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Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports talks about the possibility of Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey exceeding initial buyrate expectations of 500,000 to 700,000 for the fight held at Cowboys Stadium.

The closed-circuit locations and presales in the East are at record levels, surpassing where they were in 2007 for the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. Indications are that the pay-per-view is tracking better than expected, and Arum said he won’t be shocked if it touches 900,000 buyers.

That’s an astonishing number for just about any fight but even more so for a bout against a largely unknown opponent like Clottey, who doesn’t bring with him a large fan base.

Had Pacquiao-Clottey fought two years ago, Arum would have been lucky to have sold a quarter of the tickets he has sold for Saturday’s card.

Payout Perspective:

There were two possibilities coming out of the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiation debacle:

1.) The fans would throw up their hands and say “we’re done!”

2.) All that arguing back and forth would generate so much press over a two month period to raise the profile and interest levels of both fighters.

It would seem the latter has taken place. The fans won’t be happy until they see Mayweather-Pacquiao, but in the mean time the interest level in these two fighters has never been higher. I, too, would be surprised if this fight didn’t hit 700,000 buys; and Mayweather-Mosley will like exceed 1 million buys.

Pretty good numbers for the sport. These two fighters could do a lot to revive interest in the sport across the globe.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, boxing

Mark Taffet of HBO sits down with Bloomberg TV to discuss the latest in boxing business. Taffet shares what his predictions are for the Mayweather-Mosley fight, in addition to some other interesting tidbits about competition between boxing and MMA.

Payout Perspective:

The most interesting comment that Taffet made came towards the end of the interview when he claimed that there was very little over-lap between the fan bases of boxing and MMA – only 3-5%.  He further suggested that the demographics are completely different.

I have two thoughts regarding this:

1.) Boxing and MMA are competing for more than just 3-5% of the same customers when it comes to the blockbuster fights. Any time you step into that million buy territory, you’re hoping to attract the casual sports fan and that’s when the target demographics blend and we do see some crossover.

Generally, however, he’d be correct in saying that the demographics of the base lines are more or less completely different.

2.) The demographics have begun, and will continue, to merge as we move into the future. MMA is growing rather quickly and has managed to captivate a young audience that’s likely to grow with the sport. Moreover, as organizations like the UFC continue to expand, the sport will gain further popularity in some of the traditionally stronger boxing demos – Latinos for example.

Be sure to watch the video; it’s only 3 minutes.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, boxing, pay-per-view

Matt Pitt over at Sherdog writes on the topic of Dementia Pugilistica in contact sports like MMA, boxing, and football, which is a continuation of the discussion we’ve had here at MMAPayout.com regarding the perceived safety of the sport:

It is true that there is compelling evidence that MMA is safer than boxing. But “safer” is not safe. MMA fighters are starting younger, are enticed by the money involved to fight longer and eventually MMA will have a cohort of neurologically impaired veterans of its own. With the overwhelming medical, scientific and epidemiologic evidence that a career worth of head blows leads to CTE in one out of five fighters, the moral imperative for some meaningful change is inarguable. The sport is too good not to be better.

 

Unfortunately, even if the need for greater safety is clear, what actually can be done to lessen the danger of CTE in combat sports is less certain. Football or rugby can adapt new equipment or rules to lessen the danger; fight sport has less clear options. In general, most of a fighter’s head blows — if not the most severe — will occur during training, out of reach of promoters and athletic commissions. Heavily padded gloves may paradoxically worsen the danger. Headgear appears to be of limited use, may even be harmful and, in any event, is unpopular with fighters and fans alike.

 

Further, it is difficult to stop what cannot be demonstrated to exist in real-time. Pre-autopsy testing for MTBI is effectively unavailable. The commonly used CAT scan — which does show bleeding — does not show MTBI. Blood tests for evidence of brain injury are unreliable, and lumbar puncture testing is impractical. The long delay between traumatic insult in a fight and onset of symptoms means that a fighter who shows no quantifiable evidence of injury during his career can still develop CTE at a relatively young age.

Payout Perspective:

MMA is not a positive influence on an athlete’s post-career quality of physical living – this much we can almost be certain. The physical strain that is placed on these individuals over countless years of sparring, rolling, and fighting is tremendous. However, it is in many ways no different than the strain that athletes in other sports endure; boxers, football players, hockey players,  and rugby players all feel the effects of their playing days in post-career life. Some more than others.

It’s absolutely right to be concerned about the safety of athletic participants in our society – and to make sure that their well-being is not unfairly exploited – but I often wonder where the regulatory line should be drawn. It would seem to me that regulation has a duty to provide athletes with the best information possible, so that they can make an educated decision about their participation in sport. There is also a place  for regulation in terms of overseeing and guiding sport activity, within reasonable limits, so as to ensure that the above exploitation does not occur.

Should the role of regulation extend much beyond that? 

There are those that would claim these sports – MMA especially – are too dangerous and should be prohibited, but in response I must ask: dangerous in the eyes of whom and relative to what?

MMAPayout MMA Payout, boxing, legal, opinion and analysis, regulation

The annual BusinessWeek Power 100: Most Powerful Athletes was published this week and caught the interest of the MMA industry by naming Fedor Emelianenko and Brock Lesnar to the list, in addition to boxers Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Shane Mosley.

Athlete Rankings of note:

72. Manny Pacquiao
82. Fedor Emelianenko
91. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
93. Shane Mosley
96. Brock Lesnar

BusinessWeek provides the following insight into its methodology:

The Power 100 rankings are based on a blended mix of athletes’ “on-field” and “off-field” performance to determine which athletes are having the greatest overall impact in the world of sports. On-field scoring is determined by statistically ranking each athlete’s sports performance within his or her peer group over a two-year period. For each sport, key performance metrics include such measures as points scored, money earned, laps lead, and batting average, to name a few. This ranking is then adjusted by the overall popularity of the sport itself, based on an index of fan avidity and TV viewership. The off-field scoring is developed from hundreds of surveys on athletes and how the general public perceives them. The data was compiled by E-Poll Market Research, a leading provider of custom research services and products for entertainment and media companies, using their E-Score® Celebrity database. Athlete rankings are based on such attributes as awareness, appeal, trustworthiness, and influence. In addition, the amount of endorsement dollars each athlete earns rounds out the off-field ranking.

