Any hope of Froch on Setanta?

[TheCobra]

This isn't just money, this is about coverage of Froch and building momentum for future fights. Even if they took a small fee for this fight in the hope of gaining more fans and being in a better bargaining position at a later date surely that would at least be worth something to Froch and Hennessy. I really hope Froch doesn;t lose this fight or it will go down as some of the poorest management of a fighter of recent memory.

[DG.]

Hennessy, sell the fight to Setantsa and use the money to buy the Froch Vs Pascal fight and show that before every day until the fight..

Then show Taylor getting kncoked out, then the Froch STAR burns bright!

[dbf]

This isn't just money, this is about coverage of Froch and building momentum for future fights. Even if they took a small fee for this fight in the hope of gaining more fans and being in a better bargaining position at a later date surely that would at least be worth something to Froch and Hennessy. I really hope Froch doesn;t lose this fight or it will go down as some of the poorest management of a fighter of recent memory.

I can see a similar sentiment shared by Britain’s leading promoter and boxing columnist in an upcoming edition of News of the World

[leforge]

The sun you mean to say. Lets hope Froch does not get robbed on points.

[Spud]

ITV and SKY are not in the game.
Setanta, so I'm told, are not in the game. This fight - so everybody involved tells me - is dead to UK TV. So why not help Carl make a few quid and buy the online edition - if you help people stream the fight illegally you are taking food out of Carl Froch's mouth and not kicking a big company in the nuts. Is that was fans do?
Just a thought.

Adios.

Buncey rather than put this on the fans how about some truths for TV execs why they are not putting the fight on - yeah okay its obvious money - but then "Meaty Mick" will have his version of events too - as usual the fans will get bullsh*t!!

I would love to see Carl fight against Taylor - but will I f*ck pay for a sh*t internet feed - sorry but the internet has not progressed sufficently enough to justify us fans paying only a fiver less what we would normally watch on a ppv showing on the tv.

[nobby_nobbins]

I would love to see Carl fight against Taylor - but will I f*ck pay for a sh*t internet feed - sorry but the internet has not progressed sufficently enough to justify us fans paying only a fiver less what we would normally watch on a ppv showing on the tv.

Damn right. When I can watch a fight in high resolution without freezing or motion blur, so I can see which punches land and which don't, when I can record it on my hard drive to watch it again, then I might consider the Internet. But as things stand, I would rather listen to the fight on 5 Live than endure the frustration of a feed. I'll catch it live on the radio and buy a DVD afterwards.

[Spud]

Ye- 5 live it is - couldn't miss it altogether and Mike Costello doing the comentary will make the fight exciting!!!

[leforge]

I am gutted this is not live surely its better to be on tv than not for Hennessy.

[metropol]

Lads do any of you know can i get radio 5 on sky digital or on the internet? doesnt bunce do a show on there?

[whatashambles]

Lads do any of you know can i get radio 5 on sky digital or on the internet? doesnt bunce do a show on there?

Course you can online @ www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive
Radio MW: 693 kHz, 909 kHz
DAB: 12B
Freeview: 705
Freesat: 705
Sky: 0105
Virgin Media: 905
Tiscali TV: 606
UPC Ireland: 911
Live Stream Real/WM

[Chris W 1982]

I dont mean to sound farfetched but this is an absolute scandal. Carl Froch is a wonderful ambassador for British boxing, he won the World Title in style against an unbeaten prospect with asolid amatuer background. How the hell isnt this fight being shown on TV?????

Were being told not to take food from Carl Froch's mouth, but when MH is holding out for a deal for Carl to get well fed, the TV company employing this man will not cough up our money to have this fight shown.

Who's to blame for this farce?

MH for demanding a good deal for his boxer?
Setanta, for claiming to be the "Home of Boxing" when they cant get behind one of our own champions?
Or has boxing fell so far from the public eye that no one even cares whether its shown or not?

This whole episode stinks. TV executives, Promoters and fighters need to unite and ensure that nothin like this happens again. A British fighter fightin for, or defending a legitimate World title should be guarenteed some kind of live TV coverage.

[Spud]

I dont mean to sound farfetched but this is an absolute scandal. Carl Froch is a wonderful ambassador for British boxing, he won the World Title in style against an unbeaten prospect with asolid amatuer background. How the hell isnt this fight being shown on TV?????

Were being told not to take food from Carl Froch's mouth, but when MH is holding out for a deal for Carl to get well fed, the TV company employing this man will not cough up our money to have this fight shown.

Who's to blame for this farce?

MH for demanding a good deal for his boxer?
Setanta, for claiming to be the "Home of Boxing" when they cant get behind one of our own champions?
Or has boxing fell so far from the public eye that no one even cares whether its shown or not?

This whole episode stinks. TV executives, Promoters and fighters need to unite and ensure that nothin like this happens again. A British fighter fightin for, or defending a legitimate World title should be guarenteed some kind of live TV coverage.

One of the best posts in a long time!!!

Whilst Setanta are not the only ones to blame - I am seriously p*ssed off with them so much so I have cancelled my subs!!

[Chris W 1982]

Cheers Spud.

