As British Boxing Fans, We Have To Make The Best Of A Bad Situation...

That's my opinion really, we have to make the best of a bad situation.

BoxNation, an awful lot has been said, been argued and discussed, whether it's good or bad for boxing. Sky Sports has carried boxing for many years now but Sky Sports are a business and pure and simple and the fact that they are cutting boxing down on there schedule is understandable with the amount of viewers and subscribers they get for boxing. Especially the money they put into paying for the big American cards that don't get many viewers, they can't really be blamed for cutting the budget on boxing if they aren't making money from it.

However, this means that on British Television we barely get any boxing. We would quite literally only get the one Promoter in Britain that is still used by Sky Sports, Eddie Hearn. I really like Eddie Hearn, I think what he is attempting to do for British Boxing is terrific right now, his open and understanding approach is great. However, it's not enough boxing for me and I'm sure not enough for you guys.

That's where BoxNation comes in, I can completely understand the arguement, it isn't good for boxing having it on a subscription channel, hidden away from the general masses. However, I have to ask the question and I wouldn't mind an answer to it. What is worse, having boxing on a subscription channel that has over 100,000 subscribers or not having it on television at all? At the very least, the very least, we get to watch the best American cards, take Bradley/Provodnikov last night, one of the FOTY's so far, this wouldn't have even been SHOWN on UK Television if it wasn't for BoxNation, I hate to say.

The sad thing is you have to imagine a world with no BoxNation and what does it look like, to me it looks like Sky Sports occassional Eddie Hearn Bills and then the major Mayweather type fights that get shoved on Primetime for PPV. I ask you, which is better for boxing right now? With or without BoxNation?

I have to say that it's better, at the very least it's on Television, Boxing can't be supported financially by normal, non-subscription channels. We have to make the best of a bad situation and right now, BoxNation is the best of a bad situation as to what's realistic right now. Sorry.

AlexHuckerby wrote: However, I have to ask. What is worse, having boxing on a subscription channel that has over 100,000 subscribers or not having it on television at all?

Do you really have to ask? It's like saying shall we give a home to 100,000 homeless people, or none?

TheMackemMawler wrote:

AlexHuckerby wrote: However, I have to ask. What is worse, having boxing on a subscription channel that has over 100,000 subscribers or not having it on television at all?

Do you really have to ask? It's like saying shall we give a home to 100,000 homeless people, or none?

Well, thats the point, but there is a lot of fight against BoxNation. My point is that it's the best we can have right now.

It's better for individual fight fans that boxing is on a subscription channel rather than no channel at all, but that's not the only alternative, or question.

It doesn't have to come down to BoxNation or no boxing at all.

Sky's probably reduced it's boxing budget because it has no intention of going head to head in a bidding war for overseas fights against a subscription boxing channel hell bent on securing these fights for its very survival. If BoxNation failed to exist it's very likely Sky would, again, increase it's boxing budget and televise some of the big bouts.

Well, it won't even take on other British promoters like Ricky Hatton that have fantastic fighters like Quigg unless they are taking on Hearn fighters, what does that tell you?

I don't know?

It says that they aren't picking up anything other than Hearns fights, or possibly the occassional fight like Ward/Dawson because that ties into one of th big stars in Hearns' locker like (Froch). ANd they could have been future opponents. Because of this, it says that they wouldn't have picked up Bradley/Provodnikov last night.

I remember back when just before BoxNation was created we were missing out on all the best american fights, none of them were shown on TV, fights like Berto/Ortiz were missed form British television, now that would be a cert on BoxNation.

I agree while BoxNation exists Sky/Hearn will mainly pick up overseas fights which can help their own fighters careers'........ it doesn't make good business sense to enter a bidding war with a channel which needs the other fights for it's very survival.

If BoxNation went off air, would it be the last we see of Scott Quigg? No

Would less overseas fights be shown on TV if BoxNation folded? Yes.

Would I care? No.

Have I just watched Bradley Vs Provodnikov. Yes.

In all fairness I was in Cardiff yesterday and England rugby fans were getting drunk and making the best of a bad situation after watching theor mighty team get stuffed by lil ol' Wales who won the 6 nations so I think as boxing fans we can do the same and make the most out of it

Steffan wrote:In all fairness I was in Cardiff yesterday and England rugby fans were getting drunk and making the best of a bad situation after watching theor mighty team get stuffed by lil ol' Wales who won the 6 nations so I think as boxing fans we can do the same and make the most out of it

Probably making the best of it as we'll be back next year and we've got a massively younger side than Wales, reminds me of the run prior to 2003 actually. Does that year ring a bell for yourself?

And personally won't pay for boxnation, would rather stream if it's not on Sky. Not lining ol' Frank Warren pockets with any of my hard earned cash.

Gee wrote:reminds me of the run prior to 2003 actually. Does that year ring a bell for yourself?

