Calzaghe-Kessler, The Biggest Ever HBO Prime-time Flop

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 05 Dec 2007, 18:07

Not good for British boxing when you read something like this. No doubt Hopkins will be jumping to use this to his advantage IF they go into talks. Surprising and disappointing, I can't imagine they'll be too quick to screen anything else from Europe unless there's a well known fighter from the States involved.

"In his most recent contribution on Secondsout.com, Thomas Hauser reported that the ratings for the Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler, which came with a $3,000,000 license fee from HBO, garnered a rating of 2.8, the lowest ever for a prime-time 'World Championship Boxing' telecast on the network".

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 05 Dec 2007, 18:20

http://secondsout.com/features/index.cf ... 3&cs=23364

Ah well, It was higher than Klitschko's.

American's like Hopkins think they deserve the bigger share and think everything has to happen In America anyway though.

Their public will probably prefer washed up recycled stars like Tito and Jones like they did with Vargas and Mayorga.

McCannW14 · Post by **McCannW14** » 05 Dec 2007, 18:23

johnswan1 wrote:Not good for British boxing when you read something like this. No doubt Hopkins will be jumping to use this to his advantage IF they go into talks. Surprising and disappointing, I can't imagine they'll be too quick to screen anything else from Europe unless there's a well known fighter from the States involved.

"In his most recent contribution on Secondsout.com, Thomas Hauser reported that the ratings for the Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler, which came with a $3,000,000 license fee from HBO, garnered a rating of 2.8, the lowest ever for a prime-time 'World Championship Boxing' telecast on the network".

Shame cause it was a terrific fight.

Just goes to show what taste in quality boxing the US viewers have.

Spud · Post by **Spud** » 05 Dec 2007, 19:56

To be perfectly honest not surprised at all.

Have to say though all those yanks who didn't bother watching missed what was in my opinion a bloody good performance from Calzaghe for me the best of his career and against a fighter in his prime.

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 05 Dec 2007, 20:31

who gives a toss what a load of TV dinner munching Yanks thought.

The lads got good money and we all got a good fight.

Hopkins ? he'd try not to get knocked out for 36 frustrating minutes then lose and say he won and want another 3 million for BORING rematch........I know where I'd tell him to go.

hitman_hatton1 · Post by **hitman_hatton1** » 05 Dec 2007, 20:57

and warren still wants joe getting 50/50.

Khaosai-Galaxy · Post by **Khaosai-Galaxy** » 06 Dec 2007, 07:02

heads out of arses time please gentleman

Why would more than say 5 million Americans bother to watch a Welshman fight a Dane on a premium rate channel on a Saturday night?

Greg Nicholas · Post by **Greg Nicholas** » 06 Dec 2007, 07:03

So what exactly was the Manfredo fight for..?

Syntax Error · Post by **Syntax Error** » 06 Dec 2007, 07:08

It doesn't surprise me.

Quite why the fight was timed to coincide with primetime in a certain part of the USA was beyond me.

It was a fight between 2 Europeans in Britain!

theHitman · Post by **theHitman** » 06 Dec 2007, 07:18

Objectively it is one of the 2-3 biggest fights of the year and it was a great fight.

However, TV-viewers are not objective. They would rather watch Butterbean vs Kimbo. Both are American etc.

Viewers are nationalistic. Maybe it shouldn't be like that but it is. When Barrera-Morales can still draw something in the US it is just testimony to the fact that a very large part of the American boxing audience are latinos.

If anyone thought that the average person actually had taste and boxing knowledge then this result is of course very surprising, but it just goes to show how naiive it would be to think like that.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 06 Dec 2007, 07:38

Red Medicine wrote:I thought it was actually pretty boring. Calzaghe reminded me of Paul Malignaggi in there.

what a load of bullshit

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 06 Dec 2007, 07:44

that settles it. if he wants to be more than a star at home, Calzaghe must fight American names. Joe's had 2 great performances recently, but he's had that sheltered kind of career which has hurt his box office pull. This could have a bad effect on super middleweight, as well, a very good division that the big cable companies may ignore...

Poncey · Post by **Poncey** » 06 Dec 2007, 08:16

Red Medicine wrote:I thought it was actually pretty boring. Calzaghe reminded me of Paul Malignaggi in there.

Please go back to Current Scene, where you belong.

Thanks

Khaosai-Galaxy · Post by **Khaosai-Galaxy** » 06 Dec 2007, 08:42

I agree that it was a pretty dreary fight

I have no desire to see it again

fist · Post by **fist** » 06 Dec 2007, 12:35

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote:I agree that it was a pretty dreary fight

I have no desire to see it again

Lol. It was one of the most exciting fights Ive seen in ages. Fantastic quality by both fighters and a rare unification of the very best at SMW. Theres no surprise with the ratings, I think its about right for 2 Europeans. Calzaghe has done what he had to at SMW with unifying the belts. In terms of Americans, there is not that much competition at that weight who could challange for his belts. Who cares though! :-)

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 06 Dec 2007, 12:36

chesh · Post by **chesh** » 06 Dec 2007, 13:05

DavidPayne wrote:HBO?

Absolutely. He's got to go over there and fight a Yank, otherwise it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't show his next fight. Do you think they'd buy Calzaghe-Woods? I don't think they even know who Woods is, unless they remember him getting outclassed by RJ some years back. We know Clinton's a much improved fighter, but that won't come into play when HBO make their decision.

josh fg · Post by **josh fg** » 06 Dec 2007, 13:31

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote:I agree that it was a pretty dreary fight

I have no desire to see it again

Plenty will tune into see two Latin American fighters including the white fans because they think it'll be an exciting fight. I believe Naz vs Barrera got a high PPV too. Its down to weather the fighters are seen as big or exciting in America. I don't think Joe's attachment to Wales has done that for him.

