance to watch the entire undercard on one of its channels. Thats huge! Its time HBO has been knocked down a notch, Showtime will be fine and a has always been what we need more of...an alternative.

This. You can't beat choice. And while we are at it, who says ESPN can't make a mega fight happen for the money?

Some of these guys who may have a title have to realize that because they have a title that it doesn't mean that they are marketable universally. I can name ten guys right now with belts who the average public doesn't know or doesn't care about in the least- American, Asian, African and European.

ESPN needs to get back in the business of AT LEAST showcasing an alphabet belt title fight every 3 months or so. Split the commercial revenue rather than the PPV money. They can work something out!

[IamInuit]

They have more flavors of the month than a Baskin Robbins

lol