Bellew v cleverly double press conference today

[mickey1975]

I can't work out who the hell would buy this PPV. Just had a chat with a couple of guys in my office who like boxing, more casual fans than hardcore, and even they both said it was ridiculous.

There's not a big enough name or fight to sell this to the casuals, and the hardcore fans will see it for the cash-grab that it is. Really think it'll crash & burn.

Fvck it, I might actually cancel Sky Sports. The message couldn't be clearer that boxing fans are going to be robbed blind from hereon in, having Froch as an exclusively PPV fighter is bad enough without being charged 15 quid to watch a meaningless eliminator between 2 domestic boxers who've already fought.

I'm going to have to stop catching up on boxing news during my working day, now I'm going to have another rage-fuelled unproductive afternoon.

Ring up and go mad, I did and they gave me everything half price for a year.

[Flump]

I thought it was a wind up when i heard it was PPV, this is ridiculous! Absolutely no way am I buying this, there isn't a world class fight on the whole show!

[Andrew]

This should not be PPV - that much is obvious - but having said that I bet half the folk on here insisting they wont buy it then actually will nearer fight time.

British consumers. Own worst enemies. That's why folk like Hearn get away with it.

If people don't fall for hype they don't pay = No PPV fights

Could not be more simpler.

[lefty]

I was just looking at that link. How is Callum Smith's fight a final eliminator for the WBC title? Didnt groves just have a final eliminator for the same strap like not even two weeks ago?!

[Boxerbeetle]

Predictions:

1) Bellew to lose it in the build up, rant about his power, call Clev a gerbil or similar.

2) Clev to win a narrow points dec.

3) Undercard to all go to the fighters on the left hand of the sheet

4) A handful of us poor b4stards forking out serious coin for whats should be free on an already subscription paying channel

5) Hearn/SKY (is there a difference?) to use this as the basis for more PPVs and more ripping off of the paying public.

6) Boxing to gain 0 new fans and be the eventual loser in the whole equation.

This would be a perfectly acceptable standard Saturday night card....not exceptional, just acceptable, in no way a PPV. Total sh1tbags.

[Black Sam Bellamy]

I wonder how all those on social media who hang off Eddies every word will respond to this ? They're already paying for Fight Pass...

[orbtastic]

I think my 12 month sub expires this month, I'm binning them off, it's just ridiculous now (yes, I realise I wouldn't pay for a PPV as part of my sub).

[MarkMcBurney]

Degale and Mitchell need to be in excellent fights or this is gonna bomb

Degale won't be in anything more than a knock over job now that he's mandatory to Froch... Hearn is allegedly eyeing another Wembley date next year.

[jameswilson]

I was just looking at that link. How is Callum Smith's fight a final eliminator for the WBC title? Didnt groves just have a final eliminator for the same strap like not even two weeks ago?!

I did have to do a double take on this one. He is going to be waiting over a year for that shot, surely.

Not a PPV worthy event at all but we did all see it coming.


Any news on whether any tables have been turned upside down or the like?

[lefty]

"You fookin rat!"

[Baboon]

Any news on whether any tables have been turned upside down or the like?

Only way I'm caring is if Tony takes it to the next level and performs a dirty protest on the table before chucking it over.....

[tony1234]

I can't believe that this is PPV, surely Hearn put that bill together for peanuts. I've seen far better line ups on the normal Saturday night shows on SKY Sports, just total and utter greed

[MrJasonM]

Very poor that this is PPV.

The fight has been so staged, it has been painful to watch. It's a bit of an insult to boxing fans in a way as I am pretty sure most fans can see that both fighters have been reading from a script the last few months.

Hopefully the PPV numbers will be very poor.

[Loftgroov]

If the PPV numbers are poor does it really matter to Hearn, in the sense that (from his perspective) any additional revenue is better than none at all?

Or is there a risk for Hearn as the promoter, i.e. some additional costs associated with putting on a PPV event that would require a minimum number of PPV buys to cover?

I’m just trying to understand if making fights PPV is a no-lose situation for Hearn. If few people buy, so what, it’s still better revenue-wise than a free to air broadcast to existing Sky subscribers.

[broomy7s]

Can't see this doing well at the box office. Pathetic decision to go ppc with this show.

[whiskey]

I forecast a lot of people cancelling their sports subs now.

Froch Degale is defo PPV, and I can't see much else that merits the cost inbetween now and January.

Sad but true.

[Glass Joe]

LOL at PPV fight, better be one hell of a undercard. Hopefully quigg isn't fighting another cab driver.

[MightyWarrior]

Like I said, good news it's PPV, because the greedy bastards @ sky and matchroom will get a slap in the face reality check when they realise there's not many going to be PPViewing this sorry arse excuse for a "big night of boxing".

Two journey men cruisers going through a tired old routine we've already seen, with a lacklustre undercard where you already know the winners. I wouldn't even bother missing this one if it was free, let alone 14.95

Hilariously misguided, and hopefully sees Eddie & Smith being shown the door when sky wake up to the fact he's been selling his clueless pal Adam Smith down the river.

[mickey1975]

Sky and Eddie have had a good run with Froch-Kessler and the two Groves fights, the second doing huge numbers. They're getting greedy. They're only interested in building big domestic fights. I wouldn't be surprised if Coyle-Campbell ends up PPV next year, with a STACKED undercard of course. They will even convince everyone they hate each other, despite them being mates!

[lefty]

Head to head lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9RmmTkANhc

[MrJasonM]

Cue Bellew getting a win and then Hearn saying immediately after at ringside about how much the fans will now want to see a decider between the two of them, and how it is a stadium fight.

[Go Faster Stripes]

Cue Bellew getting a win and then Hearn saying immediately after at ringside about how much the fans will now want to see a decider between the two of them, and how it is a stadium fight.

I was thinking that, might as well have the third up at Heavyweight too

The bookies clearly see this as a 50/50 fight you can get even money both if you shop around. My money for what its worth would be on Bellew up at cruiser.

[jameswilson]

Sky and Eddie have had a good run with Froch-Kessler and the two Groves fights, the second doing huge numbers. They're getting greedy. They're only interested in building big domestic fights. I wouldn't be surprised if Coyle-Campbell ends up PPV next year, with a STACKED undercard of course. They will even convince everyone they hate each other, despite them being mates!

It seems to be 2 PPV cards a year no matter what at the mo, the problem with that being there aren't always 2 cards a year that deserve it.

[SteveDow]

The worry with this being PPV is that if it sells well it will create a precedent of any decent domestic scrap(which is what this is) also becoming a PPV. I mean what next? Presumably if Joshua fights any top level British contender next year (Price, Fury, Chisora) then that will also be PPV and the first time Callum Smith steps up against any decent British super-middleweight (Fielding, Groves, Degale) that will also be PPV.

Where does it all end?!

[MrJasonM]

Just watched today's head to head.

It's cringeworthy stuff, I have no real desire to see two fighters dislike each other, yeah it sometimes adds a bit of spice but generally I just want to see a good boxing match. Look at Rees and Buckland's two fights, you will struggle to watch two better fights yet both of them were complete gentleman to each other throughout.

I just find it insulting how they are trying to make it out that these two hate each other.