Boxing Thread

[Porkchopcash]

He is a Salesman though. Who would you say is the biggest name in US boxing? Theres not many. Lets face it, the yanks he has fighting on his cards at the moment such as Jacobs and Millar still arent up to much in terms of popularity. Even Wilder doesn't mean shit in the US, he’d probably draw bigger cards here than he does there. 

Unless Eddie is in it for the long haul i believe he has little chance of making it big in America. The best he can do is sign a few decent names and have them fight over here with the Sky marketing machine behind them.

[d-d-d-dAz]

Don't underestimate DAZN's machine either. There's a lot of investment in this business and scope for massive expansion. Sky are industry leaders, but are in a consolidation phase: Matchroom and DAZN want to create a true, always-on 'home of boxing' which is a bigger experience than just the usual show-wait for more boxing-show.

It'll be grand.

Edited May 11, 2018 by d-d-d-dAz

[Egg Shen]

17 hours ago, Porkchopcash said:

He is a Salesman though. Who would you say is the biggest name in US boxing? Theres not many. Lets face it, the yanks he has fighting on his cards at the moment such as Jacobs and Millar still arent up to much in terms of popularity. Even Wilder doesn't mean shit in the US, he’d probably draw bigger cards here than he does there. 

Unless Eddie is in it for the long haul i believe he has little chance of making it big in America. The best he can do is sign a few decent names and have them fight over here with the Sky marketing machine behind them.

isn't the deal for 8 years?

Eddie Hearn is the fucking man, i don't care if who dislikes him, he is the best thing to happen to boxing in years, it's incredible how far he's brought the sport in this country. The US seems to run of a dated model, the promoters are still old school and don't quite know what to make of Eddie Hearn, if Hearn's to be believed they all hate him, but all Amercian fighters have to be looking at the shows being put in the UK and be thinking 'i want to be involved in that'. Hearn drew more fans to an arena for Okolie/Chamberlain than were in attendance for Ward/Kovalev II for fuck sake!

I love the bloke.

[wandshogun09]

I hate myself for this but I've got to admit, as much as I tried to be miserable watching it, I laughed pretty much all the way through this video. Hearn doing impressions of Bob Arum, Floyd Mayweather, Chris Eubank Sr, Conor McGregor, Richard Schaefer and Jim McDonnell;

The Schaefer/McDonnell one at the end especially done me. "Get your popcorn ready!"

You'll make a Hearn fan out of me yet, Egg  

[Carbomb]

47 minutes ago, Egg Shen said:

isn't the deal for 8 years?

Eddie Hearn is the fucking man, i don't care if who dislikes him, he is the best thing to happen to boxing in years, it's incredible how far he's brought the sport in this country. The US seems to run of a dated model, the promoters are still old school and don't quite know what to make of Eddie Hearn, if Hearn's to be believed they all hate him, but all Amercian fighters have to be looking at the shows being put in the UK and be thinking 'i want to be involved in that'. Hearn drew more fans to an arena for Okolie/Chamberlain than were in attendance for Ward/Kovalev II for fuck sake!

I love the bloke.

For a philistine like me who doesn't really follow the promotion side of things (I tend to thing of every single one of them as sleazy cunts and shit human beings - mainly based on Don King), what has Hearn done that is so different from other promoters' methods? Has he employed a completely different model, or has he drawn from MMA?

[Egg Shen]

i think he's definitely taken a page out of MMA's book, well it feels like he has.

He just makes himself very accessible to the press and is a brilliant salesman. I sound like a broken record saying it but Hearn's relationship with IFL TV is invaluable and a great example, he regularly put out 30-60 minute interviews (which do 200k + views) with them which don't feel like fluff PR press pieces, he just keeps fans in the loop with what's happening and drums up banter/rivalries with fellow promoters and fighters, he just makes it very engaging as a fan. The actual shows he puts on speak for themselves.

He's just taken boxing by the scruff of the neck and shaken things up.

[Carbomb]

Sounds like a very modern, up-to-date approach, using the full power of available media. Very wise indeed, although I have to say that also sounds as much like a massive failing on the older promoters' parts too. Even if they couldn't appreciate the opportunities new media affords them, they should've at least employed people to help them take advantage of it. Ultimately, they should have been thinking: "This is a new way of making money. How can I get in on it?"

Fair play to the guy for seeing it, though. Even though it always seems obvious to us in hindsight, it's not everyone who has that kind of vision - not just in terms of scope, but in terms of timing. You get some people who do understand the advantages, but try to grasp them too soon, and others too late.

[Egg Shen]

I'd wager that Bob Arum doesn't even know what youtube is.

