Cotto v Bundrage

[thunderfromdownunder]

Seen this is up on boxrec, I know that dosent mean it's confirmed, but I also saw an article on boxing scene about it.
It's a decent fight I guess, I would have preferred it was at 154. I figure if Cotto wins this he will fight Canelo

[ikorolev]

Catch weight or 160 ?

[ReggieDiggs]

Google is a much better option to find out when a fight is official guys. Any asshole with editor abilities can add a fight to the schedule.

Having said that Miguel vs Cornelius was confirmed on a Spanish website a day or two ago iirc & there have been rumors that would be the fight since he signed with Roc Nation.

[sucracristo]

just take away cotto's title already.
he won't fight any of the top middles and now he is going to the bottom
of the top 10 jr middles and welters. just give it to GGG already.

[hurricanemitch14]

This doesnt surprise me cotto trying to get ahold of a title at jm before getting rid of the middle title. Bundrage sucks.

[ikorolev]

Arum may be trying to punish Cotto by taking K9 possibility away:

http://www.BS.com/tim-bradley- ... hot--88780?

[expe]

Arum may be trying to punish Cotto by taking K9 possibility away:

http://www.BS.com/tim-bradley- ... hot--88780?

I can't see there being more money for Bundrage to fight Bradley than Cotto, unless Arum is overpaying him to spite Cotto.

[ReggieDiggs]

Arum may be trying to punish Cotto by taking K9 possibility away:

http://www.BS.com/tim-bradley- ... hot--88780?

I can't see there being more money for Bundrage to fight Bradley than Cotto, unless Arum is overpaying him to spite Cotto.

There is more opportunity with TR too so could be that or this or a lil of both. Brandon Rios was being talked about as a potential Miguel opponent too so maybe he wouldn't be opposed to fighting Cornelius either.

Interesting development whatever happens.

[Badhusker]

I have also read it may be Bradley vs K9. Who knows. If Cotto wants to preserve some of his respect from the fans, he needs to give up the MW belt if he is not going to defend it against Middle weights. Even to a casual fan it looks bad I'm sure. Not that K9 would be a bad fight. I think a 40+ yr old 154lber is an even match for Cotto.

[ReggieDiggs]

I have also read it may be Bradley vs K9. Who knows. If Cotto wants to preserve some of his respect from the fans, he needs to give up the MW belt if he is not going to defend it against Middle weights. Even to a casual fan it looks bad I'm sure. Not that K9 would be a bad fight. I think a 40+ yr old 154lber is an even match for Cotto.

I don't think most casual fans care about belts at all in 2015.

If the abc belts had any integrity Miguel wouldn't be still holding a belt or would be getting it stripped soon for inactivity. Having said that I can't hate on a boxer gaming the corrupt system they are forced to exist in to their benefit. Respect to Miguel. Future HOFer & smarter than average cat in the business of boxing.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

If Cotto gives up the WBC middleweight strap that meens he's moving back down to jr middle in that case this fight is probably his best option
by beating K9 for the IBF world tittle he will have some negotiation power when they sit down with team Canelo for a BIG money fight
at a weight that is more suited to Cotto.

[Evander]

At this point the Bundrage fight isn't very appealing at all.

[Datsue]

I don't think most casual fans care about belts at all in 2015.

That's where I get confused... I don't think most people in boxing--Haymon included, on some levels--know what the fvck they think about belts, or even what the public at large thinks about belts. They pander to the ABC orgs one minute, paying vast step aside fees & penalties, & the next they clam up about them & pretend they don't exist, telling their fighters to ditch them on a whim. & then spend eleventy trillion dollars buying back some cheap strap for the same guy that they just told to drop their trouser keeper-upper.

They engineer situations where it appears--to the layman--that the movers & shakers don't care squat about the belts, & then you find out they're still paying sanctioning fees through the arse just to keep hold of them.

Ask anyone in the game on this side of the pond, from small-level promoters to the big boys, & their corps of arse-lickers--the sycophantic circle-jerk that fills social meedja & passes for "boxing journalism" in this country--& they'll immediately respond, when you dare to enquire why such & such a Mickey Mouse title is being created/fought over, "Title fights always always sell better than non-title, especially to the casuals", which is a roundabout way of saying "We are in the business of fleecing the punters", a fact of which they seem obscurely proud.

No-one has ever produced any compelling evidence or done any kind of research into whether or not stupid made-up titles do attract fans, as far as I can see, but boxing dudes all seem to believe it, or at least parrot that they do.

I've always thought, if stupid made-up titles really do improve numbers, why isn't--say--kick-boxing the number one sport in the UK? There's about forty British kickboxing champions, as far as I know. People should be clamouring for it...

