"5 Years Later, Will The FOTY Rematch Be Greater?" Ortiz/Berto, Jack/Bute PBC Apr 30th Fight Thread

[patscorpio]

April 30 PBC on Fox A Smash Hit In Ring, But Not In the Ratings

By Jake Donovan

The April 30 primetime edition of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Fox featured a loaded evening of knockouts in the ring. Unfortunately, it came up short when it came to tallying up viewership.

The second installment of the series of free-to-air Fox TV averaged 1.51 million viewers over the course of the two-plus hour telecast, which aired live at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. locally) from the StubHub Center in Carson, Calf. Such ratings are considered preliminary, as Nielsen Media Researchhas proven that live sports tend to trend upward upon final review.

However, the mark is already more than 30% drop from the PBC on Fox debut on January 23, which averaged a healthy 2.23 million viewers.

Beating out the telecast head-to-head were: reruns of NCIS and NCIS:New Orleans on CBS; and coverage of the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs on NBC.

A special Jazz At The White House segment on ABC drew a larger average viewership audience, but PBC outdid the segment in the 18-49 market, pulling a 0.5 ratings share, which is considered healthy for TV on Saturday evening.

The ratings don't at all reflect the favorable reaction received by those who were tuned in to a show that featured four spectacular knockouts. Headlining the telecast, Andre Berto overcame a 2nd round knockdown to twice drop and eventually stop Victor Ortiz in four rounds. The bout was a rematch five years after their Fight of the Year entrant in 2011, with both fighters hitting the deck on that night as well but ending with Ortiz taking a decision win to hand Berto his first loss and also claim his welterweight title in the process.

Both boxers have since fallen on hard times since that night.

Ortiz (31-6-2, 24KOs) has now suffered four stoppage losses in his last six nights following what remains his career defining win. Berto (31-4, 24KOs) is 4-3 (3KOs) over that same stretch, but his latest win breathes new life into his career. Teased at night's end was the possibility of the former welterweight titlist facing unbeaten two-division champ Danny Garcia, who sat ringside as part of the broadcast team.

The other three highlight reel knockouts on the night all came courtesy of fighters whose futures look glowingly bright.

Jorge Lara was tasked with facing his longtime idol, former three-division titlist Fernando Montiel. Admiration shifted to business in a hurry, as the unbeaten featherweight scored four knockdowns in less than two minutes of ring time to pick up the biggest win of his career.

Thomas Williams Jr. and Edwin Rodriguez were all but guaranteed to deliver a knockout ending one way or another. The pair of light heavyweights were true to form, as their two-round affair was bombs away from the opening bell, ending with Williams slamming home a right hook and left cross to drop and stop Rodriguez.

The win earns the second-generation boxer from the DC area a potential shot at World light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson.

With plenty of time to kill before the main event, 19-year old light heavyweight prospect David Benavidez wowed viewers with his two-round destruction of Phillip Jackson.

Perhaps with too much time to kill before the close of the broadcast, heavyweights Gerald Washington and Eddie Chambers were ushered into the ring for a bout that was mercifully shortened from 10 rounds to eight. Washington (17-0-1, 11KOs) walked away with a unanimous decision in a fight that did little for his career, while Chambers (42-5, 23KOs) squandered a prime opportunity after campaigning for years through social media of how he's been avoided.

The dissatisfying tempo of the heavyweight stinker did nothing to engage viewers who were already being reminded of an accompanying Showtime telecast from Washington D.C. immediately following the Fox card.

From a ratings perspective, the glass half-full view is that Saturday's card delivered more than a 20% improvement from the struggling ratings that accompanied the April 16 edition of PBC on NBC. Errol Spence enjoyed a breakthrough performance with a one-sided 5th round knockout of Chris Algieri. However, the card as a whole produced the lowest primetime rating on network TV since the launch of the PBC series last March.

The low viewership for that card also affected a trailing Showtime boxing telecast, which didn't begin until 11:00 p.m. ET and suffered badly in the ratings.

