Cleverly Bellew - Box Office!

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Just seen on Facebook that Cleverly Bellew is apparently going to be on Box Office. Have to say this is pushing things somewhat. Decent enough match up but surely Box Office should be reserved for the elite fights. This is a even match up between two decent enough pros but surely is not Box Office worthy. Got to say Sky and Eddie are pushing their luck with this. Will need to be one hell of an undercard to justify the box office fee for this.

Strongy, feel free to rupture your spleen at will.

This is every bit as crap on PPV as Haye-Harrison...

It's been a long time since I've decided not to buy a PPV but I definitely won't buy this.

Terrible decision, British boxing is on a bit of a high and they've taken an opportunity to cash in and I sincerely hope it backfires on them.

I'm with the consensus that its not a bad card, its actually what type of card British Boxing needs - few World Titles, a few up and comers getting their shot etc. but then Sky go and shoot themselves in the foot and make it Box Office. So not only are you not getting it free as a Sky Sports Subscriber, despite them making a whole channel with marketing just for European Football but you're expected to pay £15 for the privilege.

They've goofed here, completely over estimated how much the fight means and how big it'll be. They had the opportunity to really help British Boxing kick on but they've dragged it back down. There's not a fight on the card that will really rouse the fans. If we were watching knockout machines vs technical masters then it'd be interesting, but a grudge fight between one never world champion and one ex-paper champion isn't PPV. It's just not.

All I can say is good luck to them, unless this has a stellar undercard with world title fights, unifications and prospects in with real competition, I won't even think about buying it.

Boxnation have gone really bitchy about it, uploading the Kovalev demolition job and comparing their month of November to this one single fight.

Boxnation are showing the Hopkins v Kovalev fight though so it seems obvious that they would show the fight where Kovalev won his title.

Yeah but it was more the comment "See Kovalev nearly send Cleverly in to retirement" Ranjit

It won't make me buy the fight but Bellew does come out with a few good jibes 'You've got a 3:2 in Maths, that's nothing'. What he lacks in understanding of academia he makes up for with his sassy tongue

Awful decision to put this on ppv. A sign that Hearn feels he has consolidated his his place in British boxing enough he can afford to start the rip off process.

I was curious as to why this reasonable but standard enough fight was being giving a relentless amount of build up and contention. It seems to have been in the making for ever. We even had "Collision Course" consisting of the pair of them bowling over a couple of stiffs on the same undercard. It all smacks of a manufactured ppv.

Hearn seems to have settled on this strategy of using "eliminators" to boost rather meaningless undercard fights. We know now that eliminators mean d1ck all in regards to actually securing an imminent title shot. Just a method to try and spruce up usually uncompetitive undercard fights. I remember Hearn saying that ppv would only be reserved for the biggest fights. What a load of bolloks! Now he has been in the game a few years it looks like he is settling into the standard rip off practices.

Whatever he thinks about cleverley's qualifications... When it comes to the fight I think clev will do the bomber with the old two one combination.

If only 30'000 scousers bought it that'd be £450'000. Alot more people than that will buy it. All in all, putting it on ppv will be lucrative - otherwise it wouldnt be on. If putting it on ppv makes the lads a few extra quid then they should do it. If you dont want it then dont buy it.

We do want it. We just don't want to pay for it.

We pay for it with our sky subscriptions already

Exactly. We don't want to pay twice!

Big PR drop from Hearn, if nothing else. Either he misjudged fan reactions or he knew people would sh1t on it but didnt care.

Will Hearn really care though i should imagine with all the hype and jibes they give each other in the build up he will bank on getting the football supporter types hooked

Someone made a great point on Twitter. Stevenson vs Kovalev probably wouldn't be PPV in the States, yet over here, the two guys they splattered are!

That is a very good point indeed

Bellew said that is unbreakable at the press conference today, I'm pretty sure that Stevenson broke him the same with Kovalev did to Cleverly.

