Dennis Hobson column: wealth can't come before health in boxing

Kell Brook - money, recognition or titles, what do you reckon is the most important?
Kell Brook beaten by Gennady Golovkin. Pic Lawrence LustigKell Brook beaten by Gennady Golovkin. Pic Lawrence Lustig
Kell Brook beaten by Gennady Golovkin. Pic Lawrence Lustig

Obviously the last fight was about money, but I thought that was a dangerous fight. The Boxing Board don’t allow certain fights because of a few pounds weight difference, or records don’t look right, but they allowed Brook against Gennady Golovkin which I thought was a bit hypocritical.

I didn’t like it, Kell hadn’t fought at middleweight before, he should have had a couple at middleweight and got used to the physical side, but obviously it was all about finance.

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Obviously you obviously want kids to be financially secure but if you’ve got no health then you’ve got no wealth.

Going in at two weights higher with a very dangerous puncher was a big ask.

Kell’s not fought an elite fighter but he was going in with an elite fighter two weights above. I question the decision-making of that.

It’s all about getting financially secure and I don’t blame that because he’s served his apprenticeship and wants to be in big fights, but he doesn’t want to be playing with his health.

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Several broadcasters are now showing interest in boxing now. Do you welcome this, how do you see it developing, who are the main players, could anybody really challenge Sky?

I do welcome this, but I think we need boxing back on terrestrial TV.

PPV seems to be part of boxing at the elite level now, although I think some of the matches and shows are questionable, but obviously the mega-fights need the PPV platform.

We have two PPV platforms, now that BoxNation are coming into that market.

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But I think that now opens up the market to other broadcasters to get involved with developing kids at maybe British and European level where there isn’t the PPV money.

Boxing is a developing market and there’s a chance to get other players [promoters] involved. Obviously, we think we [Dennis Hobson Promotions] are one of the main players, but there are others out there too, and different avenues for new broadcasters.

I purposefully haven’t mentioned ITV and the Chris Eubank Jr situation because the jury’s out on that and I’m not sure they’ve got it right.

But if ITV do come in properly then they could be a force to be reckoned with.

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Ideally I’d like to see the BBC get back into boxing because the last major time was when Clinton Woods won the world title against Rico Hoye, but they’d already been soured by the Audley Harrison deal by then.