Showtime's doubleheader from Saturday began an hour earlier this time (10:00 p.m. ET). Ratings for the telecast will not be released until Tuesday morning, but the current trend in place should not hope for the best, but rather for the PBC brass to rethink how to reconnect with the home audience.

As shown for the most part throughout both telecasts, the boxers involved are willing to pull it all on the line in the ring. It's only right their handlers reciprocate in the manner in which the product is presented.

 

[Black_Jesus]

easy voluntary? he just faced paulie and ghost back to back ...its time for a liver body

i also hope garcia-vargas gets done..just like vargas-brook i wouldn't mind it

Well ghost was not an easy fight imo.. Paulie, yes... Id like to see some of the guys fight there way up to a title shot.. in the meantime Garcia can take 1 easy fight before then.. winner of thurman/Porter will do the same.. Brook/Spence are pretty much locked onto one another... Floyd might challenge him(doubt it)... Khan is out the way... He really doesn't have many other options...

Maybe Broner can be that easy fight


Vargas is definitely an option.. but you know networks will be a huge hurdle

 

[THE MACHINE]

Well ghost was not an easy fight imo.. Paulie, yes... Id like to see some of the guys fight there way up to a title shot.. in the meantime Garcia can take 1 easy fight before then.. winner of thurman/Porter will do the same.. Brook/Spence are pretty much locked onto one another... Floyd might challenge him(doubt it)... Khan is out the way... He really doesn't have many other options...

Maybe Broner can be that easy fight


Vargas is definitely an option.. but you know networks will be a huge hurdle

He could give Lamont that rematch

 

[ChocolateGiddyUp]

He could give Lamont that rematch

The same Lamont Peterson thats been turning down fights N is content with chillin on the couch?? That Lamont Peterson??

Might as well suggested a Matthysse rematch while you was at it

 

[ChocolateGiddyUp]

Well ghost was not an easy fight imo.. Paulie, yes... Id like to see some of the guys fight there way up to a title shot.. in the meantime Garcia can take 1 easy fight before then.. winner of thurman/Porter will do the same.. Brook/Spence are pretty much locked onto one another... Floyd might challenge him(doubt it)... Khan is out the way... He really doesn't have many other options...

Maybe Broner can be that easy fight


Vargas is definitely an option.. but you know networks will be a huge hurdle

Omar Figueroa is the fight I'd like to see

He's #4 WBC at 147

Undefeated

Got an OK fan base + Mexican so they'll show up vs Swift

Pressure fighter it'll be entertainment

 

[Black_Jesus]

He could give Lamont that rematch

Didn't he just duck Berto? he can kick rocks for right now

 

[GREENandYELLOW]

Well ghost was not an easy fight imo.. Paulie, yes... Id like to see some of the guys fight there way up to a title shot.. in the meantime Garcia can take 1 easy fight before then.. winner of thurman/Porter will do the same.. Brook/Spence are pretty much locked onto one another... Floyd might challenge him(doubt it)... Khan is out the way... He really doesn't have many other options...

Maybe Broner can be that easy fight


Vargas is definitely an option.. but you know networks will be a huge hurdle

The only way I think Garcia could pass off an easy fight would be if PBC committed to doing Garcia vs. winner of Thurman/Porter and actually promoted it. Take a page from HBO. Fighters get less flack for bad opponents when fans know a great fight is coming. Plus it would only benefit ratings for garcia's fight, Thurman/Porter, and the eventual meet up. Plus if Floyd is leaving the door open for a fight, it leaves promotion for that (although I don't think Floyd is interested right now), migt as well take dvantage of the positive publicity.

I agree with @patscorpio, Vargas vs. either Garcia or Brook is interesting. He has proven he has a little juice and you can sell that. More interesting than Chavez or Berto.

In fact, what to do with Berto...I actually would find a Berto-Guerrero rematch interesting.