Payout Perspective:

The methodology is there to provide some semblance of objectivity to the rankings, but there are too many head-scratchers on the list for it to have any true meaning.

To be fair, it’s very difficult to produce a rankings list of this sort, because it really becomes a question of how to weight on and off-field accomplishments. There’s also more than likely a political element involved when considering what sports and athletes to include on the list.

I think the larger takeaway here is simply that MMA fighters were considered on the list – irrespective of their positioning. It demonstrates just how far the sport has come in the last ten years.

MMAPayout M-1 Global, MMA Payout, UFC, boxing, rankings

David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press has done an interesting interview with CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, that discusses the state and sophistication of combat commission testing slates like those in Nevada:

Transcript via Mlive.com

 

Q: Shane Mosley obviously slipped through some cracks on urine testing alone in Nevada. …

 

A: “Let me correct that premise for you. The current state of drug testing done by these state commissions is a joke. They don’t test for EPO. They don’t test for designer steroids. They test for a basic, simple menu that anybody with a heartbeat will escape. I just hate to hear that Shane Mosley did something really sophisticated to get around their testing. No, he didn’t. He would’ve been caught dead to rights in our program. But it doesn’t take a whole lot to sidestep the simple kind of drug testing that these state commissions are doing.

 

“Again, I hope it’s familiarity, I hope it’s knowledge, because part of the growth is for entities, but also athletes, to become knowledgable about these issues. If you’re a clean athlete, or you’re a sport organizer, promoter, state commission, whatever, if you want to protect clean athletes’ rights, you’re going to put in a clean program.”

 

Q: And that includes both blood and urine testing?

 

A: “Blood and urine but it’s got to be an effective urine program. Again, just a couple tests here and there that everyone knows about, or 72-hour notice that you’re going to be tested, or 48-hour notice — it has to be true, no-notice testing. And it has to be a broad menu of tests. And they don’t test for EPO. What was reported on Mosley is that he was using EPO. And he could use it without regard for being caught because they weren’t testing it — and there is a urine-based test for most EPO. So you’ve got to start with an effective urine program and an effective blood program. And the reason, to answer your specific question, that you need to do blood is because there are certain, and several, potent performance-enhancers that are not detected in the urine. Of those, human growth hormone being one; HBOC, which is synthetic hemoglobin; certain forms of EPO, like Micera; and then, the transfusions.”

 

Q: If you blood test, is urine testing necessary at all?

 

A: “Yes, because there are certain things that you’re not going to find in the blood, that you can only find in urine, like most forms of EPO, steroids, designer steroids, insulin. You have to have a combination of the two. Look, I’d love to have one strand of hair. From a cost and logistical standpoint, the simpler whatever we collect, the better. Not that collecting blood and urine are difficult, but you have to have the proper procedures in place, and account for the shipping, and the state that you need the samples, once collected, to remain in a preserved state where they can be accurately analyzed. You can build those programs. It doesn’t take much. We obviously would prefer the simplest mechanism possible. But just pulling a strand of hair is not effective to protect a clean athlete’s rights because there is so much that can’t be detected in hair, or saliva, or other things.”

 

Q: What is the difference in cost — because obviously, with most state commissions, you’re dealing with tax-based, governmental agencies — what’s the difference in cost between a urine test and a blood test?

 

A: “There’s not much. Incremental cost. It’s certainly not cost-prohibitive and if you want to protect clean athletes, you’ll put it in place. Take half of one percent of what these two boxers were going to generate, or make for themselves, and you’ve paid for a couple years of your program. I always hear that is a defense to not wanting it to be done, but it’s really not. It’s frankly a weak excuse not to protect clean athletes’ rights.”

Payout Perspective:

The commissions – Nevada in particular – are no doubt going to have a response for the accusations of Tygart, but this interview is one that doesn’t reflect very well on boxing or MMA.

The to-do list for the sport of MMA can seem unwieldy at times – regulate, expand, merchandise, television, officiating, judging, etc – but the aspect of drug testing is often an after thought because it’s not readily visible. There are whispers, rumors, and the odd internet accusation, but largely it’s not a focus relative to everything else that’s right before our eyes.

New, strict measures that outlaw the use of performance enhancers would send a strong signal to the sporting world that MMA and boxing are serious. The last thing either sport needs is for someone to cheat and get away with it only to be caught outside of the regulatory scope.

—–

Tygart also addresses the feasibility of drug testing, but I’m not entirely certain he adequately covered the subject from a commission perspective. The current set of drug tests in place costs something near $250 per fighter, but the thought of several random tests, performed with no notice, by a regional commission, and on athletes spread throughout the world seems quite daunting.

Moreover, it would seem that the USADA benefits from scale economies the result of its singular focus or expertise as well as the near year-round testing requirements that Olympic athletes are subject to. Tygart is clearly in a more favorable position than a regional commission to handle such stringent testing procedures.

Perhaps, since he’s willing to comment, he’s also shown a willingness to take on the probably for the boxing and MMA communities? A thought for the future…

MMAPayout MMA Payout, boxing, regulation

John Morgan of MMAJunkie has a great article with Don Frye on the subject of James Toney and other professional athletes looking to jump into MMA.

“I tell you what: Anybody who fights an [expletive] like James Toney or Herschel Walker or Jose Canseco or any of them other [expletives] that come into our sport at their age should be required to take them down and break as many bones as possible on them and keep them crippled for six-to-eight weeks,” Frye recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “I’d break both their [expletive] arms so they’d have to hire somebody to wipe their ass for the next six-to-eight weeks. It should be a requirement.”

 

Former pro footballer Walker makes his mixed martial debut for Strikeforce on Jan. 30. Former baseball star Canseco infamously fought under the DREAM banner in May 2009.

