However, on this boxing Saturday, the expectations were not only reached, but they were also exceeded and at a time that the streaming service has raised their prices yet again along with placing their elite performers on pay-per-view, that was the right results at a time they were badly needed.
The earlier main event from Nottingham England saw Mauricio Lara strip away the WBA featherweight title away from Leigh Wood via a seventh-round knockout.
Wood had vowed that he would meet the constantly charging Lara in the middle of the ring and lived up to the boast by matching Lara punch for punch but paid a price for his decision in the first round when a clash of heads caused a gash over his left eye that would flow throughout the match.
The momentum swung from one corner to the corner and saw Lara buckle Wood in the second and the champion return the favor in the third before the next three rounds saw each fighter score to the body and head with strong punches.
After six, I had the fight even at 57-57 but the DAZN announcers had Wood building a lead and the judges agreed at 59-55 and 58-56 x2 and I had the feeling that Wood may have been beginning to take a bit of the edge off the usual attacks of Lara.
Then we hit round seven with again both fighters landing but Wood appeared to have a slight edge in the action until with about thirty seconds remaining, both fighters fired left hooks that landed.
However, it was Lara's that was shorter and faster as the hook sent Wood to the floor on his back.
Wood managed to rise and after he rose, there was a small movement in his legs but with under ten seconds remaining and seeming to have his head somewhat clear, Wood had a chance to ride the tide out to at least make it to his corner, although I liked Lara's chances in the eighth if he acted quickly.
Wood wouldn't receive the chance to fend off Lara as his trainer Ben Davison waved the white towel of surrender despite Wood's immediate protests to his corner.
I'm not sure that Wood would have survived the eighth but the decision was well-intended if somewhat misguided as Lara wouldn't have had any time to land more blows on Wood in the seventh.
Wood is contractually owed a rematch if he wants it, which I'm sure that he will, and the stoppage (along with the action) will give Matchroom a hook to promote Wood having a chance to reverse the result.
And it would be an interesting rematch with Wood's success and fighters like Lara often lose their best form overnight and often when not expected, so I'm okay with that, although Eddie Hearn mentioned after the fight that Josh Warrington may want a third fight with Lara with Wood perhaps given step-aside money and a shot at the winner.
I'm not as thrilled with that prospect as Warrington's aggressive style that lacks power forces him to come to Lara and while he can't hurt Lara, he has no choice other than to plow forward and take punishment.
That is punishment that Warrington isn't likely to handle over twelve rounds and I see that as a lopsided fight that Warrington cannot win.
And as good as Wood-Lara was, the evening main event was even better.
Back with that later...
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