It's official: Kovalev/Stevenson not happening soon

[jujigatame]

I have generally been critical of Haymon but you can't blame him for this. If he wins the purse bid with a multi-million dollar bid, how can you blame him for the fight not coming off? It's not his fault Kovalev has some crap deal with HBO that forces him to turn the fight down.

[ikorolev]

How is Kovalev's HBO deal a crap. Should he have refused to sign with HBO to be able to fight Stevenson who would quite possibly still be avoiding him ?

[ReggieDiggs]

This was an expected issue with network incompatibility. At this time, it is none of the fighters' fault. However, if Stevenson didn't run from HBO to Haymon, the fight wouldn't have this obstacle. When deciding to sign with Haymon, Stevenson knew that it made a fight with Kovalev REALLY hard to make.

Unless I'm misunderstanding or misremembering the figures involved it sounded like Adonis could make more outside of HBO fighting lesser guys then making within HBO fighting Sergey. To me I'd say this is the multimillion dollar company HBO's fault not the guy trying to make the most money while he can in a 3-5(?) year window he has left fault. It sounded like if HBO had stepped up to the plate & given Adonis his value this fight woulda happened awhile back.

Fans often act like turning down something means you don't want it or you're scared or whatever that person projects or focuses on. The reality is if someone offered you 25% less than you're worth for a job you'd be rightful to turn it down, but somehow in boxing you can lowball guys & when the fighter turns it down, as he should, he gets sh!t on. Its pretty ridiculous.

[koolkc107]

I have generally been critical of Haymon but you can't blame him for this. If he wins the purse bid with a multi-million dollar bid, how can you blame him for the fight not coming off? It's not his fault Kovalev has some crap deal with HBO that forces him to turn the fight down.

But the article cited upthread makes it clear that Stevenson was on board no matter how the purse bid went.

“It’s disappointing. The whole process was initiated by Main Events,” points out Yvon Michel, Stevenson's longtime promoter. “It was requested at the WBC Convention (last December) for Kovalev-Pascal winner to face Adonis. (Kathy Duva) went there requesting, to force Stevenson to fight the winner, without us knowing about it, as we were preparing for Adonis' fight with Dmitry Sukhostksy. We had been informed afterward by (WBC President) Mauricio Sulaiman; nobody asked our opinion.

“But we said fine, it’s a fight that everyone wants. We ensured to get the best revenue possible with the network that will invest the most and believes that has the most value for its viewers. We agreed to go through with the fight, no matter the result of the purse bid and what network aired the fight.”

And, Duva made a counter offer and with it she acknowledges that Stevenson's current contract IS NOT A BARRIER to a fight on HBO.

Here is Dan Rafael reporting similarly:

"They asked to be the mandatory. They asked for a 50-50 split if we don't come to an agreement and we went along with that," Michel told ESPN.com. "Adonis does not have a contract with Showtime, but we are affiliated with Showtime and PBC but we managed to arrange that if we were going to lose the purse bid we could have gone on HBO and we thought it was the same on their side.

"If you request a purse bid it's because you decide you want to play the game and if you lose you go on the network where the winner of the bid says. I don't understand. We never said we want to do a bid but fight only on HBO. She was playing games and I'm disappointed. I believed they were genuine and I thought it was a smart move going to the WBC to make Kovalev the mandatory. It was unusual but now I realize it was just games."

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12 ... -bid-order

This is Kovalev backing out, can't see how anyone can spin it otherwise...

[jujigatame]

Maybe "crap" was too strong, but it puts him in a situation where, if a fight goes to purse bid, he's forced to turn down any fight that his promoter doesn't have the financial muscle to win.

Main Events have sh*t the bed here. They force a purse bid to get the fight they want, and then turn down the fight when they lose the bid. Very lame.

[ReggieDiggs]

This is Kovalev backing out, can't see how anyone can spin it otherwise...

I think its more a Kathy issue than a Sergey issue. Kathy Duva ducks a purse bid she created lol. What kinda dumb sh!t is that??? Or she tried to Cartman it. "I win the purse bid or I'm taking my ball & going home". What a silly asshole she is.

Doesn't matter what I say though we got months of guys talking about SerGAY's fear, like the other side did towards Adonis, in front of us.

[koolkc107]

Maybe "crap" was too strong, but it puts him in a situation where, if a fight goes to purse bid, he's forced to turn down any fight that his promoter doesn't have the financial muscle to win.

Main Events have sh*t the bed here. They force a purse bid to get the fight they want, and then turn down the fight when they lose the bid. Very lame.

They are backing out before any bid is made in hopes that the bid will then be cancelled.

And as someone has posted previously upthread, the timeline is pretty peculiar.