 

Frye believes former professional athletes entering the MMA game at such an advanced age are hurting the current state of the sport.

 

“That’s why nobody respects this sport, and it’s just a circus act right now,” Frye said. “They have these morons come in at the age they should be sitting in the retirement home, and they walk in and get a high-dollar fight.”

Payout Perspective:

I certainly don’t condone breaking bones or crippling people, but the point Frye makes is well taken: MMA cannot be a stop-over for all of these over-the-hill professional athletes just looking to make a quick buck and capitalize on MMA’s popularity. That’s the surest way for the sport to be dismissed and labelled a fad.

We’ve got all of these examples in front of us – IFL, EliteXC, Affliction, etc. – that all jumped the gun with excess spending, delusions of grandeur, and freak show fights. The sooner the industry learns from these examples the better.

The long term future of the sport demands that MMA stay its course and do things the right way, but James Toney is a shortcut. He’s not 30 years old or even in decent shape; he’s a 43 year-old washed up boxer that trains MMA with his daddy.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, UFC, boxing, marketing

Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram sheds light on March’s big boxing fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey that is now set to be held inside the new billion dollar Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Ticket prices for the March 13 fight will range from $700 down to $50. Arum is excited about being able to offer what he called “reasonable prices”’ for a world-class boxing show.

 

The stadium will use its basketball configuration for the bout. The uppermost deck will not be opened, and the video board, as it was Tuesday, will be lowered to 30 feet over the ring.

 

“Everyone gets a ringside seat,” as Arum put it.

 

The idea of putting big-time boxing inside of his new stadium was hatched a long time ago, Jones said. Before he bought the Cowboys, Jones once put on boxing matches in his native Arkansas.

 

Longtime Texas boxing promoter Lester Bedford began working with the Jones family to help make it happen. Their first idea was to have the stadium host Oscar De La Hoya’s final fight.

 

They thought they had the big one — the undefeated Mayweather against Pacquiao, the man considered to be “pound-for-pound, the world’s best fighter.” But even after the bidding escalated to $25 million, Mayweather wouldn’t agree to the fight.

 

“This is a very good consolation prize,” Bedford said. “This is what’s good for boxing — a stadium fight. This is what’s going to keep boxing going.”

 

With the gate reasonably priced, more people — with a younger demographic — will be exposed to big-time boxing. Cowboys Stadium could be the venue that hatches the next generation of boxing fans.

Payout Perspective:

In the wake of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight collapse, the general school of thought has been that it’s a bad thing for boxing, but from what I’ve seen of late I’m not so convinced. The anticipated negative reaction due to the broken negotiations has really yet to materialize in any meaningful way (although, to be fair, we’ll know for certain depending on the numbers each guy puts up in the next few months).

In fact, you might even go as far as to say that interest has increased in each fighter as the result of the negotiations. Both Arum and HBO did a pretty good job of delivering the message that their respective fighters are the two best in the world; any two fighters that could create that much hype for one fight ought to be seen regardless of whether they fight one another. It seems logical, given the coverage of the failed negotiations, that many non-boxing fans could now be more aware and interested in both fighters than they were prior to December.

There are skeptics out there who would contend that we’ll never see this fight, and based upon boxing’s history and what the boxing community has seen out of Arum and HBO, those skeptics are justified in their position. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see talks between these two camps renew for a Fall date if all goes according to plan. Two more wins, a few additional months worth of press, and a little walk to the balcony could bring a fresh perspective to this fight.

It’s not dead yet.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, boxing

Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press reports that the UFC is now contemplating whether or not to hold UFC 113 on the night of May 1st, which could possibly pit the anticipated PPV against the boxing mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley.

UFC president Dana White confirmed via text Monday that the mixed martial arts organization is rethinking May 1 for UFC 113.

 

UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, due to meet Mauricio (Shogun) Rua in the Montreal main event, also signalled a possible change.

 

“My next fight against Shogun is scheduled for May 1st, but there is a possibility to change,” light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida said via Twitter. “If it does I’ll let you know through here.”

 

The all-Brazilian main event is a rematch of the UFC 104 bout in October when Machida won a controversial decision.

 

The scenario of Mayweather fighting on May 1 was fuelled by news that boxer Andre Berto, citing the disaster in Haiti where he has family, has withdrawn from his Jan. 30 welterweight title bout in Las Vegas with Mosley.

Payout Perspective:

The Mayweather-Mosley fight is not yet a guarantee for May 1st. HBO is currently contemplating many different options that could see the fight take place anywhere from March to June depending on what the fighters agree to, HBO’s marketing plans, and venue availability.

There can be no doubt that MMA has taken tremendous strides in the last few years, but the sport’s major promotion is still not at a level where every one of its cards can compete head-to-head against boxing’s most popular fighter without taking a hit. Nor should that be the expectation. At this point, the UFC wants to go head-to-head with Mayweather as much as Mayweather wants to go head-to-head with Lesnar.

However, as MMA continues to grow, competition is inevitable. The number of fights per year are increasing quite rapidly and eventually we’re going to reach the point where MMA is competing head-to-head on a monthly basis with the biggest boxing, wrestling, or other sporting events that are out there. It’s simply unavoidable and a by-product of the success of the sport. That’s a good thing.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, UFC, boxing

• Boxer’s treatment costs spur look at injury fund
• One on One With Shari Spencer
• Looking at Japan in 2010
• Get an inside look at how Illinois legalized UFC
• Fighting for MMA

Boxer’s treatment costs spur look at injury fund

The creation of a fund earmarked for catastrophic injuries to boxers and martial arts fighters is being studied by the Nevada Athletic Commission, its chairwoman said Tuesday…

Lundvall said to prevent taxpayers from paying the medical bills of fighters in the future, she is asking some of the “best minds in insurance” to devise ideas “along the lines of an annuity.”

Lundvall, a Reno attorney, said she envisions a monetary pool for catastrophic injuries being funded through a small percentage of both ticket sales and pay-per-view sales in Nevada.

How much that percentage would be, she said, “needs much more study.” She said the question of how to fund a catastrophic medical pool will be on the commission’s agenda in February.

