Boxing's promoters form some sort of club, or something
by Scott Christ on Jul 23, 2009 9:12 AM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
Email
Print
Hush-hush word around boxing has been that many of the top promoters in the sport met in New York recently to put together some kind of conglomerate that promises to work in the best interests of the sport, not that anyone is talking much. Robert Morales touched on it in his Insider Notebook for this week, and Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions gave him some quotes:
"It's confidental. Everybody was made to sign a confidentiality agreement, so I can't really go into it."
Well that promises to tell us a lot. Please, continue!
"I can say ... it was very, very positive. It's basically, you know, looking at the state of boxing and wanting to work together with other promoters and making the big fights and the fights that the fans want to see."
While this may sound like some great leap, it really isn't. Ever since Golden Boy and Top Rank ended their cold war to ink Pacquiao-Barrera II in 2007, we've seen a lot of improvement in boxing promotion. But one thing may change:
"If we're going to work with other promoters, there are certain rules that can't be broken and there are certain things that you gotta do right. Pretty much everyone agreed [to] no more slandering or talking bad."
I'd like to know which companies didn't agree to no more slandering. I bet it was Square Ring. (I'm totally joking, nobody take me seriously.)
I'd also like to know if Don King piped in with random, semi-relevant comments while waving flags.
You'll have to forgive me if I don't take this very seriously. I just don't see anything major happening because of this. With this super-secret treehouse club meeting, are we now supposed to expect anything different? What could really change? Promoters work together all the time. The aforementioned Top Rank-Golden Boy feud was the last really major thing that prevented big fights from happening. It's not like Bob Arum is going to break his grudge with Al Haymon over this and sign off on Pavlik-Williams, or I should say I highly doubt that would be the case. These guys are all very rich men, protecting their fighters' best interests when they need to, which in turn protects their own pocket books. Lou DiBella -- this is just an example, not any shot at DiBella in particular -- isn't about to throw Andre Berto into a fight he doesn't think Berto is ready for so that the fans can get their kicks. Boxing's current crop of major promoters have proven time and again that their bottom line is more important to them than the fans. I am not saying that there's not a lot to love in the sport, or that they don't also give us some great fights, but the track records speak for themselves, and that goes for everyone.
So consider me skeptical at the very least. It's about making money over time in most cases, even if that means not making as much as possible in one fight. All it would take is one bruised ego to send this thing crashing down. Still, you have to appreciate the sentiment.
15 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I smell an antitrust lawsuit coming
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Cooperation
It is important for the big players to work closely together to promote the interests of the sport. That’s not against anti-trust law (though how far they can go might be expanded or clarified by American Needle). Boxing’s biggest disadvantage is the fractured nature of its own governance, which is unlike almost any other sport. Even individual sports like golf and tennis are tightly controlled. Note also that those are multinational, particularly tennis, as with boxing.
Imagine how much better things would be with one central authority. Everyone would be better off, except the corrupt, parasitic sanctioning bodies. Fights would be easier to negotiate, media contracts would be easier to work out (leading to more exposure for the sport in general), and each division would be home to one champion. Sponsors would be more interested in the sport, because they could negotiate with one body rather than a bunch of individual actors.
In other words, boxing would be more profitable. The promoters would still make the fights, except it would be less work and more money (over time anyway). The really crazy part is that it could be done. With great difficulty, no doubt. But if the big players came together, the rest would have little choice but to follow.
The absolute biggest problem with ever getting a central governing body for boxing is that the guys at the top level would have to start taking some pretty significant pay cuts. UFC does excellent business, but even their best fighters don’t make top level boxing money. That’s a lot of egos to check.
by Scott Christ on Jul 23, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t see why that has to be the case. UFC is not a good comparison for many reasons, but in particular UFC is just one purveyor of MMA, rather than being the governing body of the entire sport. And they have a different business model than boxing.
The basic economic realities of boxing would not change. The need for central governance is due to the various collective action problems that hold back the sport, e.g., the numerous “champions.”
I suppose the central authority could ban PPV, which would have a negative impact on some promoters and the very top fighters. But they still would make millions for the big fights.
by drivlikejehu on Jul 23, 2009 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not saying a central governing body is a bad idea at all. Although give someone a chance and they’ll probably screw it up.
by Scott Christ on Jul 23, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions
God, who would the possibilities be?
1. Bob Arum, if he stepped down from Top Rank, which is highly unlikely
2. Don King, if everyone lost their fucking minds
3. Richard Schaefer, who might step down from Golden Boy for that kind of deal, and frankly he’s proven to be a great businessman and a hell of a negotiator and peacekeeper in many circumstances
4. Lou Duva isn’t doing a ton these days and has been in boxing since Moses wore short pants
But those are just from “inside boxing.” Chances are it’d have to be someone from “outside” the sport that doesn’t have any political connections within. If John McCain retired from the Senate, he could be a decent candidate, I guess.
by Scott Christ on Jul 23, 2009 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s a tough one. Maybe someone connected to the sport but not quite ‘inside’… casino exec who has made events on that side of things? An HBO or Showtime exec?
Inside the sport, what about one of the more prolific managers? They have to deal with different promotional outfits.
Schaefer would definitely be a solid candidate. Arum might have too many enemies… who is his #2 again? I just saw him mentioned in an article but don’t know anything about him.
by drivlikejehu on Jul 23, 2009 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Ross Greenburg would make sense if he were to quit HBO
Another completely out of the blue candidate would be Joe Mesi, who now has some administrative experience, seems to be well-liked, and doesn’t have ties that are too strong to boxing’s shadiest characters.
And I hear there’s this blogger named Brickhaus who already negotiates for a living would be interested…
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Jim Lampley, John McCain, Bob Costas or Angelo Dundee
for commissioner.
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Jul 25, 2009 12:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think Costas knows enough about boxing or follows it really, but then I could be wrong. I don’t know his watching habits. Also Costas annoys me, but the man has principles and I admire that. I think in theory a guy like him would be good.
by Scott Christ on Jul 25, 2009 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions
I just like him because he's intelligent AS HELL
generally above baseless accusation and controversy and sees the bigger picture. I’m a Bob Costas fan in general and though I don’t know how much he follows boxing either I’d be willing to be he’d take the job as serious as anybody else in the world would.
Gimme 1 round!
by ItBurnzWhenIP on Jul 25, 2009 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions
sounds like the meetings my boxing coaches tell me about where they’re trying to fix amateur boxing….this isn’t a post to start an mma vs boxing post, but i’ll say this….i’ve seen HUGE crowds at all mma amateur events…..and i could go to one in my home state of NC each month, more than once a month often and it JUST got licensed here….if i want to find an amateur boxing card to fight on….i have to travel out of state and they are often months apart, unless i go much further north…..until the somehow bring back boxing events at the local level (pro and amateur) just trying to fix PPV level and big fight business will still supply only a crop of less than stellar contenders…..just my 2 cents.
Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei.
http://theworldsoldestsport.blogspot.com/
by theworldsoldestsport on Jul 23, 2009 10:32 PM EDT reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
