Who are the Great Fight Promoters?

[Dempsey-Louis]

Can anyone help me add to this list? I am sure there are others; do we consider Steve Wynn a promoter?

• Billy Delaney
• Bill Brady
• Tex Rickard
• "Uncle Mike" Jacobs
• Bob Arum
• Don King

[Archie_Leach]

Can anyone help me add to this list? I am sure there are others; do we consider Steve Wynn a promoter?

• Billy Delaney
• Bill Brady
• Tex Rickard
• "Uncle Mike" Jacobs
• Bob Arum
• Don King

this is technically the list of worst ****houses in boxing...

[Eff Pandas]

do we consider Steve Wynn a promoter?

Did Wynn get listed as a promoter on a card? I remember him being big into boxing in that Holyfield era doe. iirc Holyfield vs Douglas was at a Wynn venue & they really did some pageantry with that show. I wouldn't consider Wynn a promoter even if he did promoter or co-promote a couple cards back in the day & I'd even a harder time considering him a great promoter if he is listed at all.

What are the perimeters we are using to deem someone a great promoter? Or what perimeters are you using?

I remember barely ever knowing who promoted fights back in the day. I mean I knew some cats were with x or some other guy was with y, but largely I didn't care or pay attention so I feel like I can't answer this for the previous eras of boxing.

For this era of boxing I think I'd go with Eddie Hearn & Richard Schaefer (although Richard seems to be struggling since he got back in the game & I'm wondering if he's getting his footing style or if he lost a step or two or lost something during his couple years away. And honestly it seems a bit much to say Eddie & Richard are GREAT promoters when I believe there is so much left untold in their promotional careers & they've not done a lot compared to some other big promoters in comparison. But not unlike with great fighters I think all you can be is the best of your day & I think those two are the best these days so there's that.

[Dempsey-Louis]

Did Wynn get listed as a promoter on a card? I remember him being big into boxing in that Holyfield era doe. iirc Holyfield vs Douglas was at a Wynn venue & they really did some pageantry with that show. I wouldn't consider Wynn a promoter even if he did promoter or co-promote a couple cards back in the day & I'd even a harder time considering him a great promoter if he is listed at all.

What are the perimeters we are using to deem someone a great promoter? Or what perimeters are you using?

I remember barely ever knowing who promoted fights back in the day. I mean I knew some cats were with x or some other guy was with y, but largely I didn't care or pay attention so I feel like I can't answer this for the previous eras of boxing.

For this era of boxing I think I'd go with Eddie Hearn & Richard Schaefer (although Richard seems to be struggling since he got back in the game & I'm wondering if he's getting his footing style or if he lost a step or two or lost something during his couple years away. And honestly it seems a bit much to say Eddie & Richard are GREAT promoters when I believe there is so much left untold in their promotional careers & they've not done a lot compared to some other big promoters in comparison. But not unlike with great fighters I think all you can be is the best of your day & I think those two are the best these days so there's that.

'Great' was probably not the correct word for me to use; I am looking for the 'major' promoters; the movers and shakers who now and in the past made the fight game go (and to reply indirectly to the other post above, yea all real ****houses).

Thank you for Eddie Hearn; he belongs on the the list; although relatively new (and young) he has already put together some important fights.

I am embarrassed to say I have no clue regarding Richard Schaefer - will have to do some browsing on him.

I agree, I don't think the casinos (owners/CEO) should be included as fight promoters but . . .

there seems to be a trend today for networks (e.g. HBO) and major venues (e.g. casinos) to forgo the whole concept of 'a promoter.' What made me ask the question to begin with, was me wondering if the "fight promoter" might not be a dinosaur slowly being replaced by PPV executives working through a marketing department, filled with ad men, accountants, lawyers, and interns doing the job.

Also with today's mass and social media capable of reaching everyone instantaneously I fear the classic fight poster may soon be gone too; if true that will sadden me.

[Dempsey-Louis]

Not that there is much interest but I thought of four more promoters who were at least semi-important to the game:

Dan Duva
Murad Muhammad
Butch Lewis
Chris Dundee

Dundee was trying to use his kid brother's protege Cassius Marcelles Clay Jr. to build an empire with but it didn't really go all that well for him. I suspect the Nation of Islam got in the way.

The brothers were able to get the Liston fight moved to Miami, but I am not even sure if Chris Dundee got to promote the fight.

[Elim Garak]

Can anyone help me add to this list? I am sure there are others; do we consider Steve Wynn a promoter?

• Billy Delaney
• Bill Brady
• Tex Rickard
• "Uncle Mike" Jacobs
• Bob Arum
• Don King

Where do we draw the line of "promoter"

Sky Sports in the Uk, Hbo in the states and even Al Haymon
could all be argued to be promoters/promotions.

[Dempsey-Louis]

Where do we draw the line of "promoter"

Sky Sports in the Uk, Hbo in the states and even Al Haymon
could all be argued to be promoters/promotions.

Yea, as I said in a post above I think the 'individual' promoter may be a thing of the past. At least for the big fights, it now seems to be a corporate endeavor. I don't think we will ever again hear of a "great promoter."

But I was referring to the individual promoters not the corporations.

[Elim Garak]

Yea, as I said in a post above I think the 'individual' promoter may be a thing of the past. At least for the big fights, it now seems to be a corporate endeavor. I don't think we will ever again hear of a "great promoter."

But I was referring to the individual promoters not the corporations.

Okay!!!

[The Old LefHook]

Misnomer. There are no great promoters. There is nothing for them to be great at. All they do is pin up a few flyers.

[Dempsey-Louis]

Misnomer. There are no great promoters. There is nothing for them to be great at. All they do is pin up a few flyers.

They use to provide the 'guarantee' that made fights go - twice Dempsey signed to fight Harry Wills, twice no promoter would offer (or come up with) a guarantee, twice the fight fell apart. If all promoters did was hang up posters, there would have been a Dempsey-Wills fight.

They are as important, and as predatory as a real estate agent.

I regret my use of the word 'great' and wished I had used 'important' instead.

But it has always been the 'guarantee' (whether by an individual in days gone by, or by the corporations today) that made/make the great fights happen.