I can understand the up and coming guys needing help from promoters to arrange fights, front them money, get title shots and eliminators, arrange undercards and the like. But what do the elite get out of it ? Surely they can look at how easy it is for guys like DLH, RJJ, Hatton, Calzaghe to arrange their own fights, and then keep more of the money for themselves. What does a promoter offer the elite guys in the sport that an experienced sports businessman wouldnt do for a whole lot less money ?
If it was just about negociating fights, that's one thing, but there are all the things surrounding fights that demand considerable time and effort + getting promotional-advertisement deals and various business offers or ventures does demand a good team on hand...
This is something I bring up with friends alot. It's the same question as, Why do professional athletes have agents? Promoters and sports agents are the biggest hustlers around. It's like dam, these world class athletes can't make deals themselves? The main thing I bring up is that a fighter would have to explain his own decisions and couldn't duck anyone who the fans felt he should fight.
Pro Athletes have agents because those agents really, really do handle the business side of things and THAT by itself is a more than a full-time job. It would obviously eat into training time, family time, distractions would have to personally be dealt with, and then there's the issue with taxes and tons more.
