*Stop Blaming the Fighters* - REALITY CHECK

[Felixion]

Fighters in professional boxing are almost NEVER autonomously operating individuals whose careers are the product of their own desires.

They're hardly better than chattle to their promoters, who will utilize their skills and popularity for every last time that can be squeezed out of them until they're too old or too damaged to continue. (I.E. Lou DiBella and Jermain Taylor).

Boxers are like actors, and while they will walk into the ring, there are 100 people behind the scenes from promotions to agencies to management who are making decisions for them, determining who they will fight, when and for how much.

So whenever you say (blank) is a ***** he should fight (blank)! What a b!tch! ....you should realize that it's not like these guys are just posted up in an office with an open book of whoever they want to fight. decisions are made for them, between their management and the OTHER fighter's management who are trying just as hard to make sure their guy wins.

Get over it. Boxing never HAS, IS NOT, and NEVER WILL BE a bunch of completely fearless guys fighting for pride and honor.

Stop acting disappointed when that doesn't happen.

[Left2theliver]

good point

[El Protagonista]

Good point. While we admire warriors, we forget that if these guys take a risky fight and lose bad, our lives don't change. Their's do.

[Gonzalez_Boxing]

Fighters in professional boxing are almost NEVER autonomously operating individuals whose careers are the product of their own desires.

They're hardly better than chattle to their promoters, who will utilize their skills and popularity for every last time that can be squeezed out of them until they're too old or too damaged to continue. (I.E. Lou DiBella and Jermain Taylor).

Boxers are like actors, and while they will walk into the ring, there are 100 people behind the scenes from promotions to agencies to management who are making decisions for them, determining who they will fight, when and for how much.

So whenever you say (blank) is a ***** he should fight (blank)! What a b!tch! ....you should realize that it's not like these guys are just posted up in an office with an open book of whoever they want to fight. decisions are made for them, between their management and the OTHER fighter's management who are trying just as hard to make sure their guy wins.

Get over it. Boxing never HAS, IS NOT, and NEVER WILL BE a bunch of completely fearless guys fighting for pride and honor.

Stop acting disappointed when that doesn't happen.

I was always under the impression that a fighter has the final say in who he chooses to fight.

[Lorily]

I agree. And isn't it also rare that the fighter is in on the actual negotiations? Seems like it's the promoters and managers that are making most of the diva and sometimes frivilous demands....

[Thread Stealer]

At a certain point, you can only give a fighter so much leeway on the "his management makes the decisions". Yes, they do, but it's not like all of them are completely helpless and have no say in it.

There were rumblings that Bob Arum wasn't too thrilled about the idea of putting Floyd Mayweather in there with Genaro Hernandez so early in Floyd's career. But Floyd insisted on it, he wanted to be the first from the 1996 Olympic class to win a world title, and got the shot.

Ricky Hatton insisted on getting the big fight with Kostya Tszyu and threatened to leave Frank Warren if he didn't get the fights he wanted.

Fighters at a certain level in the sport, with more leverage, I'll give more criticism towards for not fighting certain guys whom the fans want to see. Mayweather and Pacquiao are at the top of the sport, they're the big draws, and can get pretty much any fights they want. Everyone wants to fight them for the big payday and exposure. It's up to their teams to get them the best financial deals, but they're at a point where they don't have to pay any more dues to get to the summit. They're at it.

[Felixion]

True, but I think you're still not taking into account the whole situation.

Mayweather OR Pacquiao for instance are brands. Mayweather being a branded product whose performance is invested upon by Adidas, Golden Boy Promotions, HBO, Mayweather's staff of advisors and partners in Mayweather Promotions. If Mayweather just threw himself at whoever was the best in the world at any given time, the chances of him losing would OBVIOUSLY increase tenfold. His undefeated status, selective fights, and handy management are what KEEP HIM a valuable product. It's not just about boxing at that level. In fact, not even close. It's ALL about $.

Protect the investment. He knows that. They're not concerned with their position in the heap anymore. They're concerned about their HEAP of ****ing cash.

[The Gambler1981]

Kind of but the fighter is still head of the table when it comes to decision making, the team can make all the deals in the world but the fighter has to sign on the dotted line and step in the ring and if the fighter wants to do soemthing different it can be forced if the fighter has the marbles.


Making a fight come off is not that simple though and most people around here really do not think to much of that process.

[ADozenArrows]

Have you not seen Rocky?? Apollo Creed called all the shots!

[The Gambler1981]

Have you not seen Rocky?? Apollo Creed called all the shots!

And Rocky demanded to fight Clubber Lang after Mick said he would never let him fight him~, and then he went to fight Drago in the USSR for no money what managment team would allow that after Drago killed Apollo.