Lou DiBella on Dana White vs Bob Arum Beef: "UFC Is Not Trying to Hurt Boxing"
by Scott Christ on Aug 24, 2011 4:26 PM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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Recently, UFC promoter Dana White and boxing promoter Bob Arum have exchanged some words in the media. Lou DiBella, who in the past was quite critical of mixed martial arts but has since changed his tune (a familiar happening in boxing), sided with White when speaking with Franklin McNeil of ESPN.com:
"There’s no question that when Don [King] and Bob [Arum] dominated this business for literally generations, that not a lot was invested back in the business. Frankly, Bob Arum admitted as much at his Hall of Fame induction. And the sport is in worse condition today than it’s ever been. ... I’m not out there hating on [UFC]; I don’t think they’re trying to hurt boxing. ... Boxing has lost sight of the fact that it’s a subset of the entertainment business. And Dana has not forgotten that."
DiBella isn't shy about criticizing fellow boxing promoters, but at the same time, what has DiBella done to change anything? It's not a question of whether or not I think many of his points are correct, because I do, but I don't think DiBella is seen as a "different" sort of promoter within boxing. Or maybe he just hasn't had the chances to do anything different. It's not like he has the power of Top Rank or Golden Boy.
But it's all just talk, really. Interesting talk, I think, but just talk. I don't see anything major changing any time soon, which is the deflating reality. I'd love someone in boxing to do something really big, really new. But until anyone is truly losing money, it won't happen.
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I’m not sure I understand the headline quote… I may need more context about that line specifically…
Bob Arum would promote Lucifer himself if he could put asses in the seats.
I mean, in the context of the back and forth between Arum and White nobody accused the UFC of trying to hurt boxing…It seems like an odd quote. And the rest of his expressions don’t talk about that either. They talk about what White said about boxing.
Bob Arum would promote Lucifer himself if he could put asses in the seats.
He means that by going head-to-head with Pacquiao, they’re not trying to hurt boxing. It’s just what they had available to them and they took it.
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by Scott Christ on Aug 24, 2011 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I think one of boxing’s big problems is that people are only able to appreciate a fight based on the name and status of the fight, not the fight itself. I believe that as at least in part caused by an unwillingness to promote undercards to any degree. You watch a UFC promo and usually it covers at least 3 fights, but Dana will be talking about all the fights on the card. There will also be individual promos, interviews, and background stories for most all of the 8-10 bouts. The main event will always sell all the tickets and PPVs, but the exciting undercard bouts are what get people to love the sport.
Yeah this is why I suggested recently that 24/7 expand a little. Give 5-6 minutes per episode to one of the undercard fights. There are some great stories in there that people could learn, and then they maybe start to like a guy and look forward to seeing that fight. Morales vs Matthysse has a story, Alvarez vs Gomez has a story, even Vargas vs Lopez has a story (they’re young, they’re hungry, blah blah blah).
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Aug 25, 2011 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions
That is a very smart idea
Zuffa does that with their “Countdown to UFC *” shows. It’s a ~40 minute show(commercials and such make it run an hour) and the first 20 minutes is dealing with the main event. The second 10 minutes is the co-main and the last 10 is the 3rd most “interesting”(people who have a name or up and comer they are hyping) fight on the card. So if you watch that then you’ll “know” who the other people are just like you “know” Floyd and Ortiz(or whoever else).
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