[wandshogun09]

There are things about the way he promotes that do remind me of how Dana White used to promote back in the Zuffa days. The accessibility is a big one.

The IFL thing can't be understated. I'd honestly say a good 85% of the boxing promotion and hype I consume comes from IFL's Youtube channel. Whoever it was on here that referred to Kugan Cassius as boxing's Ariel Helwani was bang on the money. And Eddie and Kugan have a great rapport. It's like two mates talking boxing. You're still getting the info you expect from an interview with a promoter, but it's less formal and more entertaining. By making it entertaining more people will watch these Eddie/Kugan videos. And the more people that watch, the more people will hear about what Anthony Joshua is doing next or Tony Bellew or Kell Brook or whoever. Contrast that with Frank Warren whinging about Stub Hub, pulling out printouts of emails about fight offers and constantly saying "he's got the bit between his teeth"...it's just stale. I've made no secret I'm not a fan of Hearn but you watch a Kugan/Hearn 20 minute interview and it flies by and feels like 10 minutes. You watch a 20 minute Kugan/Fish Eyes interview and it can feel as long as one of his fight cards. Warren knows how to promote but he's just so grumpy and boring unless something wakes him up and he's really going off on one. 

Most of the boxing promoters around now are from the old school. I think as time goes on you'll see more promoters in the mould of Eddie Hearn. And the Frank Warrens and Shirley Winkels and Lou DiBellas and guys like that are the last of that breed. The IFL style interviews are the way it's going to be from now on for effective promoting. And it's never been better. Forget the promoters, the fighter interviews Kugan does are fantastic and really help you form some kind of investment to root for or against certain boxers. Like for example, Dave Allen (not the late comedian). Nothing special as a boxer, probably won't ever go on to achieve much at all, but just by stumbling on his interviews with Kugan, I'm a fan of the White Rhino now. Seems a really top bloke and I'm interested when he fights now just because I like him. And that's all from the IFL interviews. 

OK, it started as a post about promoters and ended as a Kugan/IFL wankfest, but whatever. 

[Egg Shen]

spot on wand.

On the subject of accessibility, Dana White stepping away from the limelight in my opinion has harmed the UFC in terms of buzz and promotion. When you don't see his presence now it feels like something is missing...and for years many were begging for him to stop doing that kind of thing (including people on this board), bad move in my book.

[d-d-d-dAz]

I think people are underestimating the vision perform/DAZN have and what they genuinely want to achieve alongside Eddie Hearn.

They have a particularly sexy marketing manager working on the project too.

He’s got a mild stutter, mind.

[Egg Shen]

I listened to their little sales pitch at the launch at it sounds great. Won't effect us from a viewing standpoint but the amount of content is gonna be intense, 32 matchroom shows a year.

I think they'll deliver too, unlike Fish Eyes who promised something similar this year and has run like 2 shows on BT so far (might be 1 actually).

[wandshogun09]

I know it's not exactly got people buzzing but Selby vs Warrington next week. 

Who do you think wins? Who do you want to win? Give a shit? 

One thing that's probably a fairly safe bet is that it goes the distance. Neither are known for their power or finishes. I reckon it'll be a good fight though. And should be a good atmosphere with it in Warrington's backyard in Leeds. 

I like Selby on points myself but could possibly see Warrington's pace making Selby work harder than he wants to in the second half of the fight. 

Watched a few little bits and pieces just, a poor mans Gloves Are Off and stuff, and I'm a bit more interested in the fight now. Something about Warrington rubs me the wrong way, can't pinpoint what it is, so I'll be pulling for Selby. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

16 minutes ago, Egg Shen said:

I listened to their little sales pitch at the launch at it sounds great. Won't effect us from a viewing standpoint but the amount of content is gonna be intense, 32 matchroom shows a year.

I think they'll deliver too, unlike Fish Eyes who promised something similar this year and has run like 2 shows on BT so far (might be 1 actually).

The thing is it will effect the British audience. Sky are so invested in matchroom that they’re almost a silent partner. Any content created for the US will be available in the U.K. 

And it will be that always-on style proposition where access and content is magnified to a level a boxing isn’t used to.

UFC are the absolute model of what a fighting brand can be. That’s what within a few years every fight sports company will aim for. This, to me anyway, is the opening gambit.

It breaks down boxing from a ‘hype to pay’ model to a 24/7, 365 days a year journey where there is always something to watch or engage with. And eventually that’ll filter down properly here, too.

Eddie deserves a lot of credit for seeing the benefits beyond the traditional boxing model.

Edited May 11, 2018 by d-d-d-dAz

[Egg Shen]

Yeh, i just meant the digital streaming service itself wont be available in the UK. It will still be all Sky based here.