SUPER SHOWTIME MAKING ITS MOVE ON HBO
February 24th, 2010 By Brian Gorman
IS BOXING’S #2 NETWORK CLOSING THE GAP?
Pittsburgh, PA- With HBO boxing floundering in many ways so far this year, Showtime will attempt to steal the spotlight between two of HBO’s few bright spots – the March 13 Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey and May 1 Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley welterweight (147 lb.) showdowns – with Stage 2 (of 3) of its Super Six Super Middleweight (168 lb.) Classic on March 27 and April 24. While HBO couldn’t force the highly anticipated Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather showdown, and more problematically won’t have one solitary significant card until Pacquiao-Clottey, Showtime continues its recent role as the industry leader, at least in terms of innovation. Will the Super Six change the way and amount we view boxing on television?
MEMO TO HBO: GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER
The failure to be first on the Super Six idea isn’t HBO’s only current flaw. Why does the network continue to approve “showcase” bouts? Here’s a suggested rule for the suits at HBO: If you know who the winner will be before the fight even starts, don’t agree to air it. Additionally, they give promoters leverage they don’t need to, pandering to Top Rank’s Bob Arum and, worse, dealing exclusively at times with Golden Boy Promotions. Their matchmaking is clearly subpar: Anyone can okay these Pacquiao and Mayweather contests or the April 24 Tomasz Adamek-Chris Arreola heavyweight (201+ lb.) slugfest; they still greatly lack the ingenuity of the Super Six, such as a featherweight (126 lb.) or junior welterweight (140 lb.) tournament. Instead, HBO’s playing defense by counter-programming against the Super Six.
IS THE SUPER SIX A SURE THING?
After the March 27 Arthur Abraham-Andre Dirrell bout competes against a relatively weak HBO card, the tourney will face its first major test on April 24, when its split card of WBC champ Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler and WBA champ Andre Ward vs. Allan Green goes up against the anticipated Adamek-Arreola bout and, for the first time, a WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) pay-per-view show. With an interesting Stage 3 to occur later this year, followed by a semifinal and final next year, the Super Six should enjoy success while it’s going, but its long-term legacy may depend on the winner’s career arc afterwards. Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in the “Fight of the Century” after winning the heavyweight tourney in Ali’s absence. Mike Tyson knocked out a half dozen opponents after winning the 1980’s version, and Bernard Hopkins also defended his championship six more times after stopping Felix Trinidad to win the 2001 middleweight (160 lb.) tournament. Should the Super Six winner then lose to a Kelly Pavlik or Lucian Bute in 2011 or 2012, its credibility will suffer.
SHOULD WE CALL IT THE SUPER THREE PLUS THREE?
Looking at the Stage 2 and 3 matchups, it’s entirely possible that Carl Froch can go 1-2 and still secure the fourth seed. In fact, if the favorites hold the rest of the way, that will happen. In Stage 2, Ward and Kessler should outbox their foes. If Green and Froch stand a puncher’s chance against them, then perhaps we should call Dirrell’s chance a “boxer’s chance” against iron man Abraham. (If any upset will happen in Stage 2 though, which I don’t see, I’ll call Dirrell over Abraham.) The “Super Three,” Ward, Abraham and Kessler, won’t face each other in Stage 3 either, and any other boxer invading the top three seeds at that point would come as a surprise. Expect a fantastic final of Ward unifying titles against the winner of Abraham-Kessler; I’ll predict Ward over Abraham in the final.
SHOWTIME, KEEP THESE TOURNEYS COMING
The Super Six (the absence of the mistakenly-overlooked Bute notwithstanding) overcomes and solves some of boxing’s biggest hurdles, including the lack of title unification; the failure of the best to compete against each other; and the mutual exclusivity of promoters’ stables. Showtime’s Ken Hershman has improbably convinced the WBA and WBC and a handful of promoters (notably, none of whom are Golden Boy or Top Rank) to agree to up to five bouts each against the best in the world, with no way to back out barring injury. Next year, do it again, Ken.
CARRYING ON THE “STEEL CITY” LEGACY!
Check out my new site on fighters who have made a mark from the Steel City, Pittsburgh, PA at Click to go to Steel City Fighters
Brian Gorman
showtime has been closing the gap for awhile. all 3 vazquez-marquez fights were off ppv. this tournament helps too. dumping merchant for kellerman on some shows and putting a B team on all BAD shows doesn’t help things for HBO either.
After what i heard about HBO not doing 24/7 on Pacquiao/Clottey? I dont want HBO to host Manny Pacquiao Fights. I think Pacfans would rather watch it in SHOWTIME. HBO is Golden Boys pet anyways, this guys will just do whatever Golden Boys says….they are not a man of their own. SHOWTIME is BETTER, this guys been telecasting the FIGHTS for how many years and THEY REALLY STAND UP ON THEIR BELIEFS. If HBO dont make 24/7 on Manny Pacquiao fights but they do it on Floyd fights?….thats VERY UNFAIR. HBO are a lil bias, if they dont want Manny Pacquiao just SAY IT. Top RANK doesnt need HBO anyways.
GO SHOWTIME!!!
HBO’s programming has been lacking for sometime. They rocked it in the 90s with BAD but it’s been downhill for a long time.