A recent study done by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on the nongaming economic effect of 20 major fights since 2005 found that nearly $200 million was poured into the community by visitors… (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

One on One With Shari Spencer

Just as his accomplishments inside of the UFC’s Octagon can be attributed to hard work, dedication, and the continuing improvement of a skill set that is already amongst the most formidable in any weight class, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre’s accomplishments outside of the cage can almost exclusively be attributed to the efforts of his personal manager, Shari Spencer. Aside from defending his title twice in 2009 against two of the best fighters in the welterweight division, St-Pierre became the first MMA fighter to truly break into the mainstream of sports advertising when he signed exclusive sponsorship agreements with marketing juggernauts Gatorade and Under Armour last year, two of the largest sports-related advertisers in the world… (Tapology)

Looking at Japan in 2010

Michael Schiavello: I think 2010 will be a resurgence year for K-1. We’ll see K-1 do some big things in Europe, such as the rumored four European shows including possibly a European Grand Prix in a major European city (I can’t say which city just yet, but if the rumor comes true, it’s a city K-1 hasn’t been in yet and one that would be very exciting). Also I believe we’ll see K-1 return to mainland USA this year, with at least one show but maybe as many as three, which is big in itself and has a lot to do with the enormous popularity K-1 has garnered on HDNet.

Michael Schiavello: I don’t think it’s easy for anyone to do a show in Japan unless you’re working in with FEG. They’re the big power in Japan. They hold all the aces in their pockets with television, marketing, the best fighters, venues, etc. Scott Coker is a smart cookie and has tremendous experience with the Japanese market from his many years working with K-1. A Strikeforce show in Japan done with the blessing and partial assistance of FEG could be successful depending on which fighters were utilized. The key to capturing the Japanese fans is using Japanese fighters, not American fighters. Strikeforce and FEG have a working relationship which I believe is very healthy. My dream scenario would be for a joint Strikeforce/Dream series doing one show a piece in the USA and in Japan, not unlike Dynamite was a DREAM/Sengoku series… (MMAFighting)

Get an inside look at how Illinois legalized UFC

It didn’t take any punches or kicks or choke holds for mixed martial arts to be legalized by the Illinois Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, just the usual mix of political clout and a little campaign cash, according to a portion of Blagojevich’s new book, The Governor.

Other key players declined to talk about Blagojevich’s version of the story, but public records back up key portions.

Blagojevich writes of his distaste for the sport, which takes place in an octagonal steel cage and combines boxing, karate, jiu-jitsu and other martial arts. But he says he put that distaste aside and signed the legislation legalizing mixed martial arts to score points with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s brother, Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel, the real-life model for the character Ari Gold in the HBO series “Entourage.”

And why might Ari Emanuel care about mixed martial arts? Among his Endeavor Talent Agency’s clients:  Zuffa LLC, the Las Vegas company that owns UFC… (Chicage Sun-Times)

Fighting for MMA

According to mmafacts.com, a website devoted to spreading the word about MMA, an HR&A study conducted in 2008 analyzed the economic impact one Ultimate Fighting Championship (a company that hosts MMA caged bouts) event would have in Buffalo and Downstate New York.

According to the study “$1.7 million of direct spending is leveraged three times to result in $5.2 million of total activity in the local economy,” which means one event “could increase direct sports-related activity in Buffalo by 20 percent.”

Every dollar spent planning, promoting and staffing the event,  along with  every dollar spent on ticket sales, merchandise, food, travel, hotels, and entertainment will has a three-fold impact on the community.

By attracting event-goers and employing locals to work at the event, just one UFC or MMA event will bring money in to the community and keep it there. The money is leveraged because it will continue to circulate within the community even after the day of the fight.
Furthermore, the direct revenue benefits, or taxes, to New York State could total $320,000, and that’s from just one event.

The impact on Downstate New York is even greater: findings indicate potential for $11.3 million of economic output,” which is 15 percent of the [region's] economic activity over a single weekend.”

“The Times Union Center in Albany anticipates a single MMA event generating close to $1 million in economic impact for Albany businesses and an additional $100,000 in tax revenues for Albany County” the study reported… (Saratoga Today)

QUICK HITS

• Herschel Walker isn’t joking about MMA (ESPN)
• Expectations rise for Strikeforce’s Bobby Lashley (USA Today)
• Report: Floyd Mayweather to fight on May 1st, would go head-to-head against UFC PPV (Fight Opinion)
• UFC president says May 1 card in Montreal could be moved to another date (The Canadian Press)
• Sanchez contemplates return to 170 (Yahoo! Sports)
• Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione targeted for UFC 113 in Montreal (Yahoo! Sports)
• Derrick Noble vs Yves Edwards Heads MFC 24 (MMAWeekly)
• Weekend Rundown: Monson Wins; Houston Alexander Loses (Sherdog)
• ESPN to air UFC: Best of 2009 on free-to-air weekend (Mirror.co.uk)
• Kongo vs. Buentello, Ludwig vs. Fisher Added to UFC on Versus (MMAFighting)
• Kampmann vs. Saunders set for UFC 111 main card, two bouts official for prelims (MMAJunkie)
• Bellator Signs GSP Training Partner Mike Ricci (MMAWeekly)
• Koscheck vs. Daley at UFC 113 in Montreal (MMAWeekly)
• Update On Bobby Lashley’s Strikeforce Opponent (MMANews)

TV LISTINGS

• HDNet Fights Presents K-1 Classics (Asian GP 2008) at 8 PM ET on HDNet (01/22/10)
• InsideMMA (Ed Soares, Jose Aldo, Jon Fitch, & Randy Couture) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (01/22/10)
• HDNet Fights Presents Best of 2009 K-1 World MAX at 10 PM ET on HDNet (01/22/10)
• Best of Pride FC  at 10 PM ET/PT on Spike (01/15/10)

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Strikeforce Miami: Diaz vs Zaromskis at 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime (01/30/10)
• FCF 39: Women’s 135 lbs Grand Prix: Opening Round on TBD (01/30/10)
• KOTC: Toryumon from Okinawa, Japan on PPV (01/30/10)

MMAPayout Dream, HDNet Fights, K-1, MMA Payout, MMAterial Facts, Strikeforce, Tapology, UFC, boxing, politics

Jon Show of the Sports Business Journal reports that Leverage Agency and Top Rank plan to partner in what they are calling the first advertising and sponsorship upfront in the history of boxing.

