Saturday's line up highlights Boxing's problem !!!

I am buying this card which is a feat in itself............Trying to shift my Wife out of the lounge for a night is more than worthy of a purple heart for bravery !!....

However the line up does show the problem Boxing has at the moment..........

We have two interesting world title fights 3rd and 4th with Anthony Joshua chief support on the bill.............Looking at the posters for the event Brook and Joshua are both pictured hugely with Mitchell, Selby squeezing in at the sides..........

Joshua is in the novice stage apparently (I think he's ready now) and he's fighting a guy who's lost his last three fights and may come to lie down for a decent final payday.....No future for Johnson in the sport and he probably knows it !!

What does it say about the sport when this fight takes precedence over Selby and Mitchell winning "prestigious" world titles........

I remember picking up KO magazine in the 80s and Mcguigan was the only champion from these parts and he was a big name.. well in Boston anyway !!.....I imagine back then it was a big thing and a huge achievement...........

Saturday's line up kind of tells us everything................When two world title fights are relegated behind prospect vs journeyman...

I'm not interested in the Joshua fight......It's a pushover...............I am interested in Selby and Mitchell and have a fleeting interest in the Brook fight..

Quite simple answer to your question really.

Brook and Joshua are more identifying with the people who buy the tickets namely the public.
You can't sell this card as a promoter with Selby or Mitchall headlining when you have an already successful template at your disposal.

Joshua is a big deal and is being marketed as such so I can see why they're doing it. It is a shame for Selby and Mitchell though being relegated due to him.

It makes sense to put Joshua as chief support though (looking to the future) as he's the one that matchroom will be hoping makes them a lot of money over the years. Lee and Kevin won't be making that same kind of money.

I don't want that to make it look like I agree with it as I don't. If I bought this card (which I won't as I'll be at a wedding)then I'd be buying it for the two world title fights on the under card. Joshua doesn't interest me yet as I can't tell how good he is just by bowling over the journeymen he's fought. Once he fights a live opponent then I'll have a proper look.

If Selby is on 4th I hope the arena is full for it. As you say,their fights are for world titles. The crowd will be there for Mitchell, not so sure on Selby.

Couldn't agree more..........World titles have seemingly become so worthless they are lower on the list than a novice heavy fighting a perennial loser..

It's a shame..

It's annoyed me. I was excited about Selby's title shot and when it was announced it was marketed as a headline (or co-headline) bout. It would be very disappointing to be shunted down to 6pm in a half empty arena.

Joshua I get, I'm excited about him myself. Even if this fight is nothing new. Brook Gavin I have no interest in personally, annoyed it's gazumped Mitchell and Selby.

Brook is the biggest name and he's in a world title fight........Whatever we think of Gavin as a challenger....

Joshua was on at Wembley before Mitchell's "eliminator" If memory serves correctly...

and he's fought nothing better since.............

Why is he usurping a more important Mitchell fight now ??...

But there you go..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Brook is the biggest name and he's in a world title fight........Whatever we think of Gavin as a challenger....

Joshua was on at Wembley before  Mitchell's "eliminator" If memory serves correctly...

and he's fought nothing better since.............

Why is he usurping a more important Mitchell fight now ??...

But there you go..

Because Mitchell's already come up short against worse fighters in Katsidis and Burns and no-one's dumb enough to hype Mitchell up any more than they have in the past?

I don't have the answers Truss. Just a personal thing, I was more interested about the fights that got bumped down. I'm not particularly interested in Brook, sure if he was fighting Khan or another name but this fight does nothing for me. I'm sure Brook fans would have been chuffed to see him added to the card but I'm not fussed.

Dipper Brown wrote: It would be very disappointing to be shunted down to 6pm in a half empty arena.

And to a time when many potential viewers will be watching the FA Cup final, would imagine most pubs would prioritise showing this over the fight. Looking at the card for Saturday looks like there are a few fights on before the title fights so you can only hope the world title fights will not be on before around 8

Rowley wrote:

Dipper Brown wrote: It would be very disappointing to be shunted down to 6pm in a half empty arena.

