BoxRec

I got a pair of tickets for the AJ v Pulev fight and had this email from Stubhub this afternoon.

Dear Buyer,

I am writing you in relation to the tickets you purchased for the Joshua vs Pulev fight in Cardiff.

Following yesterdaya??s announcement of an injury to Kubrat Pulev, Carlos Takam have now been confirmed as the IBF mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on October 28th.

Event promoters Matchroom Boxing have confirmed that the event will go ahead as planned. Refunds will not be available.

Best regards,

StubHub Customer Services

Now technically it is still as he says, an AJ fight against his mandatory challenger but that was not how it was billed or sold to me. They sold it as AJ taking on the next best guy according to the Ring Magazine, the consensus number 3 guy in the world etc and they slapped Pulev on the poster, his name and face right there. So for me, it is not what they promised nor what I paid out for. What if I am a Pulev fan and don't give a flying fck about AJ? I am supposed to just go to watch some guy I don't give a shite about?

Admittedly I had already decided to still go, but I do not think it is right that they are denying what I feel is my right to a refund for not receiving what I paid for

*Card Subject To Change...

Like any boxing card, the fights are subject to change at little/no notice. Pretty sure it’s in the t’s & c’s of the ticket purchase that refunds will be at the promoter’s discretion.

I think it's a better fight, but that is still unsavory.

wesshaw1985 wrote:*Card Subject To Change...

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:I think it's a better fight, but that is still unsavory.

The part we all ignore and shouldn't. Morally and legally right are two different things. I guess I am not a multi millionaire as I count doing the right thing as more important than doing the legal thing only.

the average Joshua fan wont care and probably doesn't know much about either Pulev or Takam.

funso banjo baby wrote:the average Joshua fan wont care and probably doesn't know much about either Pulev or Takam.

Which for me justifies giving refunds. Most of the attendees wont know and will still happily go, but a few more knowledgeable fans can make their mind up if they want the new offering, some will go anyway and some will go for a refund. It should morally be offered though.

funso banjo baby wrote:the average Joshua fan wont care and probably doesn't know much about either Pulev or Takam.

correct, my cousin and his mates go to every Joshua fight and they know pretty much nothing about boxing, they don't even watch the undercard fights, its an odd one for me as don't get what they get out of it, I suppose the allure of a big punching heavy and the "event " itself are enough for them, they don't even bloody drink !

littlepug wrote:

funso banjo baby wrote:the average Joshua fan wont care and probably doesn't know much about either Pulev or Takam.

correct, my cousin and his mates go to every Joshua fight and they know pretty much nothing about boxing, they don't even watch the undercard fights, its an odd one for me as don't get what they get out of it, I suppose the allure of a big punching heavy and the "event " itself are enough for them, they don't even bloody drink !

Are they big fans of other sports? That's the allure of Boxing to the real casual fan, not the people that watch it regularly but aren't Boxing nerds like we are. Same with the people that bought Floyd's fights. Here and there, they love to talk about "the fight". I can't begin to count how many people I've talked to about Floyd fights explaining it's the event, they like them and couldn't care less who fights on the undercard.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

littlepug wrote:

funso banjo baby wrote:the average Joshua fan wont care and probably doesn't know much about either Pulev or Takam.

correct, my cousin and his mates go to every Joshua fight and they know pretty much nothing about boxing, they don't even watch the undercard fights, its an odd one for me as don't get what they get out of it, I suppose the allure of a big punching heavy and the "event " itself are enough for them, they don't even bloody drink !

Are they big fans of other sports? That's the allure of Boxing to the real casual fan, not the people that watch it regularly but aren't Boxing nerds like we are. Same with the people that bought Floyd's fights. Here and there, they love to talk about "the fight". I can't begin to count how many people I've talked to about Floyd fights explaining it's the event, they like them and couldn't care less who fights on the undercard.

They all seem to like UFC and all of em are gym bunny poser types, they think Joshua is indistructable !

tobyh5 wrote:

wesshaw1985 wrote:*Card Subject To Change...

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:I think it's a better fight, but that is still unsavory.

The part we all ignore and shouldn't. Morally and legally right are two different things. I guess I am not a multi millionaire as I count doing the right thing as more important than doing the legal thing only.

i understand your feelings Toby, Its like going into a cafe and steak is on the menu but they bring you out a piece of tuna saying in the small print we can give you what we want, we are still open.

I'm sure if you were a millionaire and decided to spend a fortune on legal undertakings you would get a refund, purely on the basis Stubhub just wouldnt want to be pestered in paying out their solicitor etc.

tobyh5 wrote:

funso banjo baby wrote:the average Joshua fan wont care and probably doesn't know much about either Pulev or Takam.

