GOOD
A billion or so people watch the Super Bowl worldwide each year, according to most estimates. And more than 100 million Americans tune into the game.
That’s why I’m going to guess that the television spots promoting the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch during the big game were the most-watched boxing ads in the history of the sport.
Of course, that can only be good for the event and boxing.
I don’t think it’s possible to determine the number of pay-per-view buys that will have been generated as a result of the TV spots but it’s fun to speculate and play with the numbers.
Imagine that the ads piqued the interest of only 5 percent of those who saw them. In the U.S. that would be 5 million people if we assume 100 million were tuned in. Those people, who otherwise might not have been interested in or aware of the fight, might now research it or at least pay more attention to the hype surrounding it.
Now let’s say that only 5 percent of those people actually buy the pay-per-view. That’s 250,000 people. Finally, let’s say the promoters will charge a conservative $75. That would be a total of $18,750,000 that those with a stake in the fight might not have made otherwise. And remember: That’s only domestic revenue.
OK, 5 percent of 5 percent might be a bit much. And, yes, many of the 100 million are underage and won’t by the fight. The point is that those ads almost certainly will translate into a lot of money.
One more thing. Fox and ESPN are handling the pay-per-view jointly. The game was on Fox. So, presumably, the ads cost promoters nothing.
BAD
Jay Deas, Deontay Wilder’s co-trainer, recently reiterated what I’ve heard many times over the last few decades: If you try too hard for a knockout, it’s not going to happen.
Wilder is a recent convert to that philosophy. He has said repeatedly that one reason he was unable to tag Tyson Fury earlier than he did in their first fight was that he was overly eager to end the fight. Once he calmed down, he put Fury down twice.
Still, many fighters don’t seem to have gotten the memo.
Take middleweight champ Demetrius Andrade in his fight with sadly overmatched Luke Keeler and, to a lesser extent, Yordenis Ugas against Mike Dallas Jr. on Saturday.
Andrade, one of the most gifted boxers in the sport, looked ridiculous hunting for a stoppage the entire fight in Miami. He threw wild, sometimes off-balance punches in an apparent effort to make a statement against a fighter he knew couldn’t hurt him.
He got his knockout in the end, finally putting the brave Keeler away in the ninth round. I believe he could’ve finished the job sooner – and looked a lot better – by sticking to his style but taking a few more risks than he normally would.
And what statement did he make? That’s not a rhetorical question. I really want to know.
Ugas wasn’t seeking to knock out Dallas quite as overtly as Andrade and he did get his stoppage in Biloxi, Mississippi, but it seemed to me that he too was trying too hard to make some sort of point. Again, I’m not sure what it was.
WORSE
Gervonta Davis is only 25. His long term fate has not been determined. And he’s in control of it.
Davis was caught on a video apparently getting physical with the mother of his child at a charity basketball game in Miami on Saturday, according to TMZ. Witnesses told TMZ that the unbeaten lightweight titleholder and the woman – identified as Andretta Smothers by multiple websites – were arguing when the altercation became physical.
The professional fighter appears to grab the woman near her throat and lead her away. He later acknowledged on Instagram that he became aggressive but denied that he struck her: “I never once hit her . . yea I was aggressive and told her come on . . . that’s the mother of my child I would never hurt her other than that happy New Years . . January was trassshhhhh.”
Davis wasn’t arrested but he was charged – and convicted, at least by many – in the court of public opinion.
The common theme among those who reacted to his actions: A man doesn’t put his hands on a woman. I repeat: A … man … doesn’t … put … his … hands … on … a … woman. Not complicated.
This wasn’t the first time Davis has run afoul of the law. He has been arrested several times for violence, once for allegedly punching a childhood friend and twice more for separate fighting instances.
The pattern isn’t good. Davis seems to be taking the first steps toward self-destruction. He’s a tremendous talent – one seemingly headed toward great things – and he has built a huge following, particularly in his hometown of Baltimore.
It can all be gone in an instant. I can’t imagine that’s what he wants. He’s a role model for thousands of kids in his hometown and beyond. I can’t imagine he wants them to emulate his behavior.
Again, it’s not too late for Davis. Bernard Hopkins spent time in prison as a young man and emerged a wonderful person. I hope that’s the path – minus the prison – that Davis takes.
Gervonta Davis appears on video to get physical with mother of his child