“Before this, boxing was a lot of one-off opportunities,” said Ben Sturner, CEO of the Leverage Agency. “We’re coming with more robust marketing and creative opportunities to tie brands into the platform for an entire year.”

Under a multiyear relationship, Top Rank and the Leverage Agency are pooling sponsorship and advertising rights to 48 fights in 2010, including 12 pay-per-view events and 36 events on FSN or Fox Sports en Español. The 12 PPV events will feature three “super fights,” including Manny Pacquiao’s bout at Cowboys Stadium against Joshua Clottey on March 13.

The price of packages ranges from six figures for lower-profile logo placement and media buys on the Fox events to mid-seven figures for full presenting-style sponsorships of major pay-per-view fights. Inventory includes logo placement on Top Rank fighters, ring signs, banners, press conferences and weigh-ins, as well as in-broadcast integration and television and online ad units.

The three-hour event will be held at the Club Bar & Grill in Madison Square Garden. Organizers expect about 40 media buyers, brand managers and sports marketing executives to attend.

Payout Perspective:

It was only a matter of time before boxing promoters started to pool and package rights for a series of events. Fans like patterns and something they can consistently follow – part of the reason the UFC has been so successful – and for as tight lipped as the UFC can be with its information, it’s still far and away better at communicating with its fans on a daily basis. There’s a lot to be said for the continuity and flow of a series of events that help to attract not only repeat advertising business, but repeat customers.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, advertising, boxing

Jon Show of the Sports Business Journal reports that Leverage Agency and Top Rank plan to partner in what they are calling the first advertising and sponsorship upfront in the history of boxing.

“Before this, boxing was a lot of one-off opportunities,” said Ben Sturner, CEO of the Leverage Agency. “We’re coming with more robust marketing and creative opportunities to tie brands into the platform for an entire year.”

Under a multiyear relationship, Top Rank and the Leverage Agency are pooling sponsorship and advertising rights to 48 fights in 2010, including 12 pay-per-view events and 36 events on FSN or Fox Sports en Español. The 12 PPV events will feature three “super fights,” including Manny Pacquiao’s bout at Cowboys Stadium against Joshua Clottey on March 13.

The price of packages ranges from six figures for lower-profile logo placement and media buys on the Fox events to mid-seven figures for full presenting-style sponsorships of major pay-per-view fights. Inventory includes logo placement on Top Rank fighters, ring signs, banners, press conferences and weigh-ins, as well as in-broadcast integration and television and online ad units.

The three-hour event will be held at the Club Bar & Grill in Madison Square Garden. Organizers expect about 40 media buyers, brand managers and sports marketing executives to attend.

Payout Perspective:

It was only a matter of time before boxing promoters started to pool and package rights for a series of events. Fans like patterns and something they can consistently follow – part of the reason the UFC has been so successful – and for as tight lipped as the UFC can be with its information, it’s still far and away better at communicating with its fans on a daily basis. There’s a lot to be said for the continuity and flow of a series of events that help to attract not only repeat advertising business, but repeat customers.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, advertising, boxing

Jonathon Snowden of Heavy.com has done a piece with Bjorn Rebney that looks at some of the differences between MMA and boxing in terms of business, demographic, and the overall nature of both sports:

Like Gary Shaw and others around the country, Rebney is a boxing guy newly converted to MMA. There is an important distinction. As he name dropped Georges St. Pierre and Shinya Aoki, it was obvious that Rebney is a fan of mixed martial arts, not just a savvy business man looking for the next opportunity. But that doesn’t mean Rebney isn’t looking into his personal crystal ball at the future of both sports. And with MMA, he likes what he sees. Zuffa’s recent sale of ten percent of their company for an estimated $100-150 million is a sign Rebney recognizes as MMA’s ascendancy. “There’s a better chance I could grow a second head than a boxing company could show that kind of growth or have that valuation,” Rebney said. It’s more than the UFC’s rapid rise that Rebney sees as an indicator of MMA’s advantage over boxing. Boxing he says, attracts an older and poorer audience. MMA fans are relatively wealthy and college educated. “It’s a monster demographic. There’s not much of a comparison.”

 

Boxing fans have also been trained to view their sport differently than MMA fans. In boxing, fighters are expected to rack up tens of wins before they ever face a serious challenge. A boxer that is 20-5 is probably an also-ran. In MMA, a fighter with a similar record is a superstar. MMA fans are more comfortable with loss, allowing Rebney to let his fighters fly free, taking on even serious challengers, in the 10 months between Bellator shows.

 

“Fighters don’t want to sit on the sideline and collect dust. We were able to keep our fighters active,” Rebney said. “We worked with a promotion in Japan to get Eddie (Alvarez) a fight, a fight that almost gave me a heart attack watching it on HDNet… this promotion is based on our belief that the best should fight the best. There are risks and rewards. Conundrum is the perfect word for it. What if Eddie fights in a super fight and loses? It happens in MMA, that’s one of the magic things about the sport. In boxing there is this false sense that everyone needs to have a record of 22-0. In MMA, guys like Toby Imada have an upside down record but are hugely talented. MMA fans in general are not as concerned about a guy losing a tough fight.”

Payout Perspective:

Rebney makes some interesting points, but the one that stands out most to me is the comparison of fighter records between both sports. It’s something that I – and I’m sure others – encounter on almost a daily basis when explaining parts of the sport to newcomers:

Randy Couture 17-10 vs. Mark Coleman 16-9 — How could either possibly be legends in the sport?