[Croydon1]

This is a farce. I admire Froch for going over to the US for his first defence but this is just going to be a massive failure and complete wrong strategy in my opinion. Sometimes you have to put your bravado behind you and look at it from a business perspective, a few easy defences to build up his name in the UK then he calls the shots. Like i said earlier, you cant fault his ambition but this is a fight I think he will lose.

Taylor is going to be too fast for him, too mobile and Froch will be hit by three punches before he lands one. The only way I see Froch winning this fight is if he lands something big but Taylor has to be stood there for him to do that. Taylor has seen it all before, he has been on the big stage a lot more times than Froch, he will handle the stage, he has shared the ring and beat a strategist in BHop. People keep talking about how Taylor faced blown up welters etc but he is still undefeated against them and believe it or not... he is a world class fighter. I just cant see Froch keeping up I really can't, as much as I would love Froch to win.

This is all going to go wrong, everything from the tv, the money, the result and his future.... but I really hope I'm wrong.

[Spud]

I remember Panos Elaides who was Lennox Lewis promoter at the time telling me "Meaty Mick" was a seriously good negoitiator on behalf of his boxers - Meaty Mick was merely representing Robert McCracken at the time - I think it was at the time of Robert McCracken and Howard Eastman and also the time Rob met Keith Holmes for the WBC Middleweight Title and both times - Meaty Mick managed to secure a good purse for his fighter - so I guess what I am saying is Meaty Mick fights hard to get his fighters the best wage - if at times he goes in too high then sometimes sobeit - dont blame the promoter/manager for trying their best to get decent dough - Meaty Mick is seriously principiled and it seems he is simply not allowing TV Execs to take the p*ss out of him by getting this fight cheap - he would rather take nothing and hope the TV Execs do business the next time.

Nah I am sorry I blaming TV for this - would they treat a certain couple of promoters the same - no f*cking chance for fear of those promoters walking away.

I seriously hope this fight is truly fantastic - I also hope Carl Froch wins - and then watch the TV Execs get some serious and I am mean serious flack - whilst some may say Meaty Mick has gone in too high - I say TV has yet again let down the sport - out of principle will I f*ck renew my Setanta Subscriptions - they can f*ck right off - now by doing that as a seriously obsessed boxing fan and footie fan I am cutting my nose to spite my face - but as a matter of principle Setanta have to realise they have f*cked off a lot of sports fans!!

[DG.]

ITV gets its revenue from ads and we all know the way things are at the moment.

If this were 9pm prime time they woul be in, I think.

A delayed show (Sunday Night ITV4 ) would be good.


Setanta should bid and something tells me they will.

[Asterix]

This is a farce. I admire Froch for going over to the US for his first defence but this is just going to be a massive failure and complete wrong strategy in my opinion. Sometimes you have to put your bravado behind you and look at it from a business perspective, a few easy defences to build up his name in the UK then he calls the shots. Like i said earlier, you cant fault his ambition but this is a fight I think he will lose.

Taylor is going to be too fast for him, too mobile and Froch will be hit by three punches before he lands one. The only way I see Froch winning this fight is if he lands something big but Taylor has to be stood there for him to do that. Taylor has seen it all before, he has been on the big stage a lot more times than Froch, he will handle the stage, he has shared the ring and beat a strategist in BHop. People keep talking about how Taylor faced blown up welters etc but he is still undefeated against them and believe it or not... he is a world class fighter. I just cant see Froch keeping up I really can't, as much as I would love Froch to win.

This is all going to go wrong, everything from the tv, the money, the result and his future.... but I really hope I'm wrong.

You make some great points and I'd find it hard to disagree with you. I'm also hoping Froch pulls it off.

[DavidPayne]

I remember Panos Elaides who was Lennox Lewis promoter at the time telling me "Meaty Mick" was a seriously good negoitiator on behalf of his boxers - Meaty Mick was merely representing Robert McCracken at the time - I think it was at the time of Robert McCracken and Howard Eastman and also the time Rob met Keith Holmes for the WBC Middleweight Title and both times - Meaty Mick managed to secure a good purse for his fighter - so I guess what I am saying is Meaty Mick fights hard to get his fighters the best wage - if at times he goes in too high then sometimes sobeit - dont blame the promoter/manager for trying their best to get decent dough - Meaty Mick is seriously principiled and it seems he is simply not allowing TV Execs to take the p*ss out of him by getting this fight cheap - he would rather take nothing and hope the TV Execs do business the next time.

Nah I am sorry I blaming TV for this - would they treat a certain couple of promoters the same - no f*cking chance for fear of those promoters walking away.

I seriously hope this fight is truly fantastic - I also hope Carl Froch wins - and then watch the TV Execs get some serious and I am mean serious flack - whilst some may say Meaty Mick has gone in too high - I say TV has yet again let down the sport - out of principle will I f*ck renew my Setanta Subscriptions - they can f*ck right off - now by doing that as a seriously obsessed boxing fan and footie fan I am cutting my nose to spite my face - but as a matter of principle Setanta have to realise they have f*cked off a lot of sports fans!!

Setanta have done more for British Boxing fans in the last twelve months as part of their standard subscription than SKY have done in 10 years.