Which for me justifies giving refunds. Most of the attendees wont know and will still happily go, but a few more knowledgeable fans can make their mind up if they want the new offering, some will go anyway and some will go for a refund. It should morally be offered though.

chance you take if you buy in advance, if you're worried about withdrawals then wait until the day before the show to buy.

if you buy a ticket for the football, no guarantees on the players.

If you've got a ticket and don't want to go, why not sell it on StubHub? It's almost like they know what they're doing over at SH HQ...

How many people that are going will only realize that it is AJ v Takam now...

the_doctor wrote:If you've got a ticket and don't want to go, why not sell it on StubHub? It's almost like they know what they're doing over at SH HQ...

The seller will do well to break even.

mickey1975 wrote:

the_doctor wrote:If you've got a ticket and don't want to go, why not sell it on StubHub? It's almost like they know what they're doing over at SH HQ...

The seller will do well to break even.

Already looked, no chance of breaking even or getting close even if just on ticket price, throw on the £120 I paid in fees and its a decent loss. But I have decided to go anyway, the card is still decent and I am looking forward to Buglioni, Whyte, Yafai v Ishida, even David Allen and taking a peek at Buatsi even if it is a 1st round blow out

That is pretty shitty, technically correct but I disagree big style with all of the comments that Takam is as big a threat to Joshua as Pulev. Takam has lost everytime he has stepped up, his best win was an ancient Tony Thompson (who is hardly the second coming of Ali in his prime) and lost quite decisively to Parker, who didn't exactly set the world alight vs Hughie Fury.

At least Pulev has proven himself as European Class and is probably in the top 4 active Heavyweights without a world title bauble - Povetkin, Ortiz and Miller being the only other 3 worth a toss IMO currently.

Been like that for every show I think I've ever been to, even down to small halls where you're expecting a nice tear up for an area title and end up with 8 bouts of locals vs Hungarian binmen for nothing at all. Shit happens sadly.

Plenty of talk in recent weeks about Pulev getting wiped out by Joshua but end of the day this is Joshua posted as a 1/33 shot instead of 1/20.

Joshua reminds me of Frankel (horse racing) these days. Beyond a tiny few opponents people pay to see him, end of, rather than the competition he's actually in.

It's the whole "Bill is subject to change" thing which we have seen many time before at other promoter shows doesnt make it right through and he should give refunds imo for pr purposes if nothing else.

ashedward wrote:It's the whole "Bill is subject to change" thing which we have seen many time before at other promoter shows doesnt make it right through and he should give refunds imo for pr purposes if nothing else.

Yes, especially if it is request more than 24 hours before the fight - I'm sure Eddie would sell those tickets again and how many are seriously going to demand a refund because it is not Pulev fighting - most of the crowd in attendance are going for the "event" and to see Joshua.

It is a bit like if Take That toured and said "well for this gig we are not going to play Could it be Magic" - if you were a Take That fan would you not go to it? You'd be there.

veriton wrote:

tobyh5 wrote:

funso banjo baby wrote:the average Joshua fan wont care and probably doesn't know much about either Pulev or Takam.

Which for me justifies giving refunds. Most of the attendees wont know and will still happily go, but a few more knowledgeable fans can make their mind up if they want the new offering, some will go anyway and some will go for a refund. It should morally be offered though.

chance you take if you buy in advance, if you're worried about withdrawals then wait until the day before the show to buy.

if you buy a ticket for the football, no guarantees on the players.

...but you're pretty sure which teams you'll be seeing

stujones wrote:

ashedward wrote:It's the whole "Bill is subject to change" thing which we have seen many time before at other promoter shows doesnt make it right through and he should give refunds imo for pr purposes if nothing else.

Yes, especially if it is request more than 24 hours before the fight - I'm sure Eddie would sell those tickets again and how many are seriously going to demand a refund because it is not Pulev fighting - most of the crowd in attendance are going for the "event" and to see Joshua.

It is a bit like if Take That toured and said "well for this gig we are not going to play Could it be Magic" - if you were a Take That fan would you not go to it? You'd be there.

I don't know if he would there are loads on sale via stubhub for below face value.

Genuine question here.

If you've bought tickets for the fight online who do you pays fees to? The promoter or a 3rd party?

And if you were to get a refund would you expect the transaction fee back? Because it still happened. Someone mentioned 120 quid in fees (why is it that high?).

I'm just thinking from the business's perspective. They are in the business of making money. If they refund the tickets & fees they still have to pay the people that do all the work for them. They still have to pay their expenses.

I'm not saying no one should ever get a refund. Just that the businesses have to look out for their interests too.