Trying to understand HBO

So HBO wants nothing to do with Rigo. Yes, he's not scintillating, but this is hypocritical. They put Donaire on every time out and a decent amount of the time his fights are boring. Heck, put Rigo against Arce or Darchinyan (as Donaire is supposedly going to face again next) and he would produce an early KO.

HBO doesn't want a pure boxer (who can definitely stink up the joint at times), but they employ Ward as a usually boring analyst and as a sometimes boring fighter.

HBO was happy to trot out Devon Alexander for years. His fights weren't fun for the most part.

I understand that Rigo can be an acquired taste, but HBO is being hypocritical. It almost seems if they are just red faced that Rigo beat Donaire (who they have wasted so much money on).

captainanddew wrote:So HBO wants nothing to do with Rigo.  Yes, he's not scintillating, but this is hypocritical.  They put Donaire on every time out and a decent amount of the time his fights are boring.  Heck, put Rigo against Arce or Darchinyan (as Donaire is supposedly going to face again next) and he would produce an early KO.  

HBO doesn't want a pure boxer (who can definitely stink up the joint at times), but they employ Ward as a usually boring analyst and as a sometimes boring fighter.  

HBO was happy to trot out Devon Alexander for years. His fights weren't fun for the most part.  

I understand that Rigo can be an acquired taste, but HBO is being hypocritical.  It almost seems if they are just red faced that Rigo beat Donaire (who they have wasted so much money on).  

yeah HBO should at least put Rigo on an undergrad or two

i agree. rigo ruined their plans with donaire and dont think that they can make money with rigo so they are just giving him the shaft. he has earned at least one more HBO date to prove that he can be exciting.

Captain, I appreciate the specifics of your thread, however I can make an argument for HBO fucking up the whole sport. Period. If I had time, I'd make a list.

I am going to say that i do agree with hbo. If rigo is the main event no one but us will watch it so just make a co main event and put him on with an all action fight.

Soonermark890 wrote:I am going to say that i do agree with hbo. If rigo is the main event no one but us will watch it so just make a co main event and put him on with an all action fight.

...I agree.weather or not we like or dislike hbos choice its still a business.rigo they feel based on research cannot deliver the goods rating wise or sponser ship wise.yes a undercard fight is fair.over the years hbo has done a excellent job with the sport of boxing overall.they have made a few mistakes but overall threw the years they have been great.we should be greatfull for what they have given us for if they were not a big player in boxing surely the sport would be far more of a nitch then it is.
I enjoy all styles and rigos I appreciate but please one major fight in his case don't make him a in demand type of fighter.hbo has just so many fight dates a year.if rigo didn't make there cut then go to showtime or cbs or whatever or a undercard fight that doesnt demand a million dollar payday.at a million I would pass on him too.

Yeah plus really he needs to build his name. Fighters like rigo needs to win a lot in order to get attention. He needs to take every type of tv date offered.

i guess it all goes back to how boxing is now. what would be good for rigo is if he fought on national tv a few times a year to get his name out there. i just wish that boxing could do that better for fighters.

powerpuncher wrote:i guess it all goes back to how boxing is now. what would be good for rigo is if he fought on national tv a few times a year to get his name out there. i just wish that boxing could do that better for fighters.

casual fans dont want to see fighters like rigo, sure its great to see a master at work but cmon now fans want blood and guts. i love rigos style personally but i know im in the minority. networks arent going to shell out money for him when fans would rather see fights that are wars. hes going to have a tough time getting fights i think because the money wont be there

BoxingGenius wrote:

powerpuncher wrote:i guess it all goes back to how boxing is now. what would be good for rigo is if he fought on national tv a few times a year to get his name out there. i just wish that boxing could do that better for fighters.

casual fans dont want to see fighters like rigo, sure its great to see a master at work but cmon now fans want blood and guts.  i love rigos style personally but i know im in the minority. networks arent going to shell out money for him when fans would rather see fights that are wars. hes going to have a tough time getting fights i think because the money wont be there

if he will just bite the bullet and take what he can get right now and keep winning then the payday will come

BoxingGenius wrote:

powerpuncher wrote:i guess it all goes back to how boxing is now. what would be good for rigo is if he fought on national tv a few times a year to get his name out there. i just wish that boxing could do that better for fighters.

casual fans dont want to see fighters like rigo, sure its great to see a master at work but cmon now fans want blood and guts.  i love rigos style personally but i know im in the minority. networks arent going to shell out money for him when fans would rather see fights that are wars. hes going to have a tough time getting fights i think because the money wont be there

They showed Chad Dawson forever. He's boring as fuck alot of the time.
Andre Ward is not only fighting on their network (and producing less than scintillating fights most times out), he's also a boring analyst.

