Yahoo! Sports reports that HBO has ended its relationship with Golden Boy Promotions. The decision to leave the highest-rated boxing network will ignite a competition with rival Showtime.
Golden Boy fighters such as Bernard Hopkins, Adrien Broner and Andre Berto will likely move to Showtime. Former HBO fighters Danny Garcia, Amir Khan and Canelo Alvarez are already on Showtime.
The move was made in part to continued friction between the companies. Despite an exodus of Golden Boy fighters, Nonito Donaire, Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao will likely stay with HBO.
Although not under contract with Golden Boy, Floyd Mayweather announced a contract with Showtime this past February.
Payout Perspective:
The decision to break ties means that HBO will be the de facto network for Top Rank while Showtime will house Golden Boy fighters. Although HBO may feel the sting of losing the likes of Broner and Berto, it still has Donaire (who has a big fight in April), Bradley (who had the fight of the year while we watched GSP-Diaz) and Pacquiao. The good news is that this should bring out better fights on the network. The bad news is that we may not see cross-promotion fights due to the fact that there will be an impasse on which network would benefit.
So now it will be even harder for boxing fans to see the top guys fight each other. Dana must be laughing his ass off.
Jason, why do you think this will bring out better fights on the network? I can’t follow your train of thought.
Arguably this means very little since cross-promotional fights were already the exception rather than the rule. But still, this makes it even tougher.
Better fights since there’s no excuses not to fight other top guys in the divisions. Broner will be forced to tangle with Garcia, Mathysse and co.
Except that the top guys are split in two different networks.
@Diego,
Agree with @Sampson. HBO-Showtime will be competing head to head for viewers. Also I see it this way. Most folks cannot afford both networks. HBO is now $18 a month which is like a $3-$4 raise from last year. Personally, I would look at the schedule of fights coming up and choose which network to hold onto. Yes, there are other reasons to hold onto the networks, but if you are a boxing fan, the fights would be a key decision as to whether to continue to subscribe.
No they’re not. Provodnikov can fight either Rios or Alvarado.
Broner can now fight Mathysse, Garcia or Maidana on Showtime.
It’s another myth that will be perpetuated by those that don’t know
Peterson-Mathysse is on the Showtime schedule for May tentatively and that will be another great fight just like Rios-Alvarado 2 will be another war on HBO.
Can Provodnikov fight Mattysse, Garcia or Maidana?
If not, then you have a situation where only some of the top fighter can fight some (but not all) of the other top fighters. As I recall during the fight, I think it was Kellerman who said that he would love to see Provodnikov against Maidana. I would too. So would most fans. But it won’t happen and that’s a shame.
Rios and Alvarado have already fought once. Other than Provodnikov who else can they fight? Apparently not Broner, Mathysse, Garcia or Maidana. So are they just going to rematch each other repeatedly?
I don’t necessarily like the stranglehold the UFC has on MMA, but it is endemic in fight sports that promoters do not work well together and if that’s the case, then having the bulk of the talent under one roof at least lets you see the best fight the best on a consistent basis.
Is the following a fact or not? Under the current climate: World ranked fighters from Top Rank will not be fighting world ranked fighters from Golden Boy Promotions.
“No they’re not. Provodnikov can fight either Rios or Alvarado.
Broner can now fight Mathysse, Garcia or Maidana on Showtime.
It’s another myth that will be perpetuated by those that don’t know.”
I don’t think that the argument is that there won’t be great fights to be made still. I’ve heard no one suggest that at all. What is being suggested is that certain fights between elite level fighters will now be impossible unless circumstances change. Also, from an economic standpoint for fighters this could be an even greater negative. Without the networks bidding against each other, networks will better be able to dictate payouts. I hope I’m wrong and we see even more top matchups than we see today. I’m skeptical, though.
FYI – The Sergio Martinez fight in Argentina, his first there as a major national hero, is reportedly close to selling out a 48,000 stadium. Huge.
Nothing changes between TR and GBP. It stays how it was.
HBO will build new names and voila. You have a new superstar out of nowhere
New superstars that won’t fight anyone on the GBP roster. So again, there are compelling fights that will never be made. And there’s a difference between making a superstar out of nowhere and making a superstar because that person consistently fought and beat the best.
I understand that already TR and GBP were at each others throats and it was virtually impossible to make fights between the two, but now that each promotion is associated with one network you’ve codified the dysfunction in boxing and made it nearly impossible to get rid of.
Broner was created out of nowhere without facing top competition. Just rinse and repeat the formula
It’s not just about the GBP and TR fighters not fighting each other. The lack of bidding on fights is arguably the larger issue. Drives the cost, long-term down.
Makes no sense as the budgets are already set. They can buy more product for the same money which is good for industry health
I know several professional boxers. If one of them was lucky enough to get a chance to sign with one of tha 2 biggest outfits in tha game, having less networks willing to buy their fights is not a good thing. HBO say they won’t bid on the fights of a lot of to fighters now just cause they with Oscar. This was a chump move by HBO and bad for fighters. I’m against anything that hurts fighters and their families. Most people don’t get that they don’t make nothing till they get to an elite level.
Broner is not yet a superstar. He hasn’t headlined any PPVs that I know of. Until he beast some real competition he won’t be a superstar.
Nobody is a superstar in U.S. boxing outside of Pac, Mayweather, Cotto, & Chavez Jr.
That’s why HBO is in a great position where they can build guys without worrying about the same fighters going to Showtime.
so they are going an mma route
Wow boxing is definitely on the up swing there’s more comments with this topic than mma in this mmapayout site lol.
funny thing check the net when Oscar dela Hoya was about to retire Dana said there won’t be anymore ppv over a million for boxing.what happened?two stars reached over a million.pac and mayWeathEr.so it actually doubled than what Dana said……so know if those two guys retire young guys will take they’re place….boxing is established worldwide and they just need stars to buildup…to take main event.
imagine Zhou simming the double Olympic gold medal now with top rank….china would be rooting for him because countries like china only support athletes who represent the country in the Olympics…..
and mma is not iin the Olympics…boxing promoters get a lot of money from different countries paying them broadcast rites….I’m sure bob arum would sell zhou s fight to Chinese tv networks for a HUGE sum