Howdy Suckers.
What a hurtful, hateful, disrespectful factor to say, proper?
Properly, that’s what the boxing enterprise thinks of you. You’re suckers, marks, water heads whose emotions and beliefs will be twisted round by some very primary public relations. You’re so dumb that they’ll even get you to purchase one thing you completely didn’t want– after which stroll away feeling good about being duped.
Living proof, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Edgar “Can” Berlanga.
This can be a combat that no person however Berlanga, his household, and Canelo need. It’s a combat that won’t be aggressive, that includes a B-side who’s fought no person of actual notice and whose solely probability of dropping Canelo entails a sniper being planted within the balcony of T-Cell Area.
But, right here we’re. Canelo vs. Berlanga on September 14. There’ll be a pay-per-view price ticket on it, too– most likely properly above 80 bucks.
And the occasion organizers simply realize it’ll promote, as a result of when the Mexican money cow, Alvarez, tells you what to purchase, you’re gonna purchase it. And when he tells you that David Benavidez didn’t deserve a title shot as a result of he hadn’t fought anyone, however that Berlanga DID deserve one, you higher not chuckle. Simply nod your head and agree…and BUY.
Saudi Arabian wannabe boxing dictator Turki Alalshikh is aware of all about enjoying followers for suckers, too. I imply, the man has had a number of playing cards filled with fights no person requested for, and the narrative all the time appears to be: “He’s giving us the fights we’ve been eager to see.”
This coming Saturday, he’s giving American combat followers a card on US soil, filled with sub-HBO-level fights topped by Terence Crawford assembly a man in Israil Madrimov who might be no. 17 on the “I need to see him combat Crawford” checklist. And it’s pay-per-view. And also you’re gonna be blissful and grateful to “His Excellency.”
Since you’re a sucker.
When you ever need to discover some perspective on these sorts of issues by going to the media, properly, good luck with that. Your sources for training and data are the boxing web site owned by the promoter who’s in a partnership with the Saudis or the boxing web site owned by that different boxing firm, which has some doubtful hiring/firing/keeping-your-job practices. Or possibly you’ll be able to go to another choose particular person reporters who’re deeply compromised and/or specialists at bartering favors for entry.
However all of them anticipate you to belief that what they are saying is true. And, for probably the most half, you truly do.
No surprise the UFC feels it may stroll proper into Las Vegas and declare Mexican Independence Day weekend by stealing boxing fandom away from boxing. They see you guys as chimps, simply distracted by shiny issues (like, The Sphere…Ooohhhh, have a look at the lights…).
That may be the one rationalization for making a Noche UFC card on September 14 in Vegas, reverse Canelo-Berlanga, as a “tribute to the Mexican individuals for his or her extraordinary contributions to fight sports activities” with a fundamental occasion pitting an Irish-American towards a Georgian, combating below the sponsorship of Saudi Arabia. Dana White and the UFC assume in the event that they put Mexican paintings on some posters, it’ll be sufficient to lure in Mexican boxing followers…as a result of…boxing followers are suckers.
No different trade is as constantly disrespectful and dismissive of its prospects as boxing.
Think about going to Burger King, Dwelling of the Whopper, with a longing for a Whopper and, if you get there, they need to provide you with a microwave Quick Bites greenback retailer burger instead– on the worth of a Whopper. And whilst you’re questioning what the fuck is occurring, they stand there, legitimately feeling that try to be blissful about being screwed round.
I’m not aware of rather a lot on the enterprise aspect of issues on this sport. However I’m not so keen anymore to be understanding about why followers are being disrespected whereas being requested to pay increasingly more for the privilege of being a fan. I don’t care anymore concerning the “whys,” I simply need to deal with the “hell nos.”
When you’re a boxing firm and you’ll’t afford to remain in enterprise, possibly you shouldn’t be within the boxing enterprise. Or possibly you need to tighten your finances and reduce your efforts. I do know when these writing gigs of mine begin drying up, I eat a hell of much more peanut butter than when issues are going properly.
No matter. Simply cease dicking the followers round.
There’s some proof that followers are smartening up, although. The additional embracing of piracy is a logical, if possibly misguided, response to boxing always gouging its followers with pay-per-views and subscription charges.
Canelo’s buys, for example, have declined considerably with each dangerous matchup he tries to hawk. Perhaps the identical variety of persons are watching him, however fewer are literally paying. It’s not a wholesome technique to battle shitty boxing enterprise. It’s slightly like stealing the Quick Bites burgers from Burger King within the instance I used above. Yeah, you get the burger free now, however it’s nonetheless a shitty burger. Ideally, we’d all just like the Whopper and could be keen to pay a good worth for it.
Boxing wants to take a look at the way in which the music trade battled piracy again within the early days of the web and file sharing. The answer was to make the authorized music product extra handy and extra economical. Followers responded, for probably the most half, by going again to getting their music the authorized route.
The boxing enterprise, nonetheless, isn’t even attempting to make any adjustments to how they do things– except you rely charging extra for poorer content material as an precise enterprise technique.
And, why aren’t they attempting?
As a result of they nonetheless assume you’re a sucker.
Obtained one thing for Magno? Ship it right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com
