Stoke show review + Undercard report

[Lightsoot]

Full-review of last night's action, if anyone's interested. Thanks.

http://news.boxrec.com/news/2010/lawton ... ard-review

[Coco]

Craig Watson beat Barrie Jones not Hughes!
Otherwise great article mate

[Counter-puncher]

nice reviews Ben

[Lightsoot]

Craig Watson beat Barrie Jones not Hughes!
Otherwise great article mate

Oops sorry mate . It was a long night and I'm knackered, I'll go and amend this.

Thanks very much for that.

[jBacca]

Thanks for the reviews mate.

[whiskey]

Great piece.

I wanted to see the hatton and watson fights, but werent televised !

[chrisfinch]

Great piece.

I wanted to see the hatton and watson fights, but werent televised !

Thats because they were on after the main event, and sky never show live fights after the big fight.

[whiskey]

Hatton vs Woolford was a decent fight on the undercard of a munroe fight before the main event and wasn't televised either.

The night Gethin beat Fewkes.

[whicker]

Sounds like an excellent undercard.

[mickey1975]

This show must have cost a lot of money to put together.I wonder how long the Hatton's are prepared to make a loss.

[Coco]

This show must have cost a lot of money to put together.I wonder how long the Hatton's are prepared to make a loss.

With ticket sales, sponsership, and much more importantly tv money, the show would be profitable

[whatashambles]

This show must have cost a lot of money to put together.I wonder how long the Hatton's are prepared to make a loss.

With ticket sales, sponsership, and much more importantly tv money, the show would be profitable

Haha that's very funny. Not a chance in hell the made and money. In fact they will have lost huge.

[whicker]

This show must have cost a lot of money to put together.I wonder how long the Hatton's are prepared to make a loss.

With ticket sales, sponsership, and much more importantly tv money, the show would be profitable

I agree - if they put on popular and quality shows, interest will increase, people will want to come to shows (better ticket sales) more people will tune into Sky (higher potential advertising revenue) etc...

[mickey1975]

This show must have cost a lot of money to put together.I wonder how long the Hatton's are prepared to make a loss.

With ticket sales, sponsership, and much more importantly tv money, the show would be profitable

I agree - if they put on popular and quality shows, interest will increase, people will want to come to shows (better ticket sales) more people will tune into Sky (higher potential advertising revenue) etc...

How much is the FFN fee then?Because three 12 rounders,an English title and seven other bouts featuring decent "names" is not going to come cheap.I think Gareth Williams has gone on record saying they expect to lose money at first

[whatashambles]

How much is the FFN fee then?Because three 12 rounders,an English title and seven other bouts featuring decent "names" is not going to come cheap.I think Gareth Williams has gone on record saying they expect to lose money at first

The FFN fee is not nearly enough to cover last night's bill. The venue was only half full and I don't think there were more than 1,000 there. There's a reason people like Maloney and Warren can't match bills like this, because they'll be so expensive.
The likes of Matt Hatton, Steve Foster, Craig Watson, Sergey Gulyakevich, Martin Murray will not be fighting for small change. They will be on reasonable amounts and then add to that a Commonwealth title, a Commonwealth eliminator, an English title and a European title.

[stujones]

What was the ticket sales like. I only caught the Edwards fight - will try and catch the lawton fight later... and that was blackout - so no a good sign, especially as I thought Edwards would be the ticket seller.

[whatashambles]

What was the ticket sales like. I only caught the Edwards fight - will try and catch the lawton fight later... and that was blackout - so no a good sign, especially as I thought Edwards would be the ticket seller.

It held 2000 max and there were big gaps and some areas where more seats could have been set up. I highly doubt it did more than 1000

[alexpaterson]

Very good card, again by the Hattons

[whicker]

One point- are these 10 fight cards really necessary?

If always wonder whats going on when undercard bouts are watched by 10, 20 fans. That can't be economical.

Wouldn't six decent bouts be just as appealling? Main event, lead support, other support and three undercard bouts. That would be a nice evening's entertainment.

[TerribleTerry]

One point- are these 10 fight cards really necessary?

If always wonder whats going on when undercard bouts are watched by 10, 20 fans. That can't be economical.

Wouldn't six decent bouts be just as appealling? Main event, lead support, other support and three undercard bouts. That would be a nice evening's entertainment.

Its not about a nice evening's entertainment when you have a large stable you need to get work for.

The fixed costs of putting on a show are huge - the marginal cost of additional 4 and 6 rounders is minimal - hence these overly extended shows.

FW used to quite often put on 12 - 15 fight bills with boxing running from 5.30pm to well after mid night. A hard slog for all involved.

[chrisfinch]

One point- are these 10 fight cards really necessary?

If always wonder whats going on when undercard bouts are watched by 10, 20 fans. That can't be economical.

Wouldn't six decent bouts be just as appealling? Main event, lead support, other support and three undercard bouts. That would be a nice evening's entertainment.

The place was almost as full at 7pm on friday as it was at the start of the main event at 10. A lot stuck around for Hatton and Watson after the main event, and it was really only the final fight with the Ukrainian v Belarussian where nobody watched.

These smaller shows tend to be different to the big arena ones where nobody comes in until the big fights and everybody goes right after the main event.

[dondada]

Its not about a nice evening's entertainment when you have a large stable you need to get work for.

The fixed costs of putting on a show are huge - the marginal cost of additional 4 and 6 rounders is minimal - hence these overly extended shows.

FW used to quite often put on 12 - 15 fight bills with boxing running from 5.30pm to well after mid night. A hard slog for all involved.

I think Whicker has a point, TT. Even people like me get sick as f*ck with 10-fight cards. Six is plenty, more than enough.

I take your point about the fixed costs but how about negotiating a one or two year deal with a venue to reduce at least that element? Then you're also creating a local base or 'home' for the fans. Just a thought.

[TerribleTerry]

Its not about a nice evening's entertainment when you have a large stable you need to get work for.

The fixed costs of putting on a show are huge - the marginal cost of additional 4 and 6 rounders is minimal - hence these overly extended shows.

FW used to quite often put on 12 - 15 fight bills with boxing running from 5.30pm to well after mid night. A hard slog for all involved.

I think Whicker has a point, TT. Even people like me get sick as f*ck with 10-fight cards. Six is plenty, more than enough.

I take your point about the fixed costs but how about negotiating a one or two year deal with a venue to reduce at least that element? Then you're also creating a local base or 'home' for the fans. Just a thought.

I agree with you both that 10 fight bills are over kill for even hardened fans (I have sat, for 6 - 7 hrs, through a full FW marathon on a good few occasions myself)

My point was that they do not put on these mega shows in the interest of the fans, it is in order to get the fighters work.

A case in point was Steve Smith. His fight was put on in front of the cleaners only at the Aston Events centre last year - his fans were asked to leave by security so he performed in front of an empty hall, devoid of atmosphere.

FW/MH/Hatton etc dont do this in order to give the fans greater value for money but rather to ensure they can say to their fighters - "I am getting you regular work, what more do you want?"

Give me six well matched fights over a 10 fight bill featuring 4 or 5 60-54pts mis-matches any day!