[Badhusker]

Too many belts have watered things down to the point that boxers use the belts don't matter excuse to avoid certain guys or challenge certain guys. I guess that is where the frustration sets in for me, being somewhat in-between a casual and hardcore fan. I prefer the days when a champion actually meant something special.
Now unfortunately it is more about money. When the prima donnas like Pacquiao, Mayweather, and Cotto retire I think boxing will actually improve in a lot of ways. Always someone though to try to take where they left off.

[ReggieDiggs]

I don't think most casual fans care about belts at all in 2015.

That's where I get confused... I don't think most people in boxing--Haymon included, on some levels--know what the fvck they think about belts, or even what the public at large thinks about belts. They pander to the ABC orgs one minute, paying vast step aside fees & penalties, & the next they clam up about them & pretend they don't exist, telling their fighters to ditch them on a whim. & then spend eleventy trillion dollars buying back some cheap strap for the same guy that they just told to drop their trouser keeper-upper.

They engineer situations where it appears--to the layman--that the movers & shakers don't care squat about the belts, & then you find out they're still paying sanctioning fees through the arse just to keep hold of them.

Ask anyone in the game on this side of the pond, from small-level promoters to the big boys, & their corps of arse-lickers--the sycophantic circle-jerk that fills social meedja & passes for "boxing journalism" in this country--& they'll immediately respond, when you dare to enquire why such & such a Mickey Mouse title is being created/fought over, "Title fights always always sell better than non-title, especially to the casuals", which is a roundabout way of saying "We are in the business of fleecing the punters", a fact of which they seem obscurely proud.

No-one has ever produced any compelling evidence or done any kind of research into whether or not stupid made-up titles do attract fans, as far as I can see, but boxing dudes all seem to believe it, or at least parrot that they do.

I've always thought, if stupid made-up titles really do improve numbers, why isn't--say--kick-boxing the number one sport in the UK? There's about forty British kickboxing champions, as far as I know. People should be clamouring for it...

I think the casual fans here (in the US) don't even know who "the champion" is in most divisions let alone all the champions. In the rare chance I do find a non-internet, real life person to talk boxing to they generally have a very rudimentary take of it at all levels & if Manny, Floyd, Oscar, Mike or Sugar Ray ain't their favorite boxer its a more exciting talk just to find out who that 6th guy they know is.

All the same I would agree if you advertise something as a championship fight this Saturday vs a fight this Saturday in every nook & cranny of the globe overall I'd bet the champ angle drives up the ratings or sells more.

But people don't give a f#ck about this abc belt or that abc belt its merely the generic "championship" term that boosts things up from a $$$ or viewership angle imho (I've done no studies due to lack of funds for my whydopeoplewatchboxing.org nonprofit). Thus I bet you could prove that merely throwing "champion" or "championship" in there has the same or similar effect (& this could be why Premier Boxing Champions has its name, now that I think about it).

[ReggieDiggs]

In more Cotto news, The Adrien Broner of twitter, Steve Kim, has stated HBO won't be showing the next Cotto fight unless Cotto agrees in advance to fight Saul.

Steve Kim @steveucnlive
Word is that HBO isnt going to do Cotto's next fight unless there's a commitment to do Canelo next. They want a safety net #boxing

I think Miguel brings ratings if he's fighting a journeyman, but I can obviously understand HBO's stance too. It does kinda feel like this could be Bob influenced though. From an overall position losing Miguel to Showtime seems like a bad move which is the risk in taking this stance. And I kinda get the feeling Miguel isn't the type of cat who likes to feel forced into doing anything so this could potentially go sour for all parties, HBO, Miguel & Saul, easily.

[tiny_acres]

In more Cotto news, The Adrien Broner of twitter, Steve Kim, has stated HBO won't be showing the next Cotto fight unless Cotto agrees in advance to fight Saul.

Steve Kim @steveucnlive
Word is that HBO isnt going to do Cotto's next fight unless there's a commitment to do Canelo next. They want a safety net #boxing

I think Miguel brings ratings if he's fighting a journeyman, but I can obviously understand HBO's stance too. It does kinda feel like this could be Bob influenced though. From an overall position losing Miguel to Showtime seems like a bad move which is the risk in taking this stance. And I kinda get the feeling Miguel isn't the type of cat who likes to feel forced into doing anything so this could potentially go sour for all parties, HBO, Miguel & Saul, easily.

It would not surprise me to see this one on NBC if HBO turns it down.

[ReggieDiggs]

In more Cotto news, The Adrien Broner of twitter, Steve Kim, has stated HBO won't be showing the next Cotto fight unless Cotto agrees in advance to fight Saul.

Steve Kim @steveucnlive
Word is that HBO isnt going to do Cotto's next fight unless there's a commitment to do Canelo next. They want a safety net #boxing

I think Miguel brings ratings if he's fighting a journeyman, but I can obviously understand HBO's stance too. It does kinda feel like this could be Bob influenced though. From an overall position losing Miguel to Showtime seems like a bad move which is the risk in taking this stance. And I kinda get the feeling Miguel isn't the type of cat who likes to feel forced into doing anything so this could potentially go sour for all parties, HBO, Miguel & Saul, easily.