If you cancel your subscription you're fooling yourself - because if Setanta go to the wall, as the attempt to renegotiate their SPL deal further suggests, they could if subscriber numbers dont go up, you'll be back in the hands of SKY without competition. You know, the guys who put Amir Khan on PPV.

The thing to do is bombard them with construct emails, and fill in their questionnaires and tell them its boxing - not football that draws you to them.

[leforge]

Setanta have no money I read that they are struggling to pay exisiting football commitments. Hennessy should have accepted a lower fee as tv exposure better than none.

[stujones]

If nobody shows this fight - TV execs will not care if its a good one or not.

Remember Junior Witter - after Zab he put on some pretty explosive performances.... were showtime ever interested - nope... cause he is still the one who was showcased in a stinker. I remember Jay Larkin saying pretty much the only way Showtime will show Witter again is if he is potrayed as a sacrificial lamb against a top American name - as a showcase for the name. Larkin didn't care if the Judah fight was just a bad night at the office, fact was it was at his office and he was fired - no matter how well he performed away from the office.

They will not thing - God I heard Froch put on an amazing display, we've got to have him next time. Its all about the present.

[stujones]

Setanta have no money I read that they are struggling to pay exisiting football commitments. Hennessy should have accepted a lower fee as tv exposure better than none.

Yes, I wonder how much Hennessy was involved in the decision - its important to remember he is not promoting it. So two things.

1) He's got a "nothing" to lose type thing..... its not like as much of his cash is going into staging it. So why not earn a bit of "free" money by securing cheap UK TV rights.

2) How much was Hennessy involved.... maybe its Gary Shaw who is in the negotating and holding out.

[banjo]

It'd be interesting to see what the figures for Skys boxing coverage over the last few years has been, the last couple of years has seen Sky make big deals to show US-based sports like NFL and Nascar but boxing coverage seems to be reduced to televising small hall shows which only proper boxing fans are interested in, are the viewing figures for boxing really that low now so people are only interested if it's Hatton or Khan?

They don't even show fights from America anymore in the early hours, and if Setanta are really in as much trouble as is being stated then even less boxing is going to be shown.

[DavidPayne]

Would Mick's hand have been strengthened if he'd put a British card together to provide segway to the American card?

Couldn't he have got Witter a fight with someone - unless I'm mistaken Gavin Rees is a free agent? COuldn't tha thave been cobbled together for small money.

[Pugilist-specialist]

ITV and SKY are not in the game.
Setanta, so I'm told, are not in the game. This fight - so everybody involved tells me - is dead to UK TV. So why not help Carl make a few quid and buy the online edition - if you help people stream the fight illegally you are taking food out of Carl Froch's mouth and not kicking a big company in the nuts. Is that was fans do?
Just a thought.

Adios.

If Haye loses in June, will Setanta pull out of their deal with Hayemaker as another cost-cutting measure ?

[Spud]

I remember Panos Elaides who was Lennox Lewis promoter at the time telling me "Meaty Mick" was a seriously good negoitiator on behalf of his boxers - Meaty Mick was merely representing Robert McCracken at the time - I think it was at the time of Robert McCracken and Howard Eastman and also the time Rob met Keith Holmes for the WBC Middleweight Title and both times - Meaty Mick managed to secure a good purse for his fighter - so I guess what I am saying is Meaty Mick fights hard to get his fighters the best wage - if at times he goes in too high then sometimes sobeit - dont blame the promoter/manager for trying their best to get decent dough - Meaty Mick is seriously principiled and it seems he is simply not allowing TV Execs to take the p*ss out of him by getting this fight cheap - he would rather take nothing and hope the TV Execs do business the next time.

Nah I am sorry I blaming TV for this - would they treat a certain couple of promoters the same - no f*cking chance for fear of those promoters walking away.

I seriously hope this fight is truly fantastic - I also hope Carl Froch wins - and then watch the TV Execs get some serious and I am mean serious flack - whilst some may say Meaty Mick has gone in too high - I say TV has yet again let down the sport - out of principle will I f*ck renew my Setanta Subscriptions - they can f*ck right off - now by doing that as a seriously obsessed boxing fan and footie fan I am cutting my nose to spite my face - but as a matter of principle Setanta have to realise they have f*cked off a lot of sports fans!!

Setanta have done more for British Boxing fans in the last twelve months as part of their standard subscription than SKY have done in 10 years.

If you cancel your subscription you're fooling yourself - because if Setanta go to the wall, as the attempt to renegotiate their SPL deal further suggests, they could if subscriber numbers dont go up, you'll be back in the hands of SKY without competition. You know, the guys who put Amir Khan on PPV.

The thing to do is bombard them with construct emails, and fill in their questionnaires and tell them its boxing - not football that draws you to them.

Okay I concede with you - you make extremely valid points - but its "between a rock and a hard place" time - I just wonder now Setanta have what they feel the core of the main boxing fanatics they need not do any more - they feel they have got us and to a point are now treating us for granted.

I also concede Setanta have been fantastic for boxing and boxing fans - but does that mean they have the liberty to take their foot off the pedal?