HBO head cheese Ross Greenberg had recently buried himself with his own words, by stating that the Heavyweight division was dead to American fans. I know that wasn't his exact quote, but the action behind it was the same. HBO would no longer be covering the Klitschko brothers, until it got more interesting (Adamek or Haye).
Now, I don't know what is taking Showtime so long to snap this up (they can't move the date for you... get real), but within weeks of this statement, Mr. Greenberg's ego was put to the test. Klitschko has now been paired with the last fighter ever to be competitive with him, in a rematch, for the undisputed Heavyweight title. In a move that should surprise no one, Wladimir Klitschko vs. Samuel Peter will still not be covered by HBO. Oh, Juanma and Gamboa engaging in tune-up fights was covered, but the legit Heavyweight championship will not be.
American patriotism is being given as the reason here, that title fights in Germany where the Ukranians always win are not of interest to the public. The feeling that Latinos are the main force behind boxing is also a culprit in these decisions. While it is true that we do not fill soccer stadiums here, since when is that necessary? The Klitschkos do fill arenas, besides, most fight fans cannot afford to attend fights in person on a regular basis, even if the fight was in their hometown. Therefore, the location of the match is unimportant. And did anyone else notice Polish fans filling an arena in Ontario, CA (where there are no Polish people) to match chants with Cris Arreola's Mexican-American contingency?
Boxing fans wan't to see the heavyweight champion, and the top ranked contenders, no matter who he is, and where they are from. Latinos are not the only ones buying tickets, and guess what? Even if they were, this week's FNF telecast is between two highly-ranked Chicano Heavyweights (Manuel Quezada and Cris Arreola). You read that right. So, the two biggest boxing nitch-markets in boxing (Heavyweights and Latinos) are merging, and you pick now to turn your back on it?
Were general sportswriters and their rampant hate for boxing influencing you? Did you make a statement in anger, and your ego will not allow you to take it back? Did the brothers demand too much money? What could possibly be the reason for not allowing the boxing public to turn to its most reliable source for the Heavyweight championship? Well, I hope you've enjoyed that title, because now it's gone.
More and more people are getting their boxing from live stream internet, and pay cable's stay of execution is not likely to come through. Congratulations on facilitating your own demise. Now, I know this will not literally happen, as hbo.com will likely find a way to cover the smaller fights, and join the internet ranks quickly and easily by throwing money at it. However, with more and more fighters taking control of their own careers like other web-based endeavors, I find it ironic that HBO, the network that kept public interest in boxing during leaner times, is now making that easier.
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