And to a time when many potential viewers will be watching the FA Cup final, would imagine most pubs would prioritise showing this over the fight. Looking at the card for Saturday looks like there are a few fights on before the title fights so you can only hope the world title fights will not be on before around 8

Pretty sure Eddie will only be interested in the post football crowd who will pile in to watch Brook and Joshua...the vast majority will be blissfully unaware of Selby although I'm sure a few will be there to cheer on Mitchell (all football allegiances put to one side for the sake of screaming abuse at a foreigner for a bit)

Agree dave, but clashing it with the FA Cup seems a bit of a mistake. I am in Saturday night but am not sure I would be buying this if I am going to tune in after the cup final to realise I have missed the fights such as Selby and Mitchell that actually hold some intrigue to me.

Like I said, Eddie doesn't care about you....he wants people prepared to part with hard cash for the chance to say "I WAS THERE"

Rowley wrote:Agree dave, but clashing it with the FA Cup seems a bit of a mistake. I am in Saturday night but am not sure I would be buying this if I am going to tune in after the cup final to realise I have missed the fights such as Selby and Mitchell that actually hold some intrigue to me.

Where do you live Rowley? 1984

Record one while you watch the other.

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:

Rowley wrote:Agree dave, but clashing it with the FA Cup seems a bit of a mistake. I am in Saturday night but am not sure I would be buying this if I am going to tune in after the cup final to realise I have missed the fights such as Selby and Mitchell that actually hold some intrigue to me.

Where do you live Rowley? 1984

Record one while you watch the other.

Takes all the fun out of it....didn't a big fight recently clash with the Champions League Final?

DAVE667 wrote:

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:

Rowley wrote:Agree dave, but clashing it with the FA Cup seems a bit of a mistake. I am in Saturday night but am not sure I would be buying this if I am going to tune in after the cup final to realise I have missed the fights such as Selby and Mitchell that actually hold some intrigue to me.

Where do you live Rowley? 1984

Record one while you watch the other.

Takes all the fun out of it....didn't a big fight recently clash with the Champions League Final?

Froch v Kessler I believe

Hearn card again. Hearn not a big footy fan then.

Froch Kessler 2 was on the same time as champions league final. Fortunately, it was a really late ring walk so by the time I arrived in the arena I'd only missed the Bellew stinker with Chilemba (I think).

With all these other fights as prelims.............You wonder If it could be another Warren........Fury v Chisora bill......

I start yawning at 10pm these days.......and I need permission from my Wife to stay up past 11pm...

One good thing is I won't be watching the Cup final............So i should get my buck's worth..

The card has been put together for the excuse to charge it as ppv. Would have be better to have good solid cards, non ppv on a regular basis than weekly pile of sh1t cards followed intermitantly by bumper ppv cards that cost boxing fans a premium.

I do wish I'd not tied myself into a slightly reduced Sky deal for the next 12 months as the PPV cards are the only ones worth watching. Cest la vie!

I know what you mean truss.

It does seem a travesty that the two most competitive and meaningful fights get the least exposure but it's at the casual fan the marketing is aimed.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:.........Trying to shift my Wife out of the lounge for a night is more than worthy of a purple heart for bravery !!......

Get some friends round to help lift her

3fingers wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:.........Trying to shift my Wife out of the lounge for a night is more than worthy of a purple heart for bravery !!......

Get some friends round to help lift her

Loving the irony fingers... As if truss would have any friends

He has ten....five on each hand

milkyboy wrote:

3fingers wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:.........Trying to shift my Wife out of the lounge for a night is more than worthy of a purple heart for bravery !!......

Get some friends round to help lift her

Loving the irony fingers... As if truss would have any friends

Give me time...Only been here 26 years..

Spare a thought for Cleverly in all of this who I believe is 9th down on the card, former world champion who has been relegated that far.

Glad you told me...........I'll switch on when it's the 8th fight on the card..

Indeed, spare a thought for those who shelled out for his last fight.

I wonder how it came about...

Clev: 'Eddie, am I still a ppv fighter?'
Eddie:'of course you are mate, I've got just the slot for you'