I am a boxing manager: if you have questions about the boxing biz, ask!

Great insightful post dempsey at many levels as the away fighter you really are 2-3 rounds down from the get go crowd reaction to punches landed or not do sway the judges.
We had a fight here that any uk based fan will back me up on was a total & utter disgrace to the point Stevie Wonder would have seen how to call it.Worst decision i have ever seen here in the uk by a margin Cox v Sai the african kid won at least 9 of the 12 rounds.Got jobbed was totally outboxing Cox who just threw low blows the ref 'constantly' :-( missed it BS.
The thing that made it worse it was a hotel black suit & tie show ringside 'fans' more interested in the food & wine than the fight.So no fan reaction was Mr.W last sky show the sky panel were disgusted also.

 

I believe it comes down to clearly defined roles too many people involved with boxers rather than sticking to the role that they know try & cross into areas that they are not best suited.It muddies the waters everyone being an expert on everything to the hindrance of the fighter.
The final instructions given to a fighter-'protect yourself at all times'.
You should also apply those words to outside the ring as in it because if those that are said to be behind you arn't you are going to have to be a hell of a strong character/fighter to succeed.

 

Rigondeaux will have to be realistic Donaire gets $1.32 m for saturday night because he is the draw.Rigo IMO has done well to get a purse of $750k yes he won but regardless of the result he must realise he got it not because of his undoubted skills but the oppt.His manager secured him top money for what he brings he has no fanbase at the live gate period.

Top Rank know what they have in Donaire a draw that he lost saturday not by any means at this stage a big problem in his career he moves up to 126lbs there are decent $ fights for him.Large,loyal fanbase at the gate & PPV.

Rigo looks a natural 122lbs maybe in the next year he conditions himself to go up to 126lbs & from Top Ranks view would they want him in with Donaire again doubt it!If they were to do it again Donaire would STILL get the lions share whoever holds whatever belt at whatever weight.Like it or not Rigo is still the hunter not the hunted the law of the jungle is the $.To a lesser extent say he moves up to fight Mikey Garcia he again is the one chasing the fight.The numbers don't lie reporters at ringside don't pay the $ the fans do tech off the chart,edge of seat not for me.

Fighters natural ability undoubted Top Rank or any promotion are working off the gate,viewing figures.advertising & marketability it is a business first & foremost.We fans may not like it but in ALL pro sports if it makes money it makes sense.

 

Going forward we'll see more excitement out of Rigondeaux. Remember that he had to do what he did to beat Donaire. He was never going to win a slugfest with Donaire, so it's a little unfair to say he isn't exciting. He did what he had to do (what ANYONE had to do) to win, and now it's on to bigger and better things. You're basically asking a guy to either win the fight by making it into a boring chessmatch, or lose the fight by taking it to the bigger, more powerful counterpuncher. It's not a tough choice. And he probably expected Donaire to bring the fight a little harder. If Rigo had gone in hard then he would have got knocked out and be in an even worse situation now.

His problem isn't his style, it's the fact that he doesn't have an ethnic fanbase that will watch him even if he fights like a zombie like Donaire did. How many popular lower-weight fighters aren't Filipino or Mexican? Most likely they'll put him in with a couple guys he can blow through on some undercards of bigger fights. Rigondeaux can be exciting, but there are times when you just have to get the W and live to be exciting another day.

 

We go back to the 20's in USA everyone is trying to make money quick gold prospecting,prohibition,prostitution & gambling.Legal or illegal $ the thing everyone wanted to make & quick.
Jack Dempsey transcended sport kids pretended to be him,men wanted to fight like him,women wanted to be with him.He had travelled a long way from being a guy in his early days disliked for being labelled a draft dodger the most famous sportman of all would suffer similar many years later & be all of the above history does have a way of repeating itself.
The town of Shelby population of 2,000 had done well there was oil discovered in North Montana so there was money & the local mayor, officials & businessmen Eddie Kane manager of Tommy Gibbons wanted to make more.Easy lets build a stadium get Dempsey & stage a world title fight that will have people coming from far & wide he draws,he makes money so will we.Easy money we have no real experience but easy money everyone makes on Dempsey.........

Doc Kearns is contacted a fight in Shelby sure no problem Tommy Gibbons the oppt. set for the 4th July 1923.To get Dempsey you have to pay & pay well.The mayor & Eddie Kane (Gibbons manager) are taken by suprise $310k for Dempsey well Gibbons will fight for free if he has to says Kane he does in the end.
Here is the deal Kearns wants all the money paid before Dempsey sets in the ring he knows there is not even a decent size arena it has to be built.
For the fight to go ahead $100k NOW,$100k in a month & $110k before he steps in the ring widely reported as $300k total the purse was actually set for $310k.

50,000 stadium is built tickets set for $50 ringside watch the money roll in the mayor has hocked everything to make the fight go ahead the first payment fine,struggled with the second & made the four banks of Shelby front the money if the $ not paid the fight is called off no money to be returned.Everyone is getting nervous Kearns contacted maybe the figures can be tweaked a little...no $310k or no fight money ALL in advance rumours spread quickly this fight may not go ahead ticket sales are poor,trains that were to bring fans in cancelled the rail company gets wind the fight may not be made seven times Kearns threatens to call it off.
The people of Shelby are desperate the banks scrape together the balance minus 10k lets hope the gate is as big as we hope it's Dempsey after all there will be a big walk up crowd in the last few days.Kearns a real gent ( THIS IS BUSINESS) allows the 10k balance to be paid after the gate is counted fight on Gibbons who just wants a shot delighted,Dempsey relaxed money secured anyway fight or not he's been paid.

The fight goes ahead 7,702 at the gate pay it is an economical disaster one of the biggest ever 13,000 get let in free the locals can't afford tickets & no one travels in.Four banks go bust the town is on it's knees the mayor,officials & Kane can't believe it.

The fight itself?Almost forgot 15 rounds decision for Dempsey not a great fight like it wasn't a great idea for inexperienced people to dip their business toes in areas they knew nothing about.

Still Gibbons had done well 15 hard rounds with the champ something to tell his grandchildren & take to his grave that he wasn't paid a cent in the end a bone of contention.Well still not eveyone gets in & goes the distance with Dempsey all men would have loved to right?

Shelby never recovers a social & financial disaster.Kearns enquires about the missing $10k it can't be raised.Kearns lets it go 'amatuers we won't be dealing with you again' still the town of Shelby had seen the great fighter Dempsey & a mayor,officials & a manager all out of there depths.......everyone makes money on a name like Dempsey it's easy right?

 

What a story, Making Weight!

 

Hey there. I have a couple of questions. This first one is probably fairly subjective, but I've taken physical measurments of myself: Height: 5ft 11in, Weight(current) 168lbs, Reach: 74.5in Biceps: 12in, Forearm: 10.5in, Wrist:6in Fist 8.5in, Waist: 34in, Chest: 37.5in, Neck: 14.5in, Thigh: 21in, Calf: 15in Ankle: 10in. Stance is Southpaw. About to turn 21. Based on this tale of the tape, do you think I could become a boxer? I know there's more to it then just size, but i'm willing to train myself like a dog, and do whatever it takes. I've been a fan for most of my life, and i want to see if i have potential. I live in Indiana. I know of a couple boxing gyms, but not much else. Any info, and opinions are appreciated.

 

How easy is it to build a limited fighter into a title contender? We see guys like Ronald Hearns, Dimitry Salita, etc. get title shots for reasons not necessarily based on their resume or abilities. Can any half decent athlete be developed this way?