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

Thanks a lot for your responses, really interesting!

A partner and I are currently looking at different talents. We are in Germany and through a friend have contact to a promoter with a tv deal. The plan is to sign a prelimary agreement with 1 or 2 boxers and in case the promoter is interested in putting them on his shows, we plan to sign a full management agreement with them.

The market in Germany is wide open since Universum collapsed and with Abraham and Sturm nearing the end of their careers. Boxing always does good ratings on TV and fills arenas but at the moment the is a lack of supply regarding marketable and competitive young boxers caused by an in my opinion outdated business model used by promoters.

In case you are interested and find the time, I can send you links to 2 of the boxers we are looking at fight records and videos via email, you are more than welcome to give a quick assesment, just drop me your email address via PM (it doesn't show for me on the forum in your earlier post).

 

So if I was a boxer what/who do I need and what should I expect to pay?

A Gym a place to train and spar?

A trainer to teach and prepare me?

A cut man to mend me mid fight?

A promoter to get me fights?

A manager to find a promoter?

A lawyer to make sure all the above are being honest with me?

Am I missing anything?

 

I'm a little less than half way through this thread. Dempsy1234 thank you for this insight to the busness side of the sport.

 

Do you know anything about boxing in north England?

 

Rematches are often clouded In controversy but you can't beat Dempsey v Tunney 2.Great fight over 100,000 in attendance it is believed to be the first big fight where on a knockdown you had to go to a neutral corner.It cost Dempsey the fight the ref was slow to send Dempsey to a neutral & the count also.

Anyone out there that has never watched it worth a view they called the fight 'the long count'.Fantastic fight well worth a view for those that have not seen it.

 

Haha thank you

 

Micky Duff has been mentioned in this thread a few times the big fights in the uk were made almost exclusively by him up until around the early 90's when the new breed of boxing promoters/mangers came on the uk scene.He dealt with all the top US promoters & can even claim to have got the better of Don King on a few deals a tough negotiator.

FW,Frank Maloney,Barry Hearn (Eddies dad),Mick Hennesey came on the scene but Duff had a stranglehold on the uk boxing business for a long time he had a contract with the BBC & those of us of a certain age will remember only too well live boxing was rarely shown & tv coverage was limited to sportsnight with the odd live bout he really had a monopoly.Most fights on tape delay until ITV started to show boxing on midweek sport special we were certainly not spoiled for boxing back in those days!

There was actually a man more powerful than Duff in the uk scene at the time his business partner but imo more like his boss the money man behind him Jarvis Astaire.A real quiet man behind the scene he managed boxers himself for a while & a very,very smart investor a investment banker that made millions.He was on the board of Wembley stadium remember how Bruno v Witherspoon was at Wembley easy to do a deal at a decent rate below market value for stadium hire (again my opinion :hey) when you are the person that can sign it off he made a massive profit on that show! Those that are of a certain vintage remember closed circuit boxing coverage in cinemas in the uk showing the big USA fights who owned the rights of Viewsport ltd....Jarvis Astaire.He was the man that got Ali over to the uk in 1966 to fight Henry Cooper & again made a massive profit on the show.

There was talk that uk boxing had a cartel at the time Harry Levene,Micky Duff,Mike Barrett & Terry Lawless there was only one man at the top of that tree Mr.Astaire rarely listed on promotional bills 'rivals' which at the time there were no one comparable nicknamed him Mr.X! Astaire is actually in the boxing HOF a real living case of a man that actions speak louder than words.

When people ask about uk boxing post WW2 up until the early 90's look no further than this man.Hope that helps those interested.

 

I had a conversation today regarding two Olympian UK gold medallists 2008 Degale,2012 Luke Campbell & particularly how far Campbell can go regarding ability & marketability.One get's it one has let the horse bolt so to speak.

To me Degale has made steady progress as a pro you are all probably aware of his rivalry with Groves stemming back to their days at Dale youth club.He is a guy that divides opinion but has a big problem he is not a big ticket seller where his rival Groves does decent numbers why you may ask esp as Degale was a gold medalist?Degale from Harlesden,Groves hammersmith if you know London pretty close to each other both had the same crowd following them in the am's.One is far more in touch with the business side of the game building a fanbase & still visit's his old gym now & again a case of not forgetting the people that helped develop you.To any young fighter out there do not underestimate this side of the game if you can keep your feet on the ground & be fan accessible it helps open more doors.TV pays the money but any TV company in the world wants to see arenas with people on seats rather than rows of empty seats think how the sponsors,advertisers view it.