It would not surprise me to see this one on NBC if HBO turns it down.

Idk about that. Miguel is with Roc Nation & Roc Nation & Al Haymon, who gots the deal with NBC (& a half dozen other channels), aren't the best of friends it would seem as Roc Nation was seemingly trying to poach several Haymon guys (Keith, Deontay, Adrien & a couple more who I'm forgetting) & Roc Nation's winning of Peter Quillin's purse bid led to Peter dropping that particular abc belt.

[Badhusker]

I recently read that Cotto may not get the K9 fight, since Top Rank is trying to get it for Bradley instead, and leave Cotto out. I heard Lara wants the Cotto fight, but being with Haymon may not get it. Andrade has a better chance due to his promotional team and has no opponent.

Andrade vs Cotto would be a great fight. My money would be on Andrade if it happens. I think both Lara and Andrade are bad style match-ups for Cotto, but Cotto has never been afraid of a challenge, unless you count his reluctance to face GGG.

[zorndeslammes]

The name that Steve Kim keeps dropping now is Jorge Heiland as a Cotto opponent. The politics here are this:

-RocNation has very high minimums for Cotto and Ward, which means they need to get a lot of money to recoup these minimums. HBO has traditionally paid more money for fights than Showtime, so they're naturally the network to look to for both.

-Showtime still has a deal with Al Haymon. RocNation and Al Haymon aren't working together. That doesn't necessarily disqualify Showtime from doing this, but it makes it more unlikely that they'd spend a lot of money on a one off Cotto fight after how he treated them following the last one (going back to HBO after the Trout fight) when they have a partner.

-HBO has other fighters now who can generate ratings and will probably make a ton of money, like all parties, with Mayweather/Pacquiao. Viewership for Ward fights is at or below an average HBO program. Viewership for Cotto fights is above average, but he also demands a far above average fee. They are not in a position where the must accept the demands of either. This is not a comfortable situation for RocNation.

If I had to guess how this goes, I think RocNation is going to be forced into a June PPV date with Miguel Cotto and take a bath. They might be forced to pay Ward off that show too since HBO rejected the fight they brought them (Thomas Oosthuizen at "168", seriously).

[ikorolev]

If Heiland is as juiced as he was with Macklin, he will run through Cotto.

[ReggieDiggs]

The name that Steve Kim keeps dropping now is Jorge Heiland as a Cotto opponent. The politics here are this:

-RocNation has very high minimums for Cotto and Ward, which means they need to get a lot of money to recoup these minimums. HBO has traditionally paid more money for fights than Showtime, so they're naturally the network to look to for both.

-Showtime still has a deal with Al Haymon. RocNation and Al Haymon aren't working together. That doesn't necessarily disqualify Showtime from doing this, but it makes it more unlikely that they'd spend a lot of money on a one off Cotto fight after how he treated them following the last one (going back to HBO after the Trout fight) when they have a partner.

-HBO has other fighters now who can generate ratings and will probably make a ton of money, like all parties, with Mayweather/Pacquiao. Viewership for Ward fights is at or below an average HBO program. Viewership for Cotto fights is above average, but he also demands a far above average fee. They are not in a position where the must accept the demands of either. This is not a comfortable situation for RocNation.

If I had to guess how this goes, I think RocNation is going to be forced into a June PPV date with Miguel Cotto and take a bath. They might be forced to pay Ward off that show too since HBO rejected the fight they brought them (Thomas Oosthuizen at "168", seriously).

Solid breakdown & lol at Roc Nation & the continued mess they find themselves in. If they get somewhere in boxing they will have earned it with all the issues they've ran into at the start.

I think you either go with whoever for June & give HBO the promise you'll fight Saul next or go the Showtime route & hope you can gamble on getting bigger dollars for Saul by playing chicken with HBO over making the biggest fight in the sport as of May 3. Idk that the PPV route does much good here as there isn't really a PPV caliber opponent on the short list it'd seem, but tbf idk all the expenses & income that'd be involved there with a C level opponent so maybe that does still make sense & Miguel vs a paperbag could get 300k buys.

[zorndeslammes]

I have no idea what happened with Gary Shaw but obviously the breakdown there was key because it took from them practically all their B-C level guys to fill cards with. They'll be lucky to not collapse full scale within a year. Good luck to Cotto and Ward if they end up with promotional contracts that keep them out of the ring even longer.

[cold187]

lol yeah, ward out of one trouble into another

[Chepppaaa]

one of the dumbest match ups ever.......one of the 20 best boxers in the world against a midget, who stands 5'6 and is even smaller than pac...jhahhahahhahhahaahahahhahahhahahhahahahahahahahahaha please, please stop hahahahahaaha.........midget hahaha