For years, fans have been trained by boxing’s tin can system that a fighter isn’t legitimate until he’s at least 15-0. If he’s got more than a few losses, he’s more or less irrelevant. In fact, that’s still one of the knocks on Manny Pacquiao today; it doesn’t matter how good Manny is now, it almost matters more that he lost 2-3 times earlier in his career.

MMA is different: ask anyone in the UFC’s middleweight division if it matters that Anderson Silva got caught by a heel hook six years ago; or that Georges St-Pierre has two losses on his record; or that BJ Penn has five losses over the span of his career. In MMA you’re only as good as your last fight.

It’s a small, yet important distinction: the sport cannot generate new fans unless those people actually commit to watching the fights. Thus, the sport has to work at removing some of the stereotypes that would impede curious on-lookers from doing so: blood lust, savagery, talentless bar fighters, and records not fit for an elite fighter are just a few of them.

Note: The entire article is worth a read. Rebney goes on to discuss various aspects of the lessons he was able to learn through his time in boxing: casino site fees, sales pitches to sponsor execs, the importance of television, etc.

MMAPayout Bellator, MMA Payout, booking, boxing

Jonathon Snowden of Heavy.com has done a piece with Bjorn Rebney that looks at some of the differences between MMA and boxing in terms of business, demographic, and the overall nature of both sports:

Like Gary Shaw and others around the country, Rebney is a boxing guy newly converted to MMA. There is an important distinction. As he name dropped Georges St. Pierre and Shinya Aoki, it was obvious that Rebney is a fan of mixed martial arts, not just a savvy business man looking for the next opportunity. But that doesn’t mean Rebney isn’t looking into his personal crystal ball at the future of both sports. And with MMA, he likes what he sees. Zuffa’s recent sale of ten percent of their company for an estimated $100-150 million is a sign Rebney recognizes as MMA’s ascendancy. “There’s a better chance I could grow a second head than a boxing company could show that kind of growth or have that valuation,” Rebney said. It’s more than the UFC’s rapid rise that Rebney sees as an indicator of MMA’s advantage over boxing. Boxing he says, attracts an older and poorer audience. MMA fans are relatively wealthy and college educated. “It’s a monster demographic. There’s not much of a comparison.”

 

Boxing fans have also been trained to view their sport differently than MMA fans. In boxing, fighters are expected to rack up tens of wins before they ever face a serious challenge. A boxer that is 20-5 is probably an also-ran. In MMA, a fighter with a similar record is a superstar. MMA fans are more comfortable with loss, allowing Rebney to let his fighters fly free, taking on even serious challengers, in the 10 months between Bellator shows.

 

“Fighters don’t want to sit on the sideline and collect dust. We were able to keep our fighters active,” Rebney said. “We worked with a promotion in Japan to get Eddie (Alvarez) a fight, a fight that almost gave me a heart attack watching it on HDNet… this promotion is based on our belief that the best should fight the best. There are risks and rewards. Conundrum is the perfect word for it. What if Eddie fights in a super fight and loses? It happens in MMA, that’s one of the magic things about the sport. In boxing there is this false sense that everyone needs to have a record of 22-0. In MMA, guys like Toby Imada have an upside down record but are hugely talented. MMA fans in general are not as concerned about a guy losing a tough fight.”

Payout Perspective:

Rebney makes some interesting points, but the one that stands out most to me is the comparison of fighter records between both sports. It’s something that I – and I’m sure others – encounter on almost a daily basis when explaining parts of the sport to newcomers:

Randy Couture 17-10 vs. Mark Coleman 16-9 — How could either possibly be legends in the sport?

For years, fans have been trained by boxing’s tin can system that a fighter isn’t legitimate until he’s at least 15-0. If he’s got more than a few losses, he’s more or less irrelevant. In fact, that’s still one of the knocks on Manny Pacquiao today; it doesn’t matter how good Manny is now, it almost matters more that he lost 2-3 times earlier in his career.

MMA is different: ask anyone in the UFC’s middleweight division if it matters that Anderson Silva got caught by a heel hook six years ago; or that Georges St-Pierre has two losses on his record; or that BJ Penn has five losses over the span of his career. In MMA you’re only as good as your last fight.

It’s a small, yet important distinction: the sport cannot generate new fans unless those people actually commit to watching the fights. Thus, the sport has to work at removing some of the stereotypes that would impede curious on-lookers from doing so: blood lust, savagery, talentless bar fighters, and records not fit for an elite fighter are just a few of them.

Note: The entire article is worth a read. Rebney goes on to discuss various aspects of the lessons he was able to learn through his time in boxing: casino site fees, sales pitches to sponsor execs, the importance of television, etc.

MMAPayout Bellator, MMA Payout, booking, boxing

Dan Rafael of ESPN reports that Manny Pacquiao has signed to face Joshua Clottey in the place of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a bout that will now take place at Jerry Jones’ Cowboys Stadium.

Jones and Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, who toured the facility and were Jones’ guests at Saturday night’s Cowboys playoff victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, closed the deal for the bout on Sunday afternoon.

 

“Bob was persistent in keeping this alive as a place for Manny’s fight,” Jones told ESPN.com, while celebrating the deal with Arum and duBoef. “I’m so glad Bob came back to us. We are so excited about this event and that we will be able to bring a big fight here for the Hispanic boxing fans, and all boxing fans in this area, who are also Dallas Cowboys fans. It’s important for us. Manny is such an exemplary athlete.”

 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Jones could not contain his excitement.

Payout Perspective:

The fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather is now definitely out of the question for March 13th, and cynics would argue that it may not ever happen. However, if Pacquiao defeats Clottey in impressive fashion and Mayweather does the same with his next opponent, it could put enough pressure on both parties to sit back down at the table.

No date has been given for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, but it’s rumored that Mayweather is looking to keep his March 13th data at the MGM Grand in Vegas. We’ve talked about how the potential fight would have cannibalized some of the UFC’s media coverage in March – which, in particular, is a big month for the UFC – but even if both Pacquiao and Mayweather fight separately in March, the coverage likely won’t be enough to impact the UFC.