It is rather hypocritical of them. That is my point. Especially considering that Rigo has been on ppv undercards. He fought one time on regular HBO and they are red faced because they wanted Donaire to win so bad (and he isn't that fucking exciting most of the time).

Tell Rigo if he wants to be on the network he needs to go after people. If it is boring he won't be asked back again. Then match him up with someone that will should produce a decent fight on paper. Then if he stinks up the joint they can not have him back. Give the guy a damn chance. Especially considering they have done a ton of boring fights in the past and currently.

It all goes back to HBO wanting to produce stars. They aren't looking at fights. They are looking at "stars". They think donaire is a star. truth is he doesn't produce any more viewers than any other HBO show. They think Rigo won't ever do big numbers, so they aren't going to show him. Yet, they showed assclowns like Berto forever, because they thought he'd be a star. He produced some blah fights.

Rigo needs to sign with Al Haymon, then he'll be all over HBO, no matter what the ratings are (Dawson, Berto are proof).

If I were Rigo, I would punch Arum right in the snout for saying what he did. That was as disrespectful as anything a promoter could say about his own fighter.

flapanther2001 wrote:If I were Rigo, I would punch Arum right in the snout for saying what he did. That was as disrespectful as anything a promoter could say about his own fighter.

damn right. you have a top 10 fighter in the world. Figure out how to promote him. Do your fucking job.

If Main Events-smaller promotional company-can build up fringe guys and get them title shots, then why can't TR figure out how to promote Rigo.

Schaefer did the same thing at Golden Boy for Lara. Lara is normally not the most scintillating. Then he wins a fun fight against Angulo where he is down twice, but manages to stop Angulo. Yet Schaefer's arrogant ass shits on him.

captainanddew wrote:

flapanther2001 wrote:If I were Rigo, I would punch Arum right in the snout for saying what he did. That was as disrespectful as anything a promoter could say about his own fighter.

damn right.  you have a top 10 fighter in the world.  Figure out how to promote him.  Do your fucking job.

If Main Events-smaller promotional company-can build up fringe guys and get them title shots, then why can't TR figure out how to promote Rigo.  

Schaefer did the same thing at Golden Boy for Lara.  Lara is normally not the most scintillating.  Then he wins a fun fight against Angulo where he is down twice, but manages to stop Angulo. Yet Schaefer's arrogant ass shits on him.  

Agreed!!!

i think that there are a few problems that HBO has with rigo. first off, he isnt exciting. but as captain mentioned, they have fighters like dawson and ward who arent very exciting for the casual fan either. which brings me to my next point. he isnt american. since he is known as a boring fighter and cuban then im sure they dont really want to put the effort into selling him. third, he is a smaller fighter. lighter weight classes always have more problems selling and getting popular. obviously im not saying that there arent or havent been really popular small fighters, but they are usually exciting. its very hard to sell a small fighter who isnt exciting. and lastly, if you can go for this, they just arent happy what he did to donaire. he dethroned one of their stars and they dont like him for that.

although i dont mind any of those reasons i stated, i know that those have been other fighters problems in the past.

powerpuncher wrote:i think that there are a few problems that HBO has with rigo. first off, he isnt exciting. but as captain mentioned, they have fighters like dawson and ward who arent very exciting for the casual fan either. which brings me to my next point. he isnt american. since he is known as a boring fighter and cuban then im sure they dont really want to put the effort into selling him. third, he is a smaller fighter. lighter weight classes always have more problems selling and getting popular. obviously im not saying that there arent or havent been really popular small fighters, but they are usually exciting. its very hard to sell a small fighter who isnt exciting. and lastly, if you can go for this, they just arent happy what he did to donaire. he dethroned one of their stars and they dont like him for that.

although i dont mind any of those reasons i stated, i know that those have been other fighters problems in the past.

good points sir. Latest reports are that Rigo's team is hopeful they can get an HBO date. If true, he will get his shot. He better produce.

The problem rigo has is that he is Cuban and therefore easier to exploit by uncle bob. Arum won't pay good purses to a fighter if he doesn't have to

bob has done some good things but its time to move over and let GB take over. they are the ones now actually trying to help the sport.