Is turning pro with Sports Network a good or a bad thing for the fighter?

Personally I think Warren does a good job with his guys. All promoters protect fighters the best they can.

 

My £0.02

Good points:

1. Substantial sign on bonus and very good financial career prospects.
2. Guaranteed exposure on UK TV on big cards, promoted very well in the press, on TV, etc.
3. Careful matching up at a nice, steady pace, ensuring that you get a chance to develop steadily into a good fighter, without having to take any big risks to prove yourself before you get there. Well known opponents with credibility brought in from all over the world for you to get better against and build a name on.
4. Access to very good trainers, physios, psychologists, etc. (great support network)
5. If you fall short, you are supported very well to get back in the saddle by very good, patient matchmaking.
6. The referees and judges will always be on your side.
7. As soon as you are deemed to have a chance, you get an automatic shot at the WBO, at home, with a friendly referee and judges to help you succeed.
8. You don't have to worry about making mandatory defences after you win a title, because something always gets sorted out. You don't have to travel much either, to defend your title.
9. You are made into a household name and get the chance to make millions in huge fights, if you're good enough.
10. Generally, you get all the financial backing you need to fight the biggest names around, at home, if you're good enough.
11. You will have a long career.

Bad points:

1. You are overprotected as far as matchmaking is concerned and you get a padded record, whether you want to or not. You are built up at a very conservative rate too.
2. Hard-core fans turn against you pretty early on because you are overprotected and because you get favours from the referees and judges, because you don't have to fight mandatories and because your opponents are always hyped up as world-beaters, even if they're not. Fans will be frustrated by the rate of your career progression too.
3. Plenty of people, fans, opponents, peers, etc. become envious of your financial success and level of exposure and hype, so you become a target for hatred and many people cannot wait for you to fail.
4. You are not taken that seriously by the top fighters who had to fight tooth and nail without any favours for everything they've got.
5. People hate you because they hate Warren.
6. You will not be able to fight in the USA, at least not until later on in your career; most of your fights being in Britain, so you will not have a chance to test yourself against some of the best around until the end.

Overall, signing with Warren is a very good career move, if you're lucky enough to get the chance. The sky's the limit if you're good. If you're not so good, you will make much more money than similar fighters. You will be a target of criticism because of the way they build you up and because of your likely career course, which will be not as impressive as the hype and exposure would warrant. You will also be frustrated by very careful match-making and the minimising of risk. You will be a huge domestic star, but will not have that much credibility abroad, particularly in the USA. In any case, you will be very well looked after and advised.

Unless I was extremely talented, in which case I'd sign with one of the top American promoters: Golden Boy or Arum, I'd sign with Warren, if I was a British fighter starting out in the pro game.

 

SportsNetwork is good for the first 10 15 fights, coz he'll look after you, keep you bisy and get your confidence up, but staying to long with Warren could be a mistake, imo both Calzaghe and Hatton wasted alot of their primes in **** fights.

 

bad move if he wants to operate at world class.

no structure to his progression... bum after bum after bum..

complacency and huge ego develop and then when they do take the step up they get smashed.

Bob Arum brings his fighters on the best... mayweather, cotto, pavlik etc..

 

I think on the whole spending the first 2 of 3 years with SN is a good move, after that, if you've done well, you should look at other options. Hatton stayed on a little too long but had the right general idea.

 

Yap. That's it; I agree. :good

 

Good for a fighters career financially.Dire news for British fight fans!

 

if i were turning pro i would most probaly sign with warren for my first couple of fights. 10 or so, then move on. this is gonna be pretty controversial, but i dont think any fighter should be expected to fight a guyvwith a winning record on there first 10 fights. you have world champions now days that have really bad flaws and its because they are rushed to the top. this has happened with khan who in my opinin should have been locked away on small show undercards and only just going for guys like limmond and earl now.

 

That is insane. You are more likely to have flaws if you fought every kebab shop owner in Bolton. They allow you to make mistakes and get away with it. Then suddenly you fight somebody half decent, not even top level, and you get your ass handed to you.

Khan is a bad example, because he was always getting knocked out. I don't think it would have mattered how he was handled.

But I think being matched hard is a good thing. Alexeev and Gamboa have been matched tough (but not recklessly) and its worked.

Sports Network are not that bad. I did a thread like this ages ago. They make you money, match you well early on, get you exposure, get average fighters unbelievable chances that are likely undeserved but good for British boxing. On the downside, they hold back the better fighters. The problem is they don't matchmake according to the level of prospect, its the same every time.

 

well who the **** are you meant to turn pro with..

Frank Warren has did allot of good for fighters and british boxing.

 

Yep, well it didn't turn out to be a bad thing for the 2 greatest active today in Calzaghe and Hatton, left him or not, they don't regret it do they?

 

Are you stupid, ******ed, deluded, completely ****ing insane or a combination of all the above?

 

Explain, I don't know what is so difficicult to understand. I forgot to add i meant British fighters but we are in the british forum here, I share the same opinion of others in this thread too. Look through my posts and you will see I am not clueless about boxing and have been a fan for 10 years. What a constructive poster.