Who are you competing with??
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
Competition is healthy. Well, most of the time. There are other instances where it simply just isn’t making sense to the Boneman.
And there is no more glaring example than with the boxing dual dates on the two big time channels, HBO and Showtime.
Take this Saturday. HBO presents a doubleheader of boxing featuring welterweight prospect Andre Berto and heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon.
But for the third time this year already, Showtime is countering with something else — a heavily anticipated rematch between Edison Miranda and Arthur Abraham. I don’t want to put Showtime in a bad light because sometimes it’s HBO pulling the same stunt.
For a sport that needs all the exposure it can get, why compete against each other? This isn’t a brand name war between HBO and Showtime. You think I care if the big fight is on HBO or Showtime? Maybe five years ago I did, but with the announce team of Steve Albert and Al Bernstein now at Showtime, they’re on par with Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant.
It’s spilling over into the MMA world now. Affliction is trying to make a name for itself as a brand and will put on their first PPV on July 19. Now the UFC has plans for a special LIVE event on Spike to counteract that. What is wrong with this picture?
As a diehard fight fan, I’ll find a way to watch both boxing cards this Saturday (one live, one West Coast feed). And I’ll prob do the same July 19 (still debating which one to watch live). But I shouldn’t have to make that choice.
But since I’ve already said I’ll find a way, the organizations still win. They know they can compete against each other because people like me, well, we’ll gripe about it but in the end, we’re still going to watch. We’re a sick people.
Local scene
- Bricktown hotel and convention center hosts a seven-bout boxing card Thursday night. The fights are for a great cause, trying to knockout Parkinson’s disease. Main event features NABC light heavyweight champion James Johnson against Tony Kennedy. This is the first time the event has been held in Oklahoma.
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