Id say Collins sticking the wifes head in the fridge and then bashing the door off it didnât help. Collins made his money in the ring, he had big money fights with the rematch and Benn and he felt he didnât have to talk to everyone or be nice.
McGregor didnât have to do what he did either, or he could have done it half hearted. What is showed was smartness and intelligence. His career is different than Collins cos its still personality driven and the UFC know they have a gem.
He has made this persona which people seem to like and its making him cash and heâs keeping it going, the UFC bosses seem to like it too. They know they have an Ole Ole Ole crowd behind them. Could he sell Croker? Yes I think soâŚwouldnât go myself.
He could have been brash, arrogant, a prickâŚhe wasnât though, he was down to earth and friendly. That wasnât his job but it seemed genuine, or he was genuinely happy to do it.
Andy Lee couldnât sell Thomand as a world champ. McGregor could see Croker! To me thats mad. Marketing is everything it seems although with Lee its probably a traveller thing.
Id go to see Collins now if he boxed. Jaysus Id have loved to see him fight. McCallum, Reggie Johnson, Eubank, BennâŚTo think Barry McGuigan fought in Navan a year and a half before he fought Pedrosa and then became a superstar⌠Ireland actually do bandwagon well.
I think what pisses people off (rightly or wrongly) about Collins is the fact they gave him so much support, especially in Cork and surrounding areas. I think thats an irish thing, we see athletes as neighbours or friends or club mates and probably expect most to act accordingly.
The domestic violence came far later than when i think he lost alot of people.
As a title holder who hasnât really been heard of in years. But yeah the marketing thing is huge. The centralised nature of the UFC makes it much easier to build a star I think.
Apparently there are lots of unsold tickets for Lee-Saunders too. Unsurprising given some of the stories Iâve heard about lax security at Warrenâs shows.
[
Apparently there are lots of unsold tickets for Lee-Saunders too. Unsurprising given some of the stories Iâve heard about lax security at Warrenâs shows.
[/quote]
I was advised not to go near Thomand. It was going to be a knackers convention. Heard it was uncontrollable from a security point of view too. FW hadnât a clue.
Dunne was based in the states but sold out the point before he won the WBA. Granted heâd a good few nights in the Stadium when he first came back but he had Brian Peters with him who was superb at marketing and putting on a show, his fight against Esham Pickering was one of the best shows Ive been to.
Collins was based in the US from '86-93, before he came back. He boxed out of Britain and only fought in Ireland once in Belfast before fighting Eubank. That said, Eubank would have sold Millstreet out those days,
I really like Lee, Ive see him a few times. In Dublin on the undercard of Dunne v Cordoba there was only about 50 people watching the fight, I couldnt believe itâŚwhen you see McGregor and Lee its astonishing the difference in popularity.
One for the confessions thread⌠I regret wasting my money going to all those Dunne fights. After meeting him I wouldnt tip him if he delivered me pizza. Hes a knacker.
Disappointed to hear that about Dunne. Always thought he came across as a genuine guy.
Easier develop a fanbase in Dublin though right?
Itâs disappointing the lack of following Lee has. Of course heâs at complete odds with McGregor in terms of self promotion, he seems quite shy. Sadly he thinks Iâm an asshole due to some unfortunate circumstances but Iâm still a big fan of his. Heard anything about who backs him? My friend who is a Garda says he has word that Leeâs promoters/backers are gangsters etc. Iâm dubious as he was so long in the states and now trains in London and figure heâs confusing him with Macklin but heâs adamant.
Never saw him in Dublin either which I regret. Was on hols in the October when he fought in the stadium but donât know why I missed his fight in the July.
A pity he didnât have a fight with Macklin or go ahead with the Lee bout but heâd had enough it seems, those cuts against Smichet took it out of him Id say.
Met Martin Rogan a few times and thought he was sound and I knew Scott Jordan who boxed out of Belfast. Used to meet him at Celtic games but I think he only had about 10 fights. Lost back to back so probably thought fuck this. Hard living to make it being a journeyman. Hard to watch Celtic too these days !
Easier when the fighter is a Dub I think. Plays to the target market a lot better.
Lee is too civilized and intelligent a guy to play the McGregor role. You need a degree of shamelessness to be on that level as a self-publicist and Lee is too decent a skin for it.
Itâs very sad really. The whole âarenât we great Craic altogetherâ shite, and the " sure donât the - insert name of country/group- love the Irish" type of shite.
FFS. Why do these cunt feel the need to play up to anyone?
The worst is the cunts that become caricatures, with their leprechaun outfits, and Darby OâGill carry on. FOAD, cunts.
He was in The Hatfield on the Sunday after the Eastman fight, one of the lads I was with was related to his woman (since married) and Duddy was as genuine as they come. Was lacking what it took at world level but he always put on a great show.
Never met Rogie, heard he could be a bit wide to start with but would soften up when you got chatting to him, think he used do doors around Belfast for a while, probably encountered him sometime in my student days.
Never met McCloskey either, know a lad who went to school with him and had a chance of tickets to the Khan fight but had other engagements at the time, really regretted it as the atmosphere seemed class. Meant to be a really sound guy - he was fucked over badly that night, Khan did not look at all comfortable before that was stopped.
Tyson Fury dressed as Batman! Sell the seats. Lee needs to retain the belt and make a few quid but even then where would he fight? The fight next week is huge and there is no talk about it in Ireland. The Thomand debacle didnât help.
Munster and Leinster ruled the airwaves this weekend, I listened to neither I know Munster lost but as Im writing I dont know if Leinster won or lost, I did hear Jonathon Sexton kick off but I turned the radio off straight away, what were these games even inâŚprime time radio but Munster cant even give away tickets1
.anywayâŚLee would now sell 1/2 or 2/3âs of the point but a lot of gigs are profitable on the last 10 or 15% of the sales. Selling 2/3âs doesnât make money. I think a few fights in Dublin would get a momentum going but he needs a Brian Peters to market it, and he needs a win against Saunders, which I also would worry about.
Lee deserves publicity, he IS an Athlete, a superb bloke Im told and a decent boxer too!!
I was sick the night of the Khan fight. McCloskey was still strong and Khan was tiring. McCloskey still had the danger box and it was his strategy all along to absorb it and catch him late. Shouldnât have been stopped. Cut was controllable but they werenât letting an upset happen.
Didnt like Khanâs lack of respect after it as well.
Khan won every round but was looking ragged and uncouth in how to deal with McCloskey, he was breathing extremely heavily and finding it hard to land on McCloskey. If McCloskey was a 10/2 shot then he was in to a 4/1 at the stage that the fight was stopped, the plan was to frustrate Khan and get at him late on, everyone knows how iffy his chin is, even for a light puncher like McCloskey.
He was in with a real shot and the cut wasnât in a dangerous area, was caused by a clash of heads. Khan and De La Hoya were a disgrace in the post fight press conference, no chance of an acknowledgement of the blessing they had and no chance of giving McCloskey the shot he deserved of a rematch. He was all wrong for Khan that night and he ran a mile from the chance of a rematch.
For a fighter of McCloskeyâs level - that is your one shot - and it was robbed from his grasp. What would have happened is questionable, but I thought he was in with a wonderful chance before the cut happened - Khan was looking really uncertain in how to land clean punches on him and was visibly tiring.
