HBO spared tough call
You can follow Kevin Iole on Twitter at @KevinI
The brass at HBO Sports weren’t too excited about having to choose between airing a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight on March 13 promoted by Golden Boy Promotions or one between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, promoted by Top Rank.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are the sport’s two biggest stars and Golden Boy and Top Rank are its most powerful promoters.
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HBO had appeared to make its choice – Mayweather and Golden Boy – but made no announcement.
Good thing.
On Tuesday, HBO Sports senior vice president Mark Taffet was in Dallas for the Pacquiao-Clottey news conference. HBO was freed from having to make a decision when Andre Berto withdrew from his Jan. 30 fight with Shane Mosley and a Mayweather-Mosley fight became a possibility.
Because it was almost impossible to negotiate a deal and properly promote the fight by March 13, HBO had no decision to make. It was clear the only fight on that date was going to be Pacquiao-Clottey.
Had the Berto-Mosley fight not be canceled – and why was it canceled and not simply postponed? – Golden Boy was planning a Mayweather fight against a different opponent on March 13. That would have put HBO Sports in the unenviable, and losing, position of having to choose.
It’s safe to assume that HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg, Taffet and Kery Davis, the senior vice president of programming, exhaled after learning of the Berto-Mosley cancellation.
Now, it’s on to the mailbag. Thanks to all who emailed wondering what was up with the two-week hiatus, but it was simply a post-holiday vacation. I’m back and so is the mailbag, on its regular Tuesday schedule.
You can follow Kevin Iole on Twitter at @KevinI
The brass at HBO Sports weren’t too excited about having to choose between airing a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight on March 13 promoted by Golden Boy Promotions or one between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, promoted by Top Rank.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are the sport’s two biggest stars and Golden Boy and Top Rank are its most powerful promoters.
More From Kevin Iole
Berto withdrawal could lead to Floyd-Mosley Jan 18, 2010
Citing earthquake, Berto pulls out of fight Jan 18, 2010
HBO had appeared to make its choice – Mayweather and Golden Boy – but made no announcement.
Good thing.
On Tuesday, HBO Sports senior vice president Mark Taffet was in Dallas for the Pacquiao-Clottey news conference. HBO was freed from having to make a decision when Andre Berto withdrew from his Jan. 30 fight with Shane Mosley and a Mayweather-Mosley fight became a possibility.
Because it was almost impossible to negotiate a deal and properly promote the fight by March 13, HBO had no decision to make. It was clear the only fight on that date was going to be Pacquiao-Clottey.
Had the Berto-Mosley fight not be canceled – and why was it canceled and not simply postponed? – Golden Boy was planning a Mayweather fight against a different opponent on March 13. That would have put HBO Sports in the unenviable, and losing, position of having to choose.
It’s safe to assume that HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg, Taffet and Kery Davis, the senior vice president of programming, exhaled after learning of the Berto-Mosley cancellation.
Now, it’s on to the mailbag. Thanks to all who emailed wondering what was up with the two-week hiatus, but it was simply a post-holiday vacation. I’m back and so is the mailbag, on its regular Tuesday schedule.
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