Seriously? HBO LOVES Chavez because, average he might be, a ticket seller and viewer attraction he is. Bob used to make good money on all-Mex PPVs while Jr battered bus drivers. He sells.
He sold tickets and did solid enough business on Top Rank's Latin Fury PPVs - or whatever they called his PPVs - before and they weren't interested. It's hardly a coincidence that the timing of HBO being interested in Chavez - Cotto and Pacquiao PPV events being on Showtime isn't the sort of thing HBO brass wants.
The mandatory that HBO then approved in a challenge against Chavez for the vacant title?
Yeah. Martinez wasn't obligated to turn it down because HBO said so - he did so because he'd rather have gotten more money for fighting on HBO than keep the title. Which I'm not criticising - but I don't buy him genuinely feeling that hurt or screwed over by the WBC or HBO, as if he valued the WBC belt that highly he'd have kept onto it. He's after the pay day.
NO, that's not why people are desperate, I want to see Jr in with someone good. Lee's a decent first step. But he was meant to fight Sergio in his last match.
I didn't say
everyone wants to see Chavez, Jr knocked out though, did I? I was referring to those that do want him to get bludgeoned in a boxing ring simply because he's not the second coming of Julio Cesar Chavez. I wasn't implying that you, or
@Wallet or any other sensible person wants that. As I don't disagree with the fact he's been brought on pretty slowly in terms of being a 'world' title. I don't consider Lee a step up from Zbik or Rubio mind, just a southpaw that poses different problems stylistically. And I don't think there's owt wrong with that. Considering who Chavezito was fighting a few years back he's came a long way.
Irrelevant. He DOES want the fight, whatever the reason might be.
Mate, this is laughable. Here's what happened. Sergio beat Williams and the agreement from the WBC was EITHER: the winner of Lemieux-Rubio, or Chavez Jr (who got first dibs on the fight). Chavez Jr says "NO!" and Sergio/HBO say no to Zbik. So, ok, strip him. Fine. But Zbik should have been fighting Rubio, because Chavez/TR said they didn't want the option on Sergio. The immediately invoked it as soon as Sergio was shifted and Rubio got shut out until AFTER Julio had the belt.
All's well, I guess since Marco got his payday. But for me, it was all a little too convenient to help HBO mend fences with the Bobfather and get big views on son-of-the-legend wee Julio. But they told Sergio he could have the fight with Chavez as soon as he wanted it, then agreed he could fight Manfredo and Rubio. Apparently they now have a contract where Sergio gets to fight Chavez next, but they've already bailed once and I can see them jumping to 168 to avoid the (certain) loss.
Would Martinez have refused Lemieux on the basis he would have been a shit challenger? Not if HBO were to approve it. If he wanted to keep a hold of the alphabet title then he'd have made the mandatory. He's the World Middleweight Champion though, so the need for the alphabet title isn't there if HBO are happy to market his fights under that banner. The whole "I was screwed, Chavez is ducking me!" is DiBella's way of trying to built up some demand for the fight. Which I get. I understand that. And I don't really mind it - nor care about it either - but I'm a bit sick of the stories about it that portray Martinez as a samaritan that got buggered by the WBC and Top Rank in a dark alley.
As for the contract? It's basically just a draft document that states that the winner of Chavez/Lee will fight Martinez and the WBC will honestly, super-seriously enforce it as a mandatory fight. I think if Lee causes Chavezito enough problems though and he still wins he'll likely vacate, move to super-middleweight, fight Pavlik and Martinez will fight for the vacated belt.