Yeah Cardiff City got promoted to the Championship. Lets hope 10 years on we make the Premiership

I love Boxnation, its great, the casual fans are never going to tune in to anything that doesn't either have a brit or Mayweather/Pacquiao.

Boxnation is for the hardcore fans.

BoxingFan88 wrote:I love Boxnation, its great, the casual fans are never going to tune in to anything that doesn't either have a brit or Mayweather/Pacquiao.

Boxnation is for the hardcore fans.

This.

Boxnation means I can watch loads of overseas fights, plus some decent British shows for less per month than I would spend on one PPV. I watch more boxing than I do any other sport so to be able to throw Boxnation on and know I'm going to see a fight its great.

I could use Youtube however with the way the internet is around here it would take forever to buffer and would be constantly stopping and starting. You have to wonder with lines being used like "I'm not going to line old franks pockets" if Eddie Hearn had launched this channel whether people would buy it then.

The casual/hardcore scenario is a tought thing to break, but I think of how many casual fans decided to tune in for Haye vs. Chisora? Hundreds of thousands.

Why did they tune in? Because of the fairly decent marketing drive by Haye and Warren.

The way to bring more of the "casual" fans to the station is to bring in more shows like this, the problem in this country is we haven't got that big name like Hatton, Lewis or Calzaghe.

Now, say for example a guy like Tyson Fury (who is pretty well known in the casual market) has a couple of more fights on Channel 5, builds up a following and then moves to BoxNation? Not only do you have the casual fans tuning in, but a plethora of "travellers" too.

In seriousness. The reason boxing in this country is suffering is due to the lack of champions, barely any coverage on terrestrial and no big names...

Look at the biggest stars in the sport in the last 15 to 20 years and where they came from:

Eubank, Benn, Calzaghe, Lewis, Hatton, Naz and Khan... I've seen every one of those guys on ITV and followed them when they moved to Sky, Setanta or Primetime. What any good promoter needs to do is raise stock in his fighters, the fans will follow.

I think that fans in the UK has seldom had it as good in terms of boxing coverage. There is more boxing than ever available to watch.

The realistic alternative to not having something like boxnation is that there is just less boxing available on tv and less coverage. Even if ITV/BBC were to somehow re-invest in boxing it would only be a handful of fights a year and Sky even if they were to double their schedule would still only cover a fraction of boxing and would be largely Eddie Hearns stable and prizefighter anyhow. Whats the harm in a channel like boxnation picking up the slack and bringing fans fights that wouldnt be shown otherwise? And for 10 quid a month its alot better than in the U.S where each fight can be 50 dollars a pop.

In some of the past golden era's of boxing most people had to make do with listening to a fight on the radio or reading the report in the paper. We dont have it as bad as we think.

I don't think Boxnation is bad value at all and think if Warren wasn't running it it'll get a little less stick.

For £120 a year it's good value IMO. Not every month it's worth £10 but some months it's hugely worth it!

They've shown the last Mayweather fight and will be shoing his next one.

April has:

Martinez vs Murray
Garcia vs Judah
Clev
Chisora and a few more

Individually they may not be worth £10 but collectively they are.

Boxnation is gopod for the sport as the alterntaive is none of these fights being shown.

I know these boards are frequented by all kinds of educated types (plus LJ) but boxing is predominantly a working class sport.

By not showing boxing on "free TV" you are isolating what was you're main fan base. Forget about all people on benefits having a sky dish, it's not true. The lower working classes have been without coverage long enough for it to negatively impact the sport.

I don't think Boxnation is bad value at all and think if Warren wasn't running it it'll get a little less stick.

Steve Bunce is reason enough not to join.

On a more serious note if the household were in to their boxing wouldn't be a problem. As it is they're not so getting control over the TV on a Saturday night is impossible. It'd be like buying a nice new phone and leaving it in its box.

TheMackemMawler wrote:I know these boards are frequented by all kinds of educated types (plus LJ) but boxing is predominantly a working class sport.

By not showing boxing on "free TV" you are isolating what was you're main fan base. Forget about all people on benefits having a sky dish, it's not true. The lower working classes have been without coverage long enough for it to negatively impact the sport.

'cept Sky tv is more prevelant in 'working class' areas than middle class areas, affording the subscription doesn't seem to be an issue....

TheMackemMawler wrote:I know these boards are frequented by all kinds of educated types (plus LJ) but boxing is predominantly a working class sport.

Managed to stay off the drink this weekend you fat alcoholic?

First China and now this. It's the beginning of the end my dear Toppy.

Does boxnation still look like it is being recorded with a camcorder from the 90's?

I get it for free anyway. Got one of them foreign dishes that picks up everything, including all the ppv channels. It's a free market now so I think it's legal too...

Lumbering_Jack wrote:

TheMackemMawler wrote:I know these boards are frequented by all kinds of educated types (plus LJ) but boxing is predominantly a working class sport.