What I still admire about boxing compared to most other pro sports is that here in the uk most fighters are approachable if you train at any gym regularly there is a mix of people training to get fit,ams & pro's.Struggling to think of any other sport here where you can train amongst pro's so easily.

Luke Campbell I think will go all the way & win a world title exciting fighter with a style that will flourish in the pro's the part of UK he is from Hull he has a massive catchment area sells massive amounts of tickets but will only sell more.For that part of the UK a real untapped market.Very marketable down to earth & the one thing you know about the Northern fight fans they get behind their fighters & see through any BS.

You need to strike while the iron is hot Degale's last fight was in a 1,000 seat arena not even sure if it sold out.
Campbell's pro debut at a rugby ground there was aprox 8,000 there a decent card helped but don't doubt a lot more than 1,000 bought tickets just to see Campbell.

 

Good read lads keep it up.

 

Yes great thread! Any tips on how to get started in pro boxing? How do I go about finding the best local promoter?

 

A year on from a very good Olympics for the UK which will no doubt yield a group of fighters that will have good competitive pro careers lets look back at our cousins from the USA.

To me they have produced three great Olympic boxing teams that often get's forgotten the 1996 vintage had of course Mayweather,Tarver,Vargas David Reid & David Diaz fair to say some achieved a fair bit more than other's!Winning a gold medal for the star spangled banner didn't always guarantee a bright future in the pro game but it certainly got you a lucrative signing on fee with a manager tv exposure & a feel good factor that would at least bulge your bank balance as long as you knew how to strike while the iron was hot.

1984 was the year USA boxing struck a serious amount of gold 9 in fact should of been 10 but Evander Holyfield had to suffer one of the worst decisions in Olympic history with his disqualification in the semi-finals.It was made easier by the Soviet Union & Cuba boycotting the games but that USA team had some serious talent.Taylor,Whitaker,Breland,Tate,Hill & the unlucky Holyfield all went on to win world titles as pro's.

The team to be feared for me the 1976 Olympic team take the case of Howard Davis jr his toughest fight was just getting there national championship beats a guy you may of heard of....Thomas Hearns then as a reward gets to face Aaron Pryor in the Olympic trials wins a tight decision a call that lit the fire under Pryor's pro career but that can be a story for later!Davis jr struck gold in '76 & was awarded fighter of the tournament a fact forgotten his career in the pro ranks didn't quite take off.He actually won his gold medal a week after his mother passed away some achievement in itself.

Four other gold medals were won by that team Randolph (112lbs).Leon & Michael Spinks struck gold Leon famously went on to take Ali's title in only his eighth pro fight.Michael went on to win light heavy & HW world titles fair to say they cashed in at the time.

Last but not least 1976 produced SRL Davis jr may have won the boxer of the tournament award but seasoned watchers were left in doubt who the future star would be.You all know what a career he went on to have cashed in on his abilty & marketability.It was the days when you really struck $ bringing home the gold SRL became the face of that Olympic team & had the team behind him that knew they had something special not just a golden ticket.

Spare a thought for the man who just missed out Aaron Pryor fair to say he was heartbroken that Davis jr beat him in the trials at 132lbs the inside track being Pryor actually wanted to fight at 139lbs SRL or not!

Pryor carried that with him all through his pro career angry & bitter he followed SRL around calling him out word being SRL didn't want the fight.It get's forgotten the fight was actually going to happen to this observer one of the real great fight's that sadly never came about.Pryor signed in the autumn of 1982 $750k a massive amount of money for a avoided fighter what happened?

SRL before had to fight Roger Stafford while driving down in his car to publicise the fight he heard on the radio his mega fight with SRL was off he had detached a retina in his eye fight off SRL retired six months later for a while.

Years later 'The Hawk' was asked what did you do on hearing that the fight was off?
'Man I pulled over in my car.....and cried my eyes out!'
To the young fighters out there take your opportunities when they come embrace them but sometimes just sometimes hope that lady luck shines on you.....