Small hall shows, what do you expect for your money?

My ideal bill would be: The local favourite wins the main event; watch a couple of prospects as support, and a couple of decent battles, even of limited quality as curtain jerkers.

 

I have heard of numerous sources how small hall shows are tough to put together and make a profit from, so people like yourself who put these shows together have my sympathy.

However, people in boxing have to see it from the consumers point of view. You are selling a product after all and the consumer will only buy it if they feel that it is value for money.

Clearly there are massive obstacles in the way of being able to give the fans what they want, as you stated in your post. However, just like politics, is the problem not down to the shortermism of the powers that be in boxing and these people doing the same thing over and over again? This is a problem, not just at the lower end of the sport, but also at the top level. No one in the sport appears to be doing anything different or having a plan that could benefit the sport in the long term.

I don't want to sound like some cheesy, American businessman, but to build (or rather, rebuild) the brand of boxing and to get the public more interested then you have to invest in the sport with money and new ideas. Monetarily speaking, promoters will take a hit in the short term, but over the long haul profits will increase due to a better product putting more bums on seats.

On the lower level, more competitive fights at small hall shows. At the higher level, less significance given to the alphabet organisations belts and a move away from PPV. For these to occur it will need everyone in the boxing business (fighters, trainers, managers, promoters, TV networks, etc) to take huge risks. This could involve an entire generation of fighters earning less money than the previous generation, but it will be best for the sport in the long term due to an increase in fans at the fights and on TV which will eventually lead to the monetary rewards of old.

Obviously, this is far easier said that done due to boxing being fragmented and not having one governing body, but for boxing to thrive like it once did and for its participants, fighters and non fighters, at all levels to earn a decent living, the sport needs a complete overhaul.

Sorry for going slightly off topic and not directly answering your question.

 

What the above poster has said is true.Promoters must invest their time and money and lose in the short term until such time they develope a "local hero" who can draw the fans to the fight.
Too many promoters cheap out and want to cash in immediately and that just isn't going to happen in small hall shows.

 

Would say one or two local 'names' with the rest of the card with fighters who are 'entertaining' - doesn't need to be filled with great prospects but you do need some entertaining fights

 

What you don 't need is half a dozen local fighters padding their records in 4x3s or 6x2s against journeymen with 5% win records and hardly a dozen puncehs thrown.