For boxing?s big dysfunctional family to keep working, the fans have to sometimes get what they want (or, at the very least, be convinced that what they get is what they want). 2015 marked a dangerous departure from that basic philosophy. It seemed as though the entire boxing world just stopped giving a shit. ?Yeah, it?s money?all about money, and we don?t care. Watch it or not, suckers.?
The broken boxing business structure cock-blocked many of the best possible bouts?but that?s nothing new. Mayweather and Pacquiao kept being Mayweather and Pacquiao to the detriment of the sport?s future. Again, nothing new.
But what did hit hard for the first time was the constant chatter about why totally doable fights SHOULDN?T happen right now and the shameless way in which promoters, fighters, and managers seemed to publicly justify this business philosophy.
I could run through a laundry list of fighters who should?ve been matched tougher last year, but weren?t because their people knew that guaranteed money was coming their way regardless of who they fought and what the public had to say.
This mentality has become such a part of the business at this point that way too many fans have jumped right in, justifying why the fights they should be wanting shouldn?t happen. It boggles the mind until you realize that Bob Arum has gotten rich on the basic belief that the media are dumb rocks to be manipulated at will and that the fans ?can go fuck themselves.?
In the short term, everyone seems to be having a nice laugh at the fans? expense with the low-risk/high-pay business strategy. The money is, indeed, guaranteed in the here and now, whether it be via premium cable payout or via Al Haymon Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) war chest. High-end fighters can enjoy ridiculous paydays for fighting their sparring partners or for destroying hand-picked fall guys on prime time. And, whether there are five or five million people watching, the money will be there. Good for them; Bad for boxing.
Regardless of the business, you can?t remove the customers from the equation, work around them, insult their intelligence, give them subpar product?and expect them to remain loyal to you. Boxing loses many more fans than it gains these days because people are walking away in disgust, aggressively and arrogantly denied what they want. No other sport shits on its loyal fans quite as much as boxing.
But it?s not all doom and gloom, either. Fights like December?s Daniel Jacobs-Peter Quillin pairing and the upcoming Keith Thurman-Shawn Porter bouts are fights that didn?t HAVE to happen. All four fighters could?ve dicked around the public for at least one more full year before anyone cared to take the fans? wishes into consideration.
For that, give the much-maligned PBC the credit they deserve. The PBC has also, at least recently, matched their prospects much tougher than is usually the case when prospects are hidden on off-TV premium cable shows.
This change in attitude probably came along with the realization that on network TV, it?s ALL about playing to the viewer and giving the fans what they want. If given a chance to vote with their feet, fans will quickly and mercilessly cast their vote. That kind of accountability can never be had on premium cable networks where the object of the game is to peddle subscriptions using ?name? fighters and ratings don?t mean anything at all.
Believe me, I?m not saying that the PBC is without flaws. I?ve talked about the dark side of the PBC empire before and the project, as a whole, is still full of question marks and doubts in my mind. But at least a few important people within the brain trust realized that cringe-worthy crushes on prime time won?t help you sell your product to the masses. (Why they?re still taking crap despite clearly making the effort to book more competitive bouts is another issue for another Rant.)
At any rate, hopefully more promoters and managers will realize that pissing off and frustrating the fans will come back to bite them on the ass, regardless of the easy money coming their way right now.
HBO was recently dished a heaping dose of reality when their carefully homebrewed star, Gennady Golovkin, failed miserably in his first PPV effort. Despite having his ?stardom? jammed down the public?s throat for the last few years, his first free market test flopped with a buy rate ranging anywhere from 97,000 to 125,000 (depending on the source). Boxing fans don?t often act in their own best interest, but they also aren?t stupid. They?ll buy what appeals to them and reject what doesn?t, no matter how you try to spin things.
Eventually, the gravy train will derail and the era of guaranteed money and exclusive, protected home network stars will die with a whimper. By then, if this fan-dismissive mentality isn?t nipped in the bud right now, there may not be enough of a fan base left for a proper resuscitation.