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 06 Dec 2007, 13:33

josh fg wrote:
Khaosai-Galaxy wrote:I agree that it was a pretty dreary fight

I have no desire to see it again
Plenty will tune into see two Latin American fighters including the white fans because they think it'll be an exciting fight. I believe Naz vs Barrera got a high PPV too. Its down to weather the fighters are seen as big or exciting in America. I don't think Joe's attachment to Wales has done that for him.

What's alarming is that Calzaghe-Kessler wasn't even a PPV but still had such a low rating.

Bard of Boxrec · Post by **Bard of Boxrec** » 06 Dec 2007, 13:39

from their perspective, i dont even know why hbo bothered.

All that "you don't know me, but I'm a champ" crap?

wow, we must tune in! Really appealing for casual sports fan yokels during TV prime time.

josh fg · Post by **josh fg** » 06 Dec 2007, 13:39

johnswan1 wrote:
josh fg wrote:
Khaosai-Galaxy wrote:I agree that it was a pretty dreary fight

I have no desire to see it again
Plenty will tune into see two Latin American fighters including the white fans because they think it'll be an exciting fight. I believe Naz vs Barrera got a high PPV too. Its down to weather the fighters are seen as big or exciting in America. I don't think Joe's attachment to Wales has done that for him.
What's alarming is that Calzaghe-Kessler wasn't even a PPV but still had such a low rating.

Yeh I know and people were prepaired to pay to see a Mexican and a Brit fight one another because that Brit had come over and proved himself and done the right things.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 06 Dec 2007, 13:53

I just hope that Hatton does well. As good as Calzaghe is, it's Hatton who can raise British boxing's profile by winning on Saturday. We're doing way better than most major boxing countires.

Those 2 "off years" have had a consequence on Joe's career. He did little of worth in 2004 and 2005, when he should have followed up that exciting win over Byrn Mitchell.

fist · Post by **fist** » 06 Dec 2007, 16:20

Autobarn wrote:I just hope that Hatton does well. As good as Calzaghe is, it's Hatton who can raise British boxing's profile by winning on Saturday. We're doing way better than most major boxing countires.

Those 2 "off years" have had a consequence on Joe's career. He did little of worth in 2004 and 2005, when he should have followed up that exciting win over Byrn Mitchell.

Bolox mate, u keep banging on about it. End of the day, he's the undisputed SMW. Simple as that. They all said Lacy would hammer him, he got schooled. Then they said Lacy was overrated and Joe had to fight Kessler for a REAL test, in fact they said he was ducking Kessler. Joe's the undispiuted champion and he can sleep at night. There are zero americans a his weight who could beat him and as for other weights, most of them are has-beens and would mean fukk all.

josh fg · Post by **josh fg** » 06 Dec 2007, 16:23

fist wrote:
Autobarn wrote:I just hope that Hatton does well. As good as Calzaghe is, it's Hatton who can raise British boxing's profile by winning on Saturday. We're doing way better than most major boxing countires.

Those 2 "off years" have had a consequence on Joe's career. He did little of worth in 2004 and 2005, when he should have followed up that exciting win over Byrn Mitchell.
Bolox mate, u keep banging on about it. End of the day, he's the undisputed SMW. Simple as that. They all said Lacy would hammer him, he got schooled. Then they said Lacy was overrated and Joe had to fight Kessler for a REAL test, in fact they said he was ducking Kessler. Joe's the undispiuted champion and he can sleep at night. There are zero americans a his weight who could beat him and as for other weights, most of them are has-beens and would mean fukk all.

Boxing is an entertainment business and as a business Calzaghe has failed becasue he isn't bringing in the money or the viewers so its resonable to say that he is doing something wrong and that Hatton does more for british boxing. Probably cos he went over the pond.

fist · Post by **fist** » 06 Dec 2007, 16:32

josh fg wrote:
fist wrote:
Autobarn wrote:I just hope that Hatton does well. As good as Calzaghe is, it's Hatton who can raise British boxing's profile by winning on Saturday. We're doing way better than most major boxing countires.

Those 2 "off years" have had a consequence on Joe's career. He did little of worth in 2004 and 2005, when he should have followed up that exciting win over Byrn Mitchell.
Bolox mate, u keep banging on about it. End of the day, he's the undisputed SMW. Simple as that. They all said Lacy would hammer him, he got schooled. Then they said Lacy was overrated and Joe had to fight Kessler for a REAL test, in fact they said he was ducking Kessler. Joe's the undispiuted champion and he can sleep at night. There are zero americans a his weight who could beat him and as for other weights, most of them are has-beens and would mean fukk all.
Boxing is an entertainment business and as a business Calzaghe has failed becasue he isn't bringing in the money or the viewers so its resonable to say that he is doing something wrong and that Hatton does more for british boxing. Probably cos he went over the pond.

Its a view I dont share. Hes a great champion, with amazing ability and heart. Its not a bloody cometition between him and Hatton! He's unified the SMW division, end of. yes he would like some more big fights, but truth is that its difficult to find one. Most of the so-called american legends are past it! As for the fans, well 50 odd thousand at the Kessler fight certainly enjoyed it, as did thousands more at home.

Calzaghe-Kessler, The Biggest Ever HBO Prime-time Flop

Calzaghe-Kessler, The Biggest Ever HBO Prime-time Flop

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