Quote Originally Posted by Beanz View Post
It is easy to forget when it is presented as spectacle and entertainment, which it is of course, that is also about risk taking. Boxers are by their very nature extreme risk takers as are promoters and managers. Like Fenster said in contests all around this country, which are not televised, boxers, promoters and managers/coaches will be rolling the dice every time two guys step through the ropes. Not just risk of serious injury and death which puts most people off. Risk of having a bad night at the office that ends your career. Risk of not attracting the sponsorship you need to get to the next level, Risk of your fighter ignoring or listening to advice form the corner that cost him or could have helped him win a decision. Risk of bad inept reffs, corrupt reffs, lousy judges, punters not buying tickets and so despite winning you don't get to fight on the next show. Risk of your investment saying something stupid or taking a dodgy supplement or getting into a fight on a night out,or being shot in the leg , risk of being on such another level nobody wants to fight him. The list is endless.


You can't really compare a one off fight to a tennis, golf or team knockout tournament precisely because every time someone fights you are re-rolling the dice, and to a large degree resetting the odds. Form and past progress don't necessarily mean that much, unlike in non-combat sports where the rankings are often good predictors. In boxing there is a favourite but the consequences of losing are far bigger and can end careers if not seriously stall and hamper them. No dodgy risk taking irresponsible promoters and you have no boxing. If you want squeaky clean honest promoters, they would probably not even be interested in promoting boxing.


I've no doubts nor am I denying the existence of the bottom rung of promoters/fighters. But at the PPV, televised level, what you have are multimillionaire promoters who are rich beyond their wildest dreams. And they STILL manage to keep fights from happening because one wants a 55/45 split, and the other one wants a 50/50 split. Or because one just "can't do business" with the other. At the level we're discussing, both fighters AND promoters are beyond the risks you mention. Promoters' wealth is secure... and fighters have already built a reputation and a following which will persist beyond a loss or a "bad night at the office."

And no... golf and tennis are non-combat sports, that's correct. My only point was that both sports something in common with boxing. For every marquee-name star we watch on TV, there's hundreds upon hundreds of scrubs who barely make a living off the sport, and have to spend their own money and savings just to get from one tournament to the next.

I'm not asking for "squeaky clean honest promoters." I'm asking for some sort of governing entity/body.... call it what you will.... that will stop the practice of major, logical, WANTED fights being made because Arum won't work with Hearn, who won't work with Warren, who won't work with Haymon, who won't work with Arum...... blah, blah, eternal blah. Even those old dogs King and Arum managed to work together like two good little children in order to bring us some fights we wouldn't have seen otherwise.

Again, saying something can't be done (and repeating it over and over again), is the most surefire way to never even hoping to get ANYTHING done.