The new concern, as Dave Meltzer pointed out in an issue of his Wrestling Observer the other day, is that the UFC will not only be competing against Wrestlemania, but also the NCAA March Madness tournament. Both pull strongly in the 18-34 demo.

However, it should be noted that for as much as we talk about event scheduling – avoiding straight-up competition with stronger draws –  there’s always going to be a degree of competition for MMA. The sport and its properties will simply have to find a way to provide a more compelling product.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, boxing

Dan Rafael of ESPN.com is reporting that the proposed boxing super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather is now off due to disagreements over drug testing.

The much-anticipated showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, tentatively scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, has collapsed, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com on Wednesday night.

 

“The fight’s off,” Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, said from Las Vegas.

 

The fight died after a last-ditch attempt at mediation between Top Rank and Golden Boy, which represents Mayweather, failed in an effort to determine the drug testing protocol.

 

The fight died after a last-ditch attempt at mediation failed in an effort to determine the drug testing protocol.

 

Pacquiao had agreed to move off his hard-line stance of refusing a blood test inside 30 days before the fight, but Mayweather wouldn’t budge off his desire for random testing all the way until the fight, Arum said. Nor would Mayweather agree to a public apology for remarks he made accusing Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs, Arum said.

 

“I am very disappointed that we could not make this fight for the fans and I am angered because of the false accusations from Golden Boy and the Mayweather camp that I used some type of drugs, and that is why I have instructed our American lawyers to proceed with the lawsuit to clear my name,” Pacquiao said in a statement.

 

Arum said Pacquiao would move on and likely fight junior middleweight titlist Yuri Foreman on March 13 or March 20.

Payout Perspective:

This could be a last minute tactic to publicly pressure Mayweather into accepting the fight, but they haven’t got much time left. The date of March 13th is quickly approaching and any delay in the deal would likely force the fight back to May. Conversely, this could also just be an attempt by Arum to cast Mayweather and HBO as the scapegoats for why one of the biggest boxing fights of this generation will not happen.

Pacquiao will look to fill the fight date of March 13th, which will still draw well. However, it’s not going to put the kind of press pressure on March’s MMA events that the super fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather would have.

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John Morgan of MMAJunkie has the latest regarding Dana White acknowledging that boxing great James Toney is interested in fighting in the UFC:

Following December’s UFC 107 event in Memphis, Tenn., in which Toney tracked down White to discuss a potential fight in the UFC, the pro boxer showed up again at Saturday night’s UFC 108 event in Las Vegas. Toney jokingly said the next spot at which he would appear would be White’s private residence unless the fiery exec gave the boxer a chance to compete in the octagon.

 

White said Toney had earned at least an appointment to talk.

 

“I’m going to go sit right down with [Toney] before he goes to my [expletive] house,” White joked.

 

Toney’s potential involvement in MMA really has more questions than answers. First, Toney has been accustomed to making much larger paydays in his boxing exploits than he would earn in the UFC. But White said the dwindling paydays in boxing are precisely why Toney is interested in crossing over.

 

“There’s no money out there (in boxing),” White said. “There’s money for very few guys, and there’s thousands of guys that are making no money. … The way that we built [the UFC] was you’ve got guys that make millions of dollars, guys that make hundreds of thousands of dollars, guys that make 60-to-80 thousand dollars three times a year, and guys that make 60-or-70 thousand dollars a year. The money is spread out between all the fighters, not just a handful of guys at the top.

 

“How much is [Toney] making right now? He’s chasing me around for a reason. He’s not chasing me around because he’s making money. You know what I mean?”

 

Of course, even if the money could be worked out, the UFC has yet to see a high-level boxer gain success in the cage. While Toney, undoubtedly past his prime, was once among the most-feared boxers in the sport, mixed martial arts takes more than a pair of accurate hands.

 

White said Toney insists he offers the complete package.

Payout Perspective:

James Toney on a UFC card would undoubtedly bring a host of additional interest to the organization and the sport, but is that attention, on it’s own, enough of a reason to sign him?

It goes without saying – and by all accounts, White is well aware of this – that the UFC will need to tread carefully. MMA is becoming an increasingly demanding sport in which being well-rounded is a necessity. The UFC doesn’t sign every NCAA wrestling standout just because they were great at one of the aspects of MMA. Likewise, if they sign Toney it must be because he can compete on all dimensions of the sport.

Otherwise, signing Toney sends the wrong message; not just to MMA’s fan base, but the greater mainstream sports world. MMA must not become a stage for the freakish delight - reminiscent of Japanese MMA last decade – where the likes of Toney, Shaq, and others are allowed to compete just because they’re passable athletes and would draw a huge gate.

Freak shows are the quickest path to becoming a fad. For the sport of MMA to enjoy continued success and long term growth, it must establish itself on its own merits and with its own stars and talent.

———

Note: I also thought Dana’s quote about the transformation of the purses in boxing was interesting. Toney would need to be able to compete at the contenders level and for more than 2-3 fights for him to have any shot at earning enough money to exceed what he’d get from boxing at this point in his career.

However, I think the more saliet point that White made, here, is that a lot of the attention goes to boxing’s big draws and purses – the Mayweather’s and Pacquiao’s of the sport – but few ever entertain the $500 that some undercard fighters receive on the very same card.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, UFC, boxing, mainstream, payouts

Dan Rafael of ESPN.com is reporting that Manny Pacquiao is planning to file a defamation lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Golden Boy Promotions.

What began as an apparent simple disagreement between the camps of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. over how to handle drug testing for their megafight — tentatively scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas — has spiraled so out of control that the potential biggest money fight in boxing history was in serious jeopardy on Christmas Day.

 

Pacquiao, angered by accusations from the Mayweather camp that he uses performance-enhancing drugs, said he would file a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions.

 

“Enough is enough. These people, Mayweather Sr., [Mayweather] Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions, think it is a joke and a right to accuse someone wrongly of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs,” said Pacquiao, who denied that he has ever used any banned substance and who has passed all of his drug tests. “I have tried to just brush it off as a mere prefight ploy, but I think they have gone overboard.”