Hearn definately likes the domestic "grudge" matches, similar to his old man. He thinks they are an easy sell and generate a good return. Im pretty sure Hearn was fundemental in Groves getting the Froch rematch and I suspect he will get De Gale a crack at Froch too even though it was clear Froch didnt fancy either.

Bellew/Cleverly being ppv is a p1ss take though. Hearn has been doing well constructing an image of a fans-first promoter (in the face of little domestic competition it has to be said). This will damage that reputation. He was on record as saying that ppv would only be reserved for major fights. This whole rematch has stank of something built up as a big deal to try and make it a ppv event out of nothing. And I bet Hearn has his eyes on a trilogy so dont be surprised to see some sort of controvery or suspect officiating. The judges will have their Bellew glasses on.

This isn't a surprise. Hearn mention a few months ago they had a ppv event penciled in. I'm guessing he was hoping it might involve Froch. The deal for a PPV date was probably done with Sky long ago and now Hearn has to deliver.

My guess is most people will catch the fight one way or another.

Expected you to be frothing at the mouth over this Stongback! Almost unanimous criticism of Hearn from the board, thought you would be leading us like some Pied Piper of cynicism ! Kudos on your restraint though.

Hardly think this will tarnish his reputation for long, people have short memories. It certainly won't damage his popularity with general sports fans. The ppv furore will vanish with his next decent card. Infact it'll probably subside somewhat when everyones watched the fight the next morning, on youtube!

Bellew will probably go into overdrive now that the pressure is on to deliver ppv. I find his talk really empty at this stage already. He becomes just a loudmouth. All the talk regarding Cleverly ,akes him look weak I think. I mean hes on about how Cleverly was a plastic champion, how Cleverly is afraid of him, how Cleverly has no confidence and all the rest of it. Hang on Bellew, he came and beat you in your home city before and now he is signed to come and fight you in your home city again. Really sounds like he is bricking it!

I just watched both press conferences. Love how Bellew had all his scumbag mates acting as "press" asking Cleverly questions while trying to work from the 'Our Tony will knock you out because he is the best fighter ever' angle. That foul mouthed clown at Cardiff who kept heckling Bellew (wasn't me honest) should have been thrown out as well. Why the hell does Eddie Hearn allow any of these idiots into pressers? For a guy with a degree from a well respected University Clev doesn't have much wit about him but the way Bellew just loves the sound of his own voice and really believes he is the new Evander Holyfield is enough to make you want anyone to smash his head in

After their performances against Kovalev and Stevenson you'd think that they and their fans both be a little more humble and down to earth, especially Bellew after his performances at the press conferences and his "midget" comments. I know that a bit of needle and mouth sells fights, however, that has to be backed up by good performances in the ring to count for anything.

Should add that it is a criminal decision to allow this to go to PPV, especially given how Sky responded after the Haye debacle, and at least that was for a portion of the greatest prize in the sport.

JabMachineMK2 wrote:I'm with the consensus that its not a bad card, its actually what type of card British Boxing needs - few World Titles, a few up and comers getting their shot etc. but then Sky go and shoot themselves in the foot and make it Box Office. So not only are you not getting it free as a Sky Sports Subscriber, despite them making a whole channel with marketing just for European Football but you're expected to pay £15 for the privilege.

They've goofed here, completely over estimated how much the fight means and how big it'll be. They had the opportunity to really help British Boxing kick on but they've dragged it back down. There's not a fight on the card that will really rouse the fans. If we were watching knockout machines vs technical masters then it'd be interesting, but a grudge fight between one never world champion and one ex-paper champion isn't PPV. It's just not.

Great assessment

Also, appeared to be 'confirmed' on Twitter last night that the Callum Smith isn't actually an eliminator.

In true Hearn style it's an eliminator for a FINAL eliminator for the title.

Will be a decent scrap, but lets be honest they are both 2 bob fighters, nowhere near the level of fighters i would pay to watch on TV. This will bite Eddie on the arse.

