Does HBO own boxing?

[StuBoxing]

What are your thoughts?

[sean]

has a lot influence in american boxing, and is helpfull in getting big fights made.

as to owning, it seems to me that boxing has been diluted over and over again for the last 30 years and now so many players have a bit of the pie.

but without doubt hbo plays a big part in fights of a global significance.

[jimmie]

Id call them the Kings right now.

[Thread Stealer]

No, but they're obviously powerful in the sport.

[FlatNose]

Major player, not an owner.

[KayEpps]

When it comes to Boxing - HBO is the shit. No other network compares.

They KO all other competition.

Remember - it's not TV - it's......... you know the rest!

[Tom_Tocca]

It's more that HBO has the most influence/generates the most money for a fighter/gives a fight the legacy-factor...

[Marnoff]

No, but they play a big role.

[KhanB]

HBO has always been biased toward certain fighters but now its too obvious. They fooled everybody into buying DLH/Hopkins put on a play AFTER DLH clearly lost to Sturm. Then DLH had his great "comeback" against Mayorga that they said was fight of the year. Now they pushed the overhyped DLH/Mayweather fight that they claimed could "save" boxing. They also created the hype job Taylor that they have to work overtime to make him look legit. Theyre pushing Merchant out the way bcuz he tells the truth that the new B.A.D sucks. IMO HBO owned boxing when they had Merchant, Lampley, and Foreman with DiBella doing the matchmaking. Theyre still the best but not much better than Showtime.

[box03]

I like HBO more than others, they seem to get the bigger names together. As far as competive fights I will take SHO or espn2 anyday.

[Lampley]

Own? No.

But HBO is the most powerful organizational force in the sport, even more than the promoters. They make fights and break fights, something that the belts largely have lost the power to do, at least at the big money levels.

Showtime shares this ability to a lesser extent.

Just look at HBO's work making Kessler/Calzaghe to see how the network's influence is felt worldwide.

[Still~style]

what kind of question is this. nobody owns boxing. if someone did......it would be de le hoya.

[Still~style]

Own? No.

But HBO is the most powerful organizational force in the sport, even more than the promoters. They make fights and break fights, something that the belts largely have lost the power to do, at least at the big money levels.

Showtime shares this ability to a lesser extent.

Just look at HBO's work making Kessler/Calzaghe to see how the network's influence is felt worldwide.

are you jimp lampley?

[Deslizer]

I would love to have such a broadcaster like HBO in europe. Then we would have more good match-ups with the best europeans fighting each other (which happens only a few times), instead of easy title defenses (happens often)

[Zakman]

Just look at all those gift decisions Taylor got...... :yep

[Executioner]

Just look at all those gift decisions Taylor got...... :yep

:lol:

[Zakman]

Off course they do . Who do you think makes all the money ? They call the shots . You saw Hopkins - Taylor 1 right ? You saw Delahoya - Sturm right ?

No kidding. In a close fight, where it is at all possible to give the nod to the HBO fighter, who gets the decision??:huh

There is no better example of this than Jermaine Taylor. For him, HBO is the GIFT that keeps on GIVING!! :nod

[Lampley]

No kidding. In a close fight, where it is at all possible to give the nod to the HBO fighter, who gets the decision??:huh

There is no better example of this than Jermaine Taylor. For him, HBO is the GIFT that keeps on GIVING!! :nod

So why didn't Taylor get the nod against Wright? That was a close fight, they could have justified it.

And how was Mosley ever allowed to lose to Winky? And how about ODLH dropping a decision to Mayweather? You know HBO would have loved for Oscar to win. It would have been a huge story, and the residual money they'd make easily would out-trump whatever extra they've gained from hyping Taylor.

And they don't even hype Taylor that much anymore. Both Lampley and Merchant were killing him against Spinks, criticizing him for not listening to Steward.

[Lampley]

Simple , Too obvious ! They already pushed it with Hopkins Taylor !
Both of those fights were very close, and most people thought Taylor won the second.

And what about the other bouts I listed?

The conspiracy theories don't hold up at all upon even a little inspection.