Granted, I don’t think the fighters are as exciting these days. Back then you had Gatti, Tyson, Trinidad, De La Hoya, Lewis, Holyfield, Tszyu…all great TV fighters and big names.
There just aren’t the personalities right now that there used to be in boxing back then.
Hbo has fallen behind the rader, showtime has definately got behind the wheel and made us all strap on our seatbelts cause they taken us on a wild ride with entertaining fights and marquez vs vazquez trilogy n the whole super 6 took us by storm..great fights,great fighters in the top rank team with timothy bradley and edwin valero..we love those two n want to see more of them..showtime has definately come a long way..showtime surely surpassed hbo in my book.. Hbo step ur game up!!
IT’s getting close for other reasons as well. I watch too much TV, so force myself to choose between HBO and Showtime. Boxing is the # 1 reason, but the other programs tip the balance, and without anything like the Sopranos (HBO blew it by passing on Mad Men) HBO has very few must-sees. Bill Maher is about it.
HBO needs to step up period…it’s unbelievable that they have not had a World Championship Boxing (WCB) event at all in 2010, and as far as I know, their won’t be one until April, just Boxing After Dark cards and a couple of (major)PPV’s over the next few months…
Bottom line is HBO would rather line the pockets of guys like Chad Dawson, who fights washed up over the hill guys(Tarver) or put on Andre Berto showcases that no one cares to see. If they stopped giving Al Hayman fighters these dates with a TBA attached to them they would have better fights. Instead of giving dates to fighters who can’t sell out a ballroom, why not give dates to exciting fighters willing to fight the best. Guys like Tim Bradley, Andre Ward, Edwin Valero deserve to be on HBO more than guys like Chad Dawson, Andre Berto and even Paul Williams to an extent/ I love Paul, but the truth is without Hayman he wouldn’t have a shot at getting an HBO date. He has no fanbase. I thin k HBo needs to focus on matchmaking and not lining Golden Boy’s pockets with their showcase fights for guys trying to pad their records…I hope we don’t have to see Khan vs Malignaggi, another fight that the boxing world could do without.
Mark makes some good points, BAD was great in mid 90s till not that long ago, MAB-Mckinney, Gatti-Rodriguez(and evryone else). Maybe Showtime’s rise will cause HBO to revise things a bit.
One other thing…Im from the UK, and don’t think I’ve ever heard a worst commentator than Lennox, for God’s sake drop him, and Kellerman too and bring back Merchant, Lampley and RJJ for BAD, who I think was a terrific commentator. Ive heard that Antonio Tarver is also excellent
PS Ive only recently started submitting comments and really enjoy interacting with other boxing fans from around the world, take care everyone
Let’s have Showtime take over. There’s no need for HBO to be at the top. Frankly, signing Kellerman was a rad flag that the ship was going in a questionable direction.
Sorry Brian, but Joe Frazier never competed in the Heavyweight Tournament of 1967-68 . The tourney had an eventual champion in Jimmy Ellis(who beat Jerry Quarry), who ultimately lost to New York State recognized champion Joe Frazier two years later.
davie.t,
Does that mean if Lucian Bute beats the eventual winner of the Super Six you can expect me in 20 years to talk about the winner of the 2009-2011 Super Six tournament, Lucian Bute?
Sadly enough, it probably does!
I personally like both networks. But off the subject, i think showtime’s commentators need work. I liked it better when showtime had a good team such as pachecho, bobby chez, and nick. I wish HBO would hire somebody who is more knowledgeable about the sport and more upbeat as the 3rd commentator like george foreman used to be. I think a good fit would be somebody like a mike tyson, shane mosley, bernard hopkins, or maybe like a pernell whitaker. Somebody whos knows the sport.
KpKIp I disagree with u on one aspect how do valero and ward deserve to be on hbo more than Dawson? Dawson is beating everybody he is required to sans cloud. He beat adameck, Johnson 2 times and Johnson is still relevant tarver 2 times also now he has to fight his young contenders but who has valero beat? How is his resume close to dawsons? Ward is still coming along but he just got a belt. Dawson is such a champ that he has dropped belts to get tough fights and rematched disputed wins!!! And not to mention he won his first title from the then udefeated champ that has since not lost. And has gone on to win THE cruiser title and is knocking on the heavy title door. The kid deserves to be where he is ahead of valero and ward.
Yes hbo needs to step up I’ll tell u a few fighters I’d rather not see on hbo malinaggi, katsidis, Diaz Juan, urango, quintana, Judah, con(khan)!!!, how u gonna put Devon Alexander b4 u put Tim Bradley??????? WTF how u gonna do a jr welter tourney without Bradley???????? That’s just some bullshit!!!!!! And they need to get the best guys fighting the best they/ we pay premium dollars for those fights put smaller guys on donaire darchynian calderon I’d rather watch 105 pounders that r good than watch the guys I mentioned at the begining!! And STOP putting soo many ppv’s the shit is and has been wa overboard for a while
King Arthur is going to win it all!
Roberto: I agree with you regarding Dawson. People think he’s boring, but he’s beating everybody he needs to. Bhop shoulda fought him instead of taking on RJJ to really prove something, but what the hey. i know its a long time from now, but Dawson/ Pascal should be a good one. What’s up with Cloud though? That guy should be taking a stay busy fight…