Comments Thread For: “Fighting Words” — Stevenson Gives Kovalev the Business

[Corelone]

Al Haymon? He is signing everybody, now let's see how good he is for boxing. The fans are upset at these antics and soon the ST big bucks will dry up too. Everybody can't get paid millions, that's unreasonable, but he's building these expectations in all his fighters. Somebody is going to be dissappointed, besides the fans.

[JDD1]

Like i said they couldnt force Stevenson to fight Kovalev. They tried to thru contractual obligation but he declined
Again with the hindsight bias, they couldnt force stevenson to fight Kovalev. Everything was on Stevenson to accept the fight, a fight which was more lucrative then the fight he chose, but he declined. Now he's all about the business but when a better fight was in his hands, he declined.

Yes its all on stevenson. The fact that HBO need to force him to fight the top guy in the division who also brings more money and a belt is ridiculous

As you showed before you don't know for sure which fight was more lucrative. Yes, it was on stevenson to accept. Where we disagree is that once he did not, HBO didn't have to agree to air the Fonfora fight. They should've locked him up well before this IMO, thus limiting is options and penalizing him for not fighting Kovalev last year.

HBO's response to him not fighting Kovalev last year-here is $1 milion plus to fight fonfora in a setup and then agree to fight Kovalev. Thats ridiculous my man.

Kovalev isn't the top guy in the division, he is the hottest (in terms of momentum) in the division. The best, IMO are stevenson and bhop. That said, stevenson v kovalev IMO is the best fight in the division right now.

I guess we will agree to disagree.

[Russian Crushin]

As you showed before you don't know for sure which fight was more lucrative. Yes, it was on stevenson to accept. Where we disagree is that once he did not, HBO didn't have to agree to air the Fonfora fight. They should've locked him up well before this IMO, thus limiting is options and penalizing him for not fighting Kovalev last year.

A Kovalev fight would be more lucrative, its not even up to debate, get real, seriously. Should have, could have, all of this is hind sight bias. Its on the fighters to fight the best, not outside 3rd parties who will be televising it to force them into binding contracts into forcing them. There was nothing stopping the fight from happening other than stevenson

HBO's response to him not fighting Kovalev last year-here is $1 milion plus to fight fonfora in a setup and then agree to fight Kovalev. Thats ridiculous my man.

Again, they could not force him with fight Kovalev, you still dont get it.

Kovalev isn't the top guy in the division, he is the hottest (in terms of momentum) in the division. The best, IMO are stevenson and bhop. That said, stevenson v kovalev IMO is the best fight in the division right now.

I guess we will agree to disagree.

Kovalev is a top guy, with stevenson and Hopkins. But my point was that he took on a lesser fighter in Fonfara instead of a better fighter, who brought more money and a belt.If he chose hopkins over kovalev, youd have a point but he didnt, he chose Fonfara.

[JDD1]

A Kovalev fight would be more lucrative, its not even up to debate, get real, seriously. Should have, could have, all of this is hind sight bias. Its on the fighters to fight the best, not outside 3rd parties who will be televising it to force them into binding contracts into forcing them. There was nothing stopping the fight from happening other than stevensonAgain, they could not force him with fight Kovalev, you still dont get it.

Kovalev is a top guy, with stevenson and Hopkins. But my point was that he took on a lesser fighter in Fonfara instead of a better fighter, who brought more money and a belt.If he chose hopkins over kovalev, youd have a point but he didnt, he chose Fonfara.

My man, I get it. HBO can't force stevenson to fight. HBO can sign stevenson to a muti fight deal that has a Kovalev fight as part of the package. SInce it was clear he didn't want to fight Kovalev, HBO should have NEVER put him back on the air without a signed deal in place. If you can't see that so be it.

I get your point that steveson should have fought Kovalev last year. HBO didn't offer him a BHop fight, they offered him a fonfora fight as a build up to the Kovalev fight. Showtime came in and offered more for that fight as a build to the Bhop fight.

Had Herschman done this right, even if Stevenson signed with Haymon, there would be no way stevenson could even entertain an offer from showtime to find a way not to fight Kovalev.

[Russian Crushin]

My man, I get it. HBO can't force stevenson to fight. HBO can sign stevenson to a muti fight deal that has a Kovalev fight as part of the package. SInce it was clear he didn't want to fight Kovalev, HBO should have NEVER put him back on the air without a signed deal in place. If you can't see that so be it.

It was either do that, or lose him, a fighter theyve spent millions to build up already. I thought they did sign him but apparently they didnt sign it. His promoter agreed with Main Events that Kovalev would be next

I get your point that steveson should have fought Kovalev last year. HBO didn't offer him a BHop fight, they offered him a fonfora fight as a build up to the Kovalev fight. Showtime came in and offered more for that fight as a build to the Bhop fight.