Managed to stay off the drink this weekend you fat alcoholic?

hahaha! Yeah I was off it. I'm not in Sunderland until this Friday 22nd. I'll have a blow out then. I was going to suggest we meet up then i remembered you'll be luvvying it up in your £800 suit on Canary Wharf.

TheMackemMawler wrote:

Lumbering_Jack wrote:

TheMackemMawler wrote:I know these boards are frequented by all kinds of educated types (plus LJ) but boxing is predominantly a working class sport.

Managed to stay off the drink this weekend you fat alcoholic?

hahaha! Yeah I was off it. I'm not in Sunderland until this Friday 22nd. I'll have a blow out then. I was going to suggest we meet up then i remembered you'll be luvvying it up in your £800 suit on Canary Wharf.

Be a bit gay meeting up wouldn't it? Not in to that kind of thing.

Lumbering_Jack wrote:Does boxnation still look like it is being recorded with a camcorder from the 90's?

I get it for free anyway. Got one of them foreign dishes that picks up everything, including all the ppv channels. It's a free market now so I think it's legal too...

If you get it for free then why bother asking what the picture quality is like? How about you pick up your remote and have a look yourself.

Oh yeah, I guess that hadn't occurred to you!

..... or perhaps you are just full of it?

Or perhaps I don't watch it, and have no desire to?

TheMackemMawler wrote:First China and now this. It's the beginning of the end my dear Toppy.

Read an interesting article in the FT the other day, China has aborted (or killed, depending where you sit on that particular ethical issue) more babies than the entire population of the United States of America, since the 1970s. Imagine that, the ENTIRE USA aborted

Lumbering_Jack wrote:Or perhaps I don't watch it, and have no desire to?

LJ, which are you?

A) a boxing fan with no desire to watch a boxing channel.

B) a WUM with no interest in boxing.

C) a mindless fantasist with no point.

D) an idiot

E) all of the above

TopHat24/7 wrote:

TheMackemMawler wrote:First China and now this. It's the beginning of the end my dear Toppy.

Read an interesting article in the FT the other day, China has aborted (or killed, depending where you sit on that particular ethical issue) more babies than the entire population of the United States of America, since the 1970s. Imagine that, the ENTIRE USA aborted

Imagine that, the ENTIRE USA aborted.....

I'm a busy man... And sadly my box does not record the PPV channels so I rarely get the chance to stay up.

Now take your personal agenda elsewhere... You attention seeking drunk.

...I think you mean personal vendetta?

Come on kids, play nicely.....

TopHat24/7 wrote:Come on kids, play nicely.....

stay out of it - I havent banned anyone in 72 hours and feel my bloodlust about to be satisfied.

Adam D wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:Come on kids, play nicely.....

stay out of it - I havent banned anyone in 72 hours and feel my bloodlust about to be satisfied.

Adam D's interjection was followed by 20 minutes of sensible silence.

Not quite the conversation I was intendting to have by creating a topic like this...

Suprised quite a few of the veterans that are opposed to BoxNation haven't cut me down to size or that Az hasn't waffled nonsense...

AlexHuckerby wrote:Suprised quite a few of the veterans that are opposed to BoxNation haven't cut me down to size or that Az hasn't waffled nonsense...

In time dear boy.

Just really dissappointed no one bit, can't be because everything I've said is totally true and even the most brilliant of posters have no arguement is it...

Great post

C5 just confirmed on twitter that they've pulled out of boxing coverage.

So... judging from the comments here then we all think BoxNation is the best possible thing right now, no one has opposed this, so it must be, yes?

Alex the sole reason I did not respond is I have written my views on boxnation so many times even I am bored of repeating them. Suffice to say my stance on the channel has not softened one iota.

What wouldrather have done then, us not have BoxNation and not have any of the fights even shown on British television, or have them on BoxNation?

Stop bumping your own thread Alex, so needy......!

My views are not about what impact boxnation has on the sport in the short term Alex it is the long term impact on the sport as I believe having the action stuck away on an obscure channel that you have to subscribe to is long term not healthy for the sport.

Rowley wrote:My views are not about what impact boxnation has on the sport in the short term Alex it is the long term impact on the sport as I believe having the action stuck away on an obscure channel that you have to subscribe to is long term not healthy for the sport.

Is it taking boxing away from anywhere though? If boxing was widespread across television then I would agree that boxnation stealing it away on a subscription channel is bad. But its not really doing that as far as I can see. Its recognising that there is an existing demand for watching boxing that is not being satisfied because there is not enough boxing readily available for viewers. And its trying to bring more boxing to the fans.

In theory it would be great to have boxing on terrestrial tv but its not going to happen really. Having boxnation as an alternative just means there is at least the option there. The alternative is less boxing for fans which is not going to help in the long run either.