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For years there have been hordes of individuals with only one thing on their minds and that is the complete dismantling and abolishment of boxing. Since before the days when Jack Johnson had to fight many of his bouts in the underground venues in which he plied his trade masterfully, to today where boxing is no longer illegal in the United States, the sport has continued to fend off onslaught after onslaught in succession. But boxing’s biggest enemy these days isn’t the people who want boxing to disappear or the ill informed that push for its removal altogether. It also isn’t any religious faction, political group or conservative organization in existence. No, the true enemy of boxing is the modern day promoter.
Boxers are trained to fight in a ring. These rings can measure anywhere from 16’ x 16’ (if you’re a puncher these tend to make you happy) all the way to 24’ x 24’ (if you prefer not to get hit as much and are more of a tactician and need room to breathe then this is your choice). They work tirelessly day and night perfecting their craft and giving every breath they have and every inch of sinew and drop of sweat to becoming a better fighter. Day after day and week after week they train doggedly until they can train no more and their fight is finally upon them. They pop heavy bags until their shoulders ache and bat speed bags with a steady rhythm. They skip rope like there’s no tomorrow like men possessed. Four, eight, twelve rounds of jump rope, whatever it takes. Roadwork early in the morning before most of us crawl out of bed for our caffeine infusions. Many rounds of sparring to keep the reflexes sharp and the mind that much sharper. Restrictive diets that limit the intake of pretty much everything but the bare essentials, and then even some of those are stripped away. Scores of crunches and abdominal work so that the next man won’t steal their souls with a body shot. Training that is so elite and incomprehensible to the rest of us that many out there just question – why? But they have valid and admirable reasons that those who ask such questions would never understand in a million years. And if you have to ask then stop reading here.
So with such brave men awaking daily to a life of deprival for a moments glory you would think that there would be those out there who would be willing to help and assist these athletes on their quest for victory and eventually Championship status. Right? Wrong answer. The problem with today’s promoter or most promoters anyway is that the human being that matters most in the world is them. Not their charge, the young fighter who gets banged and bruised up when he steps into the ring to fight his heart out and gets a cut after the greedy promoter shaves his generous share off the top, or the ring worn battle tested veteran who still commands a decent crowd and can still warm the seats after all these years. The boxer is usually left out in the cold in regards to money and proper promotion. This isn’t to say that all promoters are scum and that all promoters are greedy. They’re not. You know who you are and so do the fighters out there. And if they don’t they should.
Some of these promoters have ruined the art of boxing on principle alone and sadly it’s been their principles only. Good fights generate good money which in turn generates wider fan bases and larger audiences. In the advent of Pound of Flesh Per View, if there is a good fight to be seen the fans who care most usually can’t afford to see it. Even worse is when the fight may not be that good yet it is still shown on Sleaze Per View. Granted there have been many historic and memorable fights on PPV, and I have gotten to see many of them (usually the week after when they’re re-aired for the rest of us). The reason the promoters must be held responsible because they play such an integral part in the negotiation process of big name and big money fights (and even the smaller ones). And technically if their interests aren’t met, or their cut isn’t large enough (forget about their fighters piece), then the fight is off. How many times have you looked forward to a really good match up only to be let down again because it was called off for this reason or that one? Boxing is a business people and don’t think that I have forgotten this in any way. But its stock is plummeting and you can thank the hapless promoters who couldn’t give a damn either way. If you’re looking for the thorn in our side I think we’ve found it.
Take the Taylor vs. Wright bout that was proposed for this year. Good fight on paper right? You have the WBC/WBA/WBO Middleweight Champ Jermain Taylor who has become a media sensation and is the perfect poster child for the marketing geniuses pulling the strings behind the scenes against the slick boxing Winky Wright. Can’t go wrong you say? Sounds like one hell of a bout you say? Not going to happen I say. Why you ask? Because reportedly Taylor’s camp wanted more than the 50/50 split that Winky’s camp was holding out for and was initially cool with. And then to make matters worse Lou DiBella fires the final shot to end the deal by saying, “No disrespect to Winky Wright or Gary Shaw (his promoter) or anyone, but this fight is now dead.” Not really the kind of thing a fight fan wants to hear about a projected fight that they were hoping to see come to light. But then again this has become a trend in boxing where the big fights seldom happen, the little fights get all the press, the big names fight no one, and the small names do all the fighting. Boxing’s in a world of hurt and it’s going to take more than a few paper Champions and blown up yes men to dig it out.
In the end what we are left with is what I lovingly refer to as the “Sink or Swim Factor”. Basically this means that boxing has been left off shore so to speak and can either sink or swim. We can do all the paddling we want for the sport, but as long as these money men and sharks have their way with the fighters and the big promotions, the sport will continue to submerge into the icy depths of greed and obscurity. For every great fighter and loyal fan that connects in the sport, there are just as many leeches lurking in the shadows waiting for their next meal ticket or boxer to bust out. Circling their prey smelling blood these people only care about what is most important to them and that is how many fights their guy has in him, and not the physical or mental condition of their boxer, and how much revenue can be generated at the fighters expense. They deserve a percentage of course. Yet how much is fair and who really benefits in the end? Don’t believe me? Do a little experiment to prove me wrong. Pick one boxer and one promoter that you know of by name. It can be a random selection and they don’t have to be immediately linked professionally (although if they are, your experiment will prove to be that much more interesting in the end). Do extensive research and find out the yearly income of both the fighter and the promoter. Then take an inventory of both men’s assets in total. Compare their living arrangements and quality of life. Wait 20 years and then reassess both men using the supplied criteria I listed above. Get back to me with your results. I’m sure what you’ll find won’t surprise you and if it does then you missed the bus.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2006
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By Jason Petock (January 12, 2006)