Payout Perspective:

Perhaps the skeptics were right, and this fight may never happen. It would be a shame.

Rafael goes on to mention that Arum is now planning a secondary fight against former junior welterweight titlist Paul Malignaggi for March 13th in the event that he cannot come to an agreement with the Mayweather camp in time. That fight doesn’t have nearly the appeal that a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout would, which bodes well for the press coverage of the UFC’s two, rather important, events in late March (the debut on Versus for the 21st and UFC 111 featuring the return of GSP just six days later).

MMAPayout MMA Payout, booking, boxing

Geno McGahee of Ringside Report writes that Floyd Mayweather has threatened to pull out of the bout against Manny Pacquiao, tentatively scheduled for March 13th, because of differences in weight allowance.

According to a source very close to the situation, Floyd Mayweather, JR., has threatened to pull out of the March showdown with Manny Pacquiao over a weight issue. Apparently the weight of the meeting has been established, but the wiggle room that Floyd allegedly wants is being contested by Team Pacquiao. In his bout with Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd came in heavy and paid for it financially, but others contend that Marquez paid for it in the ring, losing badly. Pacquiao does not want to face a fighter a division or so heavier than he is and has rightfully protested.

 

With the Manny Pacquiao bout in limbo, other options have been mentioned but these appear to be negotiation tactics. Reportedly, Mayweather’s camp has suggested that an in between bout would take place in March against a much lesser foe, perhaps a Yuri Foreman or Matthew Hatton and after that, should Pacquiao not accept the terms, a bout with the winner of the Shane Mosley – Andre Berto fight could be in the wings.

 

Although other options have been mentioned, expect this fight to stay on course and occur. There is far too much money involved and they have agreed on the most important specifics…the cash divide. Now we are in the bickering stage of the negotiations and expect more and more little things blown out of proportion and turned into big deals.
 

Payout Perspective:

The last thing that boxing needs right now is its next, and possibly last, mega fight to be scrapped due to promotional differences like a weight allowance. However, from an MMA/UFC perspective, the cancellation or postponement of this fight is definitely a good thing. Pacman-PBF is certain to consume an overwhelming amount of the media pie alloted to combat sports in late February and early March, but its cancellation or postponement would leave that media wide open for the UFC to help push its debut on Versus (March 21st) and UFC 111 (March 27th).

The way things are shaping up right now, February and March are looking to be critical months for the UFC as it looks to start 2010 strongly and salvage some of the PPV disappointment its dealt with down the stretch of 2009. The Versus show will be headlined by two young and exciting fighters in Vera and Jones, and the UFC is likely going to look to make an impression for its debut. Likewise, UFC 111 will be headlined by GSP vs. Hardy and possibly Mir vs. Carwin, and is shaping up to be one of the most stacked cards since UFC 100.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, UFC, booking, boxing

Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is offering a guaranteed $25 million to host this year’s boxing super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has offered a $25-million guarantee to host the scheduled March 13 mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in his Texas stadium, a source close to the negotiations but not authorized to speak publicly about them told The Times today.

 

Jones’ new Dallas Cowboys Stadium has a capacity of more than 100,000. His offer exceeds the $20-million guarantee that Staples Center offered fight promoters earlier this week.

 

When asked about the Dallas guarantee, Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions would neither confirm or deny its accuracy.

 

“The numbers are going in the right direction, and I believe we’ll end up in excess of $30 million,” Schaefer said.

 

A spokesman for Jones declined to comment about the site talks.

 

The Dallas offer will be greatly challenged by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, which is expected to offer ringside seats for $2,500, which is $500 more than the highest-priced seats for the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Mayweather’s split-decision triumph over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007.

Payout Perspective:

The result of this venue bidding war is not only going to ensure that Pacquiao-Mayweather becomes the highest grossing gate in boxing history, but it’s the type of press the fight needs to make it the biggest fight ever. It’s news that signals the magnitude of the fight to non-fight fans.

This is PR and fight promotion 101.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, booking, boxing

Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press writes that Bob Arum and HBO’s Ross Greenburg are set to tour the Cowboys Stadium, which is a candidate to host the boxing super fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather.

Promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer were to tour the new Dallas Cowboy stadium along with HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg and listen to a proposal from Jones to host the fight, a person close to the promotion said. 

Other leading contenders for the fight are the MGM Grand hotel arena in Las Vegas and the Superdome in New Orleans, said the person, who requested anonymity because both sides agreed not to speak publicly during negotiations. 

Neither fighter has formally signed for the fight, though both have agreed in principle to terms. Promoters are so confident it will happen that they are also scouting sites in New York City for a Jan. 6 press conference to formally announce the bout. 

Most major fights in recent decades have been in Las Vegas, and Pacquiao and Mayweather have fought their biggest fights at the MGM Grand, which seats about 16,000 for boxing. Many in boxing still consider the MGM to have the inside track on landing the fight, but the trip by promoters to Dallas indicates that they believe Jones will make a competitive bid. 

The anticipated demand for the fight brings both the Cowboy stadium and Superdome into the equation because they can seat far more people. The Dallas stadium could hold 100,000 or more for a fight, including seats on the football field. 

The biggest gate in boxing history was the $18.4 million in tickets sold for Mayweather’s 2007 fight with Oscar De La Hoya, and promoters believe they can get a bid of $20 million and more from one of the three contending sites.

Payout Perspective:

Not only do Arum and HBO stand to earn a larger gate from holding the event in a dome, but the sheer size of the venue would help to communicate the magnitude of the fight to the general non-fight watching public. However, Dahlberg notes later in the piece that there may be some obstacles to holding the fight in Texas or New Orleans – chief among them that Mayweather trains out of Vegas and is comfortable there.

It’s rumoured that in order for the Cowboys Stadium to secure the fight they’d have to pay a rather large site fee (upwards of $15 million), and split the live gate revenue with the promotions.  The largest site fee ever paid for a boxing fight was $12.5 in 2002 for Lewis-Tyson in Memphis.

MMAPayout MMA Payout, boxing