 

[GREENandYELLOW]

Bute wouldn't answer, but Medina added some fuel:

Porky Medina: Badou Jack is Better Than James DeGale - Boxing News
The two fighters who came up short on Saturday night’s super middleweight doubleheader have now been in the ring with both of the men who left with their 168-pound title belts still around their waists.

Lucian Bute lost to James DeGale last November and fought to a draw with Badou Jack on Saturday in Washington, D.C; most thought Jack deserved the win. And Rogelio “Porky” Medina suffered a sixth-round technical knockout loss to Jack back in 2013 and then dropped a unanimous decision to DeGale on Saturday.

Medina felt he deserved the win. Many at ringside believed the scores should’ve at least been closer than the 117-111 card that was announced for DeGale; the other two scores were 116-112 and 115-113 for DeGale.

DeGale and Jack will now move toward a unification fight. While Bute was diplomatic in calling it a 50-50 bout, Medina had no hesitation in deciding who he thought was better. Of course, he was also at least a little biased.

“I think Badou Jack is a better fighter and he’s more of an actual fighter that comes to fight,” Medina said afterward. “DeGale is more of a track athlete because he just comes to run around.”

DeGale didn’t throw as many punches as Medina, but that’s not a fair comparison; Medina was credited by CompuBox with throwing 1,140 shots. DeGale had a good output, sending out 612 punches overall and landing 314, a connect rate of 51 percent. He was 222 of 338 with power shots, a 66 percent connect rate.

DeGale actually exchanged with Medina more than he should’ve. He says he was trying to make the fight more entertaining. More likely, Medina’s pressure led to him landing 265 times on DeGale, including 216 power shots.

 

[mr. smoke weed]

yup him, jack, ward...all mulattos

? Who gives AF but @#SOG_soldier ? Brehs like 19 too.

Btw SoG u gonna be there the 18th? Or you back in school?

 

[mr. smoke weed]

PBC is on some bullshyt with this. Peep how Errol Spence called out Kell Brook immediately when there is another title holder under the same management that would be a MUCH bigger fight.....Danny Garcia. You think that shyt is by mistake? PBC is trying to get and hoard all the belts

Of course they are you say it like its some sort of insult.

Secondly, Hearn GLADLY does business with Haymon, and spence will be Brooks mando.

So instead of having spence fight Brook for the IBF ( where he's a fight away from being mando) toss him in the WBC 'tourney'? Just bc PBC shouldn't have multiple
Good fighters in one weight class?

 

[#SOG_soldier]

? Who gives AF but @#SOG_soldier ? Brehs like 19 too.

Btw SoG u gonna be there the 18th? Or you back in school?

Imma try and make it. I go to school in Chicago now

 

[mr. smoke weed]

Swifts fought in January... He can't wait for Porter/Thurman to be available... He'd be on the shelf almost a year

Swift wants the Vargas fight...said he'd fight Brook in the USA...there's plenty reasons why those won't happen none of which are Garcia

That leaves us with limited options

Berto
Chaves
Spence (not yet, fighting IBF elim)
AB (legal issues, coming up in weight, not ranked)

I actually think if Swift can't get Vargas, him vs Chves would be a good fight

 

[mr. smoke weed]

Imma try and make it. I go to school in Chicago now

UIC? Or what breh? What you too cool to see live boxing my breh?

 

[mr. smoke weed]

Of course they are you say it like its some sort of insult.

Secondly, Hearn GLADLY does business with Haymon, and spence will be Brooks mando.

So instead of having spence fight Brook for the IBF ( where he's a fight away from being mando) toss him in the WBC 'tourney'? Just bc PBC shouldn't have multiple
Good fighters in one weight class?

Also @desjardins Spence already called out Lil Kee Kee so that vamoose's your whole point. Take that C level posting someplace else, or make your post half long, and twice strong.

 

[#SOG_soldier]

UIC? Or what breh? What you too cool to see live boxing my breh?

Breh don't worry imma be there. I go to olive harvey. Next year imma be at neiu