Comments Thread For: Top Rank President Admits Beterbiev-Bivol Could Not Have Happened 'On This Timeline' Without Saudi Arabian Support

[BoxingUpdates]

The president of Top Rank Todd duBoef has admitted that the intervention of Saudi Arabia is what has allowed the light heavyweight unification fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol to take place with the fighters close to their primes.
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[Griever0730]

That royal money talks and all that other BS walks. Not a big fan of all these big fights going over to Saudi Arabia, but if they can make em happen, f#$% it. Better than them not happening at all. These promoters are getting dogged by the prince and they just bend over and take it for those M's. Lol

[Boxing 112]

That royal money talks and all that other BS walks. Not a big fan of all these big fights going over to Saudi Arabia, but if they can make em happen, f#$% it. Better than them not happening at all. These promoters are getting dogged by the prince and they just bend over and take it for those M's. Lol

Saudi is the best thing that has happened to boxing recently. Making the big fights we wanted. Taking promos to a new level. People sat at home moan about the atmosphere, unless you were going to the fight in person then atmosphere doesn't matter when you are watching on the tv.

[Griever0730]

Saudi is the best thing that has happened to boxing recently. Making the big fights we wanted. Taking promos to a new level. People sat at home moan about the atmosphere, unless you were going to the fight in person then atmosphere doesn't matter when you are watching on the tv.

I agree with the most of the first part of your statement. However, in regards of the atmosphere, it does matter IMO. Hard to get hype when theres nobody else around to get hype with during the fight. Even some of the fights in the bubble during COVID that were really good fights felt kinda dull bc there was no energy around it. The atmosphere in a big-time sporting event with a big crowd helps keep it from feeling like you're just watching guys at practice. That energy is hard to match and is contagious. Just my opinion.

[ShoulderRoll]

That’s what’s wrong with boxing, Top Rank and company won’t make the fights fans actually want.

Unless someone with very deep pockets comes in to make them an offer they can’t refuse.

[Claude Palle]

That’s what’s wrong with boxing, Top Rank and company won’t make the fights fans actually want.

Unless someone with very deep pockets comes in to make them an offer they can’t refuse.

I think the problem lies somewhere in between. A lot of the current fighters "price" themselves out of fights. The saudis are overpaying because they can afford it. Most promoters cannot.

[Eff Pandas]

How insane is that???

Beterbiev is fooking 39. Hes been a belt holder for 6yrs, hes been a unified belt holder for 4yrs. Bivol is 33. Hes been a belt holder for 7yrs. He beat the biggest name in the game 2yrs ago. Idek how long they've been 1 & 2 at 175, but its been awhile. When the fook was this fight gonna make sense without Saudi involvement?

[M111]

It’s a reasonably easy situation to understand.

Top rank blocked the fight as Beterbiev was getting old and they wanted to milk as much revenue for him and themselves before facing Bivol who realistically has the best chance of beating him in the division.

The only thing that changes that equation is if someone fronted enough cash to make the fight happen now which is precisely what the Saudis have done. Bivol was always going to be Beterbiev’s last fight or perhaps last few fights and now he’s getting enough retirement money without needing to milk it. We get to see the fight sooner whilst he’s still on top form instead of him being thrown under a bus just for the cash after he’s aged out. Can’t see any reason to grumble about that as a fan.

Canelo Benavidez would also happen now if Canelo wasn’t being such a lame diva and asking for $150 million which has completely backfired on him. Had he said say $70 million perhaps the Saudis would’ve bitten.

[Liondw]

The headline should of course be 'could not happen without Saudi support'. But 'ey, typos and grammatical errors happen.

Anyway, it's an incredible matchup, two of the best light heavyweights this century.

I'm not sure how Andre Ward would've done against Beterbiev or Bivol, but it would've been really tough for Ward. Beterbiev-Bivol, we don't know who wins for sure.

[Oldskoolg]

Saudi is the best thing that has happened to boxing recently. Making the big fights we wanted. Taking promos to a new level. People sat at home moan about the atmosphere, unless you were going to the fight in person then atmosphere doesn't matter when you are watching on the tv.

Nah, atmosphere matters. That’s why Americans loved seeing big fights at Wembley to see 90,000 pyss head brits signing boisterously. Or all the American celebs at the fights in Vegas or NYC. Did any of us really like seeing the covid era fights with no fans? I personally don’t remember any of those fights because the atmosphere mattered. Now if you like the Saudi thing then great, but let’s not act like venue and the crowd don’t matter