HBO About to have a Major Shake Up

It has become common wisdom, both internally and outside of HBO, that Ross Greenburg, the president of HBO Sports, and Kerry Davis, a vice president within that arm of the parent company, are on their way out.

Fueling the immediacy of that suggestion is the fact that Richard Plepler, co-president of HBO, and Michael Lombardo, the man to whom Greenburg reports, are completing a fact-finding mission about why the network’s entire boxing program is in such disregard.

They question the competence and boxing knowledge of HBO Sports.

Much of the problem deals with the fact that Greenburg gives out dates to certain promoters, most notably Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Productions, without a specific fighter or fight as part of that contract.

Since Golden Boy is not loaded with quality fighters, it is widely believed within boxing that people within Greenburg’s orbit have encouraged other fighters to sign with Golden Boy.

‘‘In the beginning before HBO moved into so many areas, boxing,” says Arum, ‘‘led the way. Boxing became the HBO brand. Now boxing has trashed what that stands for.

‘‘Are you saying that HBO has been bad for boxing,” I asked them.

‘‘Absolutely, and bad for the public as well,’’ King says.

‘‘You sound as though this is personal.’’

‘‘Absolutely,” he said. ‘‘They want to get rid of promoters like Bob and me. That’s what this is about. They want to let advisers come to them with a fight and then they hire a promoter at an outrageous price who doesn’t put anything into the promotion. no publicity."

‘‘We are fighting to take back the business and put it back in the hands of professionals. That’s why this fight in on Showtime, which is owned by CBS, and the CBS-TV network will promote as will 160 of its radio stations. They gave us billboards in Times Square and Sunset Boulevard.”

‘‘Well, here’s why we got together,” Arum interjected.

‘‘First, we both needed a fight.

‘‘Second, this is a good fight. HBO Sports might not understand that, but when two guys go toe-to-toe it’s what boxing is about and this is what boxing fans, who are very smart, know without being told.

‘‘ These people (HBO Sports) enable a boxing ‘adviser’ like Al Haymon to negotiate deals for guys nobody would buy tickets to see but that fits into the way they run their business.

‘‘What we are saying is not about HBO, the parent company. There are brilliant people running it. It’s about HBO Sports and HBO Sports has trashed this sport. Don and I are fighting for survival. This fight is the first step. It will generate terrific excitement when they go toe-to-toe. You asked me about a change in HBO Sports and until or unless it happens I cannot comment on that, but I will say this:

“They (HBO Sports) want promoters whom they can tell when to fight and where to fight and control it. You don’t make great fights that way. You can’t be lazy and arrogant. You have to work like hell. So in this fight we are going to take this business and put it back in the hands of the promoters and the public where it belongs.’’

Incompetence and laziness are things they cannot be accused of.

The same cannot be said of HBO Sports.

HBO needs a major shakeup.

ya Greenberg doesnt know shit about boxing (and knowingly admitted it) and he has totally ran HBO Boxing into the ground

Birdofthad wrote:

ya Greenberg doesnt know shit about boxing (and knowingly admitted it) and he has totally ran HBO Boxing into the ground

Yeah there arent as many big matchups as there used to be. Not even close.

hahahahah this town needs an enema hahahh