[ikorolev]

Maybe "crap" was too strong, but it puts him in a situation where, if a fight goes to purse bid, he's forced to turn down any fight that his promoter doesn't have the financial muscle to win.

Main Events have sh*t the bed here. They force a purse bid to get the fight they want, and then turn down the fight when they lose the bid. Very lame.

I think HBO has to be blamed for not backing Duva up. The same way, HBO is mainly responsible for Golovkin not getting better opponents. Of course, in both cases, promoters are to share the blame, as they could have pushed harder threatening to switch network.

[koolkc107]

Maybe "crap" was too strong, but it puts him in a situation where, if a fight goes to purse bid, he's forced to turn down any fight that his promoter doesn't have the financial muscle to win.

Main Events have sh*t the bed here. They force a purse bid to get the fight they want, and then turn down the fight when they lose the bid. Very lame.

I think HBO has to be blamed for not backing Duva up. The same way, HBO is mainly responsible for Golovkin not getting better opponents. Of course, in both cases, promoters are to share the blame, as they could have pushed harder threatening to switch network.

I think it is becoming pretty clear that all the "Haymon fighters don't go on HBO" is mostly a remnant from the now defunct GBP fighter ban HBO used to have in effect.

I think HBO can have pretty much any Haymon fighter on their network if they are willing to pay an appropriate price.

[hoagylt]

Why can't that crazy Russian promoter (who won the Klitschko/Povetkin purse bid) out-bet everyone by like 5 mil? This fight makes much more sense in Russia, than that one anyways.

It sure does,lots of money there.

[tiny_acres]

This was an expected issue with network incompatibility. At this time, it is none of the fighters' fault. However, if Stevenson didn't run from HBO to Haymon, the fight wouldn't have this obstacle. When deciding to sign with Haymon, Stevenson knew that it made a fight with Kovalev REALLY hard to make.

He signed with Haymon for more money. How is it his fault
That he wants to get paid

[ikorolev]

This was an expected issue with network incompatibility. At this time, it is none of the fighters' fault. However, if Stevenson didn't run from HBO to Haymon, the fight wouldn't have this obstacle. When deciding to sign with Haymon, Stevenson knew that it made a fight with Kovalev REALLY hard to make.

He signed with Haymon for more money. How is it his fault
That he wants to get paid

Yes, he picked money vs pride. If he fought Kovalev last year and won, he could switch to Haymon after that and be getting even more money.

[jockpunk]

What a dumb broad. Kovalev needs to get rid of main events.

[ReggieDiggs]

What a dumb broad.

This sums up things perfectly. Regardless the blah blah Sergey or blah blah blah Adonis or blah blah blah Haymon, HBO & whatever. The quoted is something I think we can all agree upon.

[tiny_acres]

This was an expected issue with network incompatibility. At this time, it is none of the fighters' fault. However, if Stevenson didn't run from HBO to Haymon, the fight wouldn't have this obstacle. When deciding to sign with Haymon, Stevenson knew that it made a fight with Kovalev REALLY hard to make.

He signed with Haymon for more money. How is it his fault
That he wants to get paid

Yes, he picked money vs pride. If he fought Kovalev last year and won, he could switch to Haymon after that and be getting even more money.

There is no arguing with someone who is more concerned about his reputation. Than providing for their family and them selves.
Have a good day

[ReggieDiggs]

I should change my forum moniker from “fergusg” to “Nostradamus”!

I think some people who got overly passionate when they engaged in an argument with me about this issue should hold their hands up and admit they got it wrong!

You are conveniently leaving out (as you often seem to do, which is always odd to me cuz you are Mr. Details & References about so many other things) the fact that HBO & Sergey didn't have a contract post-Pascal & HBO or Kathy, I don't recall which, had already suggested that the mandatory for July may not be on HBO & no announcement has been made about a current contract with HBO until yesterday Nostradamus. So there seemed to be a window to make this fight somehow, someway. Certainly there was reason to be more optimistic (a four letter word on boxing sites, I know lol) than anytime since HBO lowballed Adonis & he left them.

[koolkc107]

I should change my forum moniker from “fergusg” to “Nostradamus”!

I think some people who got overly passionate when they engaged in an argument with me about this issue should hold their hands up and admit they got it wrong!

You are conveniently leaving out (as you often seem to do, which is always odd to me cuz you are Mr. Details & References about so many other things) the fact that HBO & Sergey didn't have a contract post-Pascal & HBO or Kathy, I don't recall which, had already suggested that the mandatory for July may not be on HBO & no announcement has been made about a current contract with HBO until yesterday Nostradamus. So there seemed to be a window to make this fight somehow, someway. Certainly there was reason to be more optimistic (a four letter word on boxing sites, I know lol) than anytime since HBO lowballed Adonis & he left them.

