Fans Outraged at Joshua/Whyte PPV Decision

By Olly Campbell - 11/13/2015 - Comments

Just because UK fans knew it was likely coming, doesn’t make it any less a bitter pill to swallow, yet the [bad] news has finally dropped this afternoon [Fri] that Matchroom’s Dec. 12 show, headlined by the British heavyweight title clash between prospects Anthony Joshua (14-0, 14ko) and Dillian Whyte (16-0, 13ko) is to be a PPV event.

Promoters Matchroom and Sky Sports – their exclusive broadcast partner – are already taking an absolute hammering from angry fans on social media, dismayed at the prospect of shelling out for a PPV that includes NO genuine world title fights so close to Christmas, and only two weeks after Sky are set to charge fans for the Klitschko/Fury heavyweight world title fight on Nov.28.

The card, which will also feature Chris Eubank Jr, defending his lightly regarded, third tier WBA 160 lb strap against Gary O’Sullivan in chief support, and Tony Bellew in a non-title cruiserweight affair against Mateus Maesternak as the only other confirmed contests, is likely to bomb if the negativity across social media translates into [a lack of] PPV buys.

With a basic Sky Sports package without broadband or any other add-ons already costing around £45 a month, this card – which has sold-out the O2, and will also feature lightweight stars Kevin Mitchell and Luke Campbell, as well as featherweight Josh Warrington and a few of Matchroom’s novice pros in respective bouts, is going to really struggle to justify it’s [extra] £20 price tag, and amounts to little more than shameless greed from Matchroom and the broadcaster.

The outrage on Sky Sports Boxing official twitter tells you all you need to know about how fans feel about this decision.
Here is a very small selection:

@JinkyBoi: £20 to watch a 6 min fight and a brutal undercard! No thanks.

@JLPA1: Where are the elite fighters? Where are the world title fights? Barry, you are a con man of the highest order.

@gavin_coop: ffs not again I’m just about done with sky sports now, no point having it

@johnaboy83: that is nowhere near a main event box office fight, would hope for a quality undercard

@RealMarkGillman: Advertised for Sky Sports only 2 days ago now selling it on PPV. UTTER Disgrace.

@HarryJennings: Dream on Eddie Hearn

Yet perhaps a user named @senortasty said it best with: ‘Well, that news has gone down well!’

Look’s like it will be Team Stream for many UK fans on Dec. 12 then….

Twitter @undilutedpoison