He should be fighting him right now. Him going over to Showtime right now is a move any fighter would make, its more money, but that doesnt take away from the fact that while he did pick the most lucrative option right now, he declined the most lucrative option 2 months ago.

Had Herschman done this right, even if Stevenson signed with Haymon, there would be no way stevenson could even entertain an offer from showtime to find a way not to fight Kovalev.

Its all on the fighter. The fight was ripe to be happening right now and all parties, but stevenson, wanted it. If every fight had to happen with a TV contract binding them to fight the next fighter, it would be anarchy. HBO shouldnt force you to fight the best, more lucrative, unification fights, thats all on you

[-Makunouchi-]

No matter what he says, he still blatantly ducked kk

[JDD1]

It was either do that, or lose him, a fighter theyve spent millions to build up already. I thought they did sign him but apparently they didnt sign it. His promoter agreed with Main Events that Kovalev would be nextHe should be fighting him right now. Him going over to Showtime right now is a move any fighter would make, its more money, but that doesnt take away from the fact that while he did pick the most lucrative option right now, he declined the most lucrative option 2 months ago.

Its all on the fighter. The fight was ripe to be happening right now and all parties, but stevenson, wanted it. If every fight had to happen with a TV contract binding them to fight the next fighter, it would be anarchy. HBO shouldnt force you to fight the best, more lucrative, unification fights, thats all on you

They wouldn't have lost him. Herschman tried to do this on the cheap and it bit him in the ass. Yes, he declined 2 month ago. what did HBO do when he did-give him an offer for a winnable fight and agree to air that without a signature. GTFOH thats plain ******ity.

We disagree its all on the fighter. We agree stevenson didn't want the fight. In this instance, HBO didn't do what it should have to put them in the best position to air the fight.

STevenson is headed towards a unfication fight with one of the best in the division as you said. He is getting paid far too much for the set up fight before this. The only difference is the two fights are on showtime and not HBO.What he isn't doing is fighting the guy who has the most momentum and who most of us prefer to see him fight.

Herschman had a way to either make this fight happen OR put stevenson in a position where if he didn't take the fight he wouldn't have a chance to earn any income-which I suspect over time would force him into the ring with Kovalev or bring his career to an end until he gave HBO the fight he owed them. But he failed to get a signature, a rookie mistake.

Herschman should be fired immediately.

[SUBZER0ED]

I agree HBO made the best move for them at the time. That said, this fight should have been held in 2013 and the cost of the Fonfura bout only became an issue because Herschman's failed to lock both fighters up earlier last year.

He left an opening and Sowtime took full advantage. If we did that on our jobs you already know what happens.

Interesting points. How many times is HBO going to fall for the okie-dokie; building up fighters only to have them snatched away by Showtime? Sign these fighters to binding contracts, before they run away to promises of bigger paydays for easier fights from Haymon and Showtime. Stevenson probably thinks he can get big money for an easy fight against Hopkins. He's already getting 40% more to fight Fonfara than HBO offered. I think it's going to backfire on him though, and he'll wish he'd stayed with HBO and fought Kovalev.

[JDD1]

[/B]


Interesting points. How many times is HBO going to fall for the okie-dokie; building up fighters only to have them snatched away by Showtime? Sign these fighters to binding contracts, before they run away to promises of bigger paydays for easier fights from Haymon and Showtime. Stevenson probably thinks he can get big money for an easy fight against Hopkins. He's already getting 40% more to fight Fonfara than HBO offered. I think it's going to backfire on him though, and he'll wish he'd stayed with HBO and fought Kovalev.

Not HBO per say, but Herschman. I woudn't give guys a 5-6 fight deal like the one floyd has. Thats insane. But a simple 2 fight deal was easy and affordable for these 2.

Herschman wanted this to be the biggest non ppv fight this year for HBO. You need to protect your investment better.

ooking forward, imagine if Cotto somehow beats Sergio then goes to Showtime and fights floyd again?

[Mr. Philadel]

If Adonis and his team feels as though they can get more bread for BHop than Frankenstein, it wouldn't be smart math to take a 50/50 fight or anything in that district....Frankenstein represents that district for Adonis.....add the butter BHop probably put in his ear and that's the ingredients for this strategically made duck dish

I doubt boxers on that level at that age is physically or mentally afraid of anyone....if anything they're afraid to take the financial losses.....Frankenstein dents Adonis and he loses 7 or 8 figures....losing a fight is nothing new to that dude.....they just gave him the keys to that arena in Canada, he's gotta milk it for every cent.....Frankenstein is a financial risk that a smart man wouldn't take if BHop was holding a bigger bag of money with your name on it

But some dudes probably think it's some punk ass playground fear....nah