I wouldn't pay £15 for it - just don't get a buzz for this fight.

Sky sports news just this minute showed Clev's record compared to Bellew and said he was undefeated with 28 wins with one draw

Erm......guess they hadnt heard of Kovalev

I cant believe this is pay per view! Sky are having a laugh. Pay per view for world class champions like Haye and Froch yes. But Bellew and Cleverly?? What a rip off!

Won't be watching this pile of crud. £15 for two fighters that both hot sparked cold at world level? Nah I'm good thanks.

Let's also pay £15 to see Groves vs Anderson then as well.

PPV numbers FAIL on this big time.

hayemaker wrote:I cant believe this is pay per view! Sky are having a laugh. Pay per view for world class champions like Haye and Froch yes

Yeah I enjoy nothing more than paying £15 to watch Haye batter around the mighty Audley for 3 rounds or put in a no show against Wlad...

Haye also showed his world class credentials against Tyson Fury didn't he 

As a rule, what would be the consensus for this to have been a successful PPV? Liverpool is a sizeable place, and Wales is a decently sized country with some boxing recent history. Surely this is gonna be 100k-150k? does that constitute success?

hayemaker wrote:I cant believe this is pay per view! Sky are having a laugh. Pay per view for world class champions like Haye and Froch yes. But Bellew and Cleverly?? What a rip off!

Haye was never the heavyweight world champion. He was chased out out the ring by the pacifist Klitschko. Absolute embarrasssment. And people give Frank Bruno stick!

Don't mean to sound perdantic Catch....but he was unfortunately classed as a world champion at Heavy.....

mobilemaster8 wrote:Don't mean to sound perdantic Catch....but he was unfortunately classed as a world champion at Heavy.....

Don't mean to sound pedantic mobilemaster8 but it's spelt 'pedantic' 

Steffan wrote:

mobilemaster8 wrote:Don't mean to sound perdantic Catch....but he was unfortunately classed as a world champion at Heavy.....

Don't mean to sound pedantic mobilemaster8 but it's spelt 'pedantic' 

How do two guys coming off losses in which they got found out at the top level end up on PPV?

It is less significant than their first match.

This is very true catch....I accept defeat there.... :-)

Oh...no...my mistake.....it was Steffan. Nice one welshy. I'll take that on the chin. Do you think Nathan is PPV worthy against Bellew??!

mobilemaster8 wrote:Oh...no...my mistake.....it was Steffan. Nice one welshy. I'll take that on the chin. Do you think Nathan is PPV worthy against Bellew??!

Welcome sir 

Nah not worth PPV at all. Both fighters have been KTFO at the high level and both unproven at Cruiserweight. I'll be paying for this fight just to hopefully see Bellew get a career ending beating. Sadly while Clev will win he doesn't have enough in the tank to shut this idiot up for good. I payed for Haye v Audley so I guess this is one step better but still disgraceful on my behalf. Eddie scumbag is laughing all the way to the bank

Jesus christ man Its only 15 quid? Either pay it or don't; otherwise get five of the lads round to chip in, get slaughtered, make a night of it, play some poker...actually, don't - you're all to tight to play.

People just love moaning.

The cost is not the issue, its the principal of it. If Hearn gets away with headlining a PPV with two just above average fighters, then he will keep doing it. I wont be getting mugged off by blindly paying it.

Will be a decent scrap but dont think its gonna be a classic.

I glad you have £15 quid to chuck down the drain

Jesus christ man Its only 15 quid? Either pay it or don't; otherwise get five of the lads round to chip in, get slaughtered, make a night of it, play some poker...actually, don't - you're all to tight to play.

People just love moaning
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remember this 3f's when your asked to pay 15quid for any eliminator or half decent matchup. It's not the price that's the problem, it's the principle.

3fingers wrote:get five of the lads round to chip in

I haven't got 5 friends...