Someone said upthread that the HBO contract Kovalev signed was made AFTER the purse bid date was set in stone.

If true, how is that not a duck by Kovalev and Duva?

They sign a contract that doesn't have provision for Sergei to fight elsewhere in case they lose the purse bid?

Then they drop out of it altogether, in hopes of sabatoging the whole process?

[ReggieDiggs]

Thinking you are Bnovelist alter ego with all the lols.

Idk wtf you are going on about lol so I'll just suggest that I think all parties want the fight, I think no one probably wants the fight bad enough. Fans included. I think Kathy had a nice lil plan last year to try to force the fight. I think PBC coming into creation soon after & becoming an entity that can compete with HBO in the throwing out money department threatened the fight being shown on HBO thus its likely a no go due to Kathy signing a horrible deal for Sergey that allows him to lose potential great opportunities by basically not allowing purse bid situations or cuz HBO won't guarantee Kathy enough of a return on her purse bid to allow them to make a winning bid.

[ReggieDiggs]

Random Q for anyone here. Artur is supposedly signed with PBC now right? Artur just blasted out a top 2 abc ranked guy. It stands to reason that Artur COULD be a Sergey mandatory within a fight or two. If that were to happen & a PBC family promoter wins the purse bid does this now mean Sergey is Boweing a belt in the garbage since apparently HBO won't allow him to fight elsewhere if a purse bid is lost?

[Mrb8s]

Yes that what I heard yet again, TV channels stopping the best fights. Hoped this would end after Pac V Mayweather got made.

[ReggieDiggs]

Main Events could have tried to postpone Kovalev’s defence of his IBF belt and also postponed re-signing a contract with HBO, in preference of forcing through a bout with Adonis Stevenson instead, but they didn’t.

I've said I think Kathy is a hardworking idiot so she gets things done that "better" people wouldn't, but idk that she's in a place with much leverage & I don't think HBO is just saying "nah take your time Kathy, no hurry on a Sergey resigning decision". She's said on several occasions she's in business cuz she took a call from Russia no one was willing to take. Main Events is a promotional company that gets brought up pretty much exclusively because of Sergey being with them. It sounds like Kathy has burned bridged with Showtime & the lawsuit that name dropped Haymon isn't likely to help her with their future business together. If Kathy plays hardball with HBO she could end up being left like Mickey Bey & holding a $58,000 payday after turning down a $200,000 payday cuz it "wasn't enough" lol. Sergey probably ain't sticking around if HBO, PBC, or other money isn't coming in so Kathy needs HBO in place more than anything else.

I’m not sure if Duva had any real intention of engaging in the bidding war in the first place, because she’s been in the sport long enough to realise that her own company and HBO could not have outbid Al Haymon (via GYM).

Regardless of Kathy Duva’s agenda, it’s mildly hypocritical for her to sacrifice the opportunity to engage her charge in a big money bout with Adonis Stevenson in preference of the bigger payday received from HBO, when she heavily criticised ‘Superman’ and Al Haymon for doing the very same thing with Showtime!

Duva’s media talk and efforts to orchestrate a bout between Kovalev & Stevenson now seem insincere.

Thing is I don't think Kathy's intentions back when she started this couldn't have changed upon PBC becoming what they've become. If PBC isn't throwing money around in early 2015 who's competing with a HBO led Kathy Duva purse bid for this fight? I don't think anyone does. Its certainly an arguable case even if you disagree. But in January(?) when Haymon started buying up TV time like those Foreman grill guys in the 90's & in March when PBC is throwing around $6M cards monthly the "in the bagness" of this situation greatly changed for Kathy. I don't think she's insincere I think she got outplayed, outmaneuvered via the change in the boxing landscape.

[koolkc107]

Great posts, ferg.

I guess all the "Adonis is a duck" talk will HAVE TO be tempered by the reality of the goose being just as feathery as the gander!

A fowl development indeed!

[koolkc107]

The only trump Duva had to play was the idea that Adonis didn't want the fight.

What is she going to do from now on since it is now clear she backed off from the showdown?

And who is Kovalev going to fight to further cement his legacy if she is afraid of dealing with Haymon?

[crusader]

I should change my forum moniker from “fergusg” to “Nostradamus”!

Tell us about how you suspected that Quillin's purse for the Lee bout was going to dwarf $1.4 million

I have little doubt that Kovalev wants to fight Stevenson but his team handled this poorly.

[jujigatame]

So what would happen if Haymon/Michel actually won the purse bid and tried to put the fight on?