The Empty Seat Dilemma: Why So Many Top Fighters Can’t Sell Tickets

[tredh]

The economy is ****.

Boxing is **** compared to other sports.

The NFL, NBA, MLB dony have this problem. There is only a handful of guys who are legit superstars.

Its not the economy. Most people don't have to travel to see their favorite sports teams.

If somebody in NY favorite fighter PBF or Manny they have to buy fight tickets, flight tickets, book a hotel room and have spending money. That is a lot to ask of people in a good economy. That is talking about the very 2 best boxers in the game. Now some promoter is gonna stage a fight in Vegas for 2 East Coast based fighters who not even on the P4P list top 10? And people wonder why the place is not filled up. If they can't see why they have a problem not the FANS!!!

[2501]

Well since Im a part of the AA community I'll answer this.

Its true we as a whole...dont.

Why?

Because we come from **** holes and look to the NBA and NFL for escape. Those are the sports African Americans support.

82% of the NBA is black

65% of the NFL is black.

Those are the sports we follow the most. Everybody knows who Chris Johnson is very few know who Chad Dawson is. Its just how it is. Mexicans are more into Soccer, Baseball, boxing, etc.

Problem with that theory is, the NBA and NFL have been around for a long ass time and it wasn't an issue before. Something happened in the late 90's which caused the African American community to lose interest in the sport.

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

Well since Im a part of the AA community I'll answer this.

Its true we as a whole...dont.

Why?

Because we come from **** holes and look to the NBA and NFL for escape. Those are the sports African Americans support.

82% of the NBA is black

65% of the NFL is black.

Those are the sports we follow the most. Everybody knows who Chris Johnson is very few know who Chad Dawson is. Its just how it is. Mexicans are more into Soccer, Baseball, boxing, etc.

Here you go Tredh.

I mean AA's are into NFL, NBA, College Football, College basketball, Track and Field, MLB, Bodybuilding, power lifting, wrestling, boxing is almost dead last.

In Mexican culture its at the top or near the top.

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

Problem with that theory is, the NBA and NFL have been around for a long ass time and it wasn't an issue before. Something happened in the late 90's which caused the African American community to lose interest in the sport.

More so the 90's in general.

His name was Michael Jordan.

[Chuckguy]

Problem is that the promoters arent doing their jobs
both them and the fighters themselves have become greedy even before they have made a name for themselves.
I understand that a fighter is putting his life on the line but he has to understand that its a risk he has to take in order to get to where they all want and that is become a champion who draws a lot of people and make lots of money.

[r ! z]

Hispanics are the demographic which has been most reliable when it comes to attendance. They're also the poorest.

Hispanics are awesome.

[tredh]

Here you go Tredh.

I mean AA's are into NFL, NBA, College Football, College basketball, Track and Field, MLB, Bodybuilding, power lifting, wrestling, boxing is almost dead last.

In Mexican culture its at the top or near the top.

There is some truth that statement but at the sametime black fighters are not marketed to black people anymore. Mike Tyson was in the 90's and he was marketed to specifically to black people by Don King. You can't tell me that black people didn't support Tyson in mass numbers. I feel that is something King could do even more of for PBF because it something PBF has kind of done for himself once he left Arum. If black fighters are not marketed to black people why should black people support them? Why do yall think King keeps telling the media him and PBF speak the same language? He knows how to get PBF where he really wants to go and tap into even more of the black community. No race of people in America spends more money than black people. So why would a promoter not promote his black fighter to black people? King is no saint but if HBO, Showtime and other promoters really tried to stop blackballing King I think we would get some better fights. Who used to put on the most stacked with good to great fight PPV cards? You the right answer is Don King and no promoter has done it better than him since. All promoters rob their fighters not just King so I don't wanna hear that ****.

[boxaholic]

The Problems.

1. The fighters normally fight 2x a year or less. By the time the general public and fans fet to know the boxer he is gone for another 6 months or more.

2. Venues and Location. Normally the venue is out of place. Fighters need to fight in there own backyard more and also in realistic venues. Why book the Mandalay Bay Arena when you know that BHOP vs RJJ isnt going to sell 25% of capacity.

3. African American fighters lately have been the slick boxers not the aggresive type that fans want to see. Don't get me wrong I enjoy watching Floyd, Alexander, Bradley, Pwill, Dawson, and Berto but there styles aren't exactly go for the KO or kill like the types of Pacquiao, Angulo, Arthur Abraham, Froch, or Donaire.

4. More Free TV exposure. Put the fights back on regular basic TV. I know that ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX can afford these fights. Especially when they pay Billions for other TV rights. I believe if you have a good fight card every week with 2 quality fights on free TV the fan base will not only grow but excel. Look at MMA's relationship with HDNET, ****e TV, NBC.

5. Less Belts, Less greedy Promoters, and HBO and Showtime to take a stand.
Im tired of hearing this is a championship fight when there is basically 8 belts in 15 weight divisions means we have 120 Champions. Cmmon Man.

6. Stop overpricing these tickets. Why does some1 have to pay $50 to sit in nosebleed seats for a crap fight. I understand when its a PPV or a big fight the demand goes up for tickets so should the price of the ticket. But don't complain about having a empty arena when you are outpricing your audience. Example: I took my wife and kids to there 1st boxing event Arreola vs Adamek and Angulo vs Julio. 4 tickets in average seats 4 x $75= $300 +20 paking + around $80 for food and drinks. It cost me $400 to go to a good card. I don't believe its realistic to think that the average US family in this economy are willing to pay $400 to a boxing event when they can go to a baseball event for a third of that cost.

[lyonheart]

There are only two superstars in the game right now...... Pacquiao and Mayweather. Cotto two but not so much anymore. Boxings great superstars are now well beyond their years and fighting way past their primes, which isnt entertaining. Its gonna take the public a while to adapt to not having the Roy Jones, Oscar DeLaHoya, Bernard Hopkins, and even Shane Mosley to an extent( even though he is still fighting, hes close to ruining his self by fighting Mora). I think Chad Dawson has all the tools except that personality, being an *******. Apparently being a decent man isnt enough these days. Berto needs to make better fights, and the 140ibs need to fight each other to create some drama.,

[Horus]

Devon Alexander: Draw Averaged 10,000 last fight
Andre Ward: Draw Just got 10,000 averaged

The problem is not African American Fighters..The problem is Promoters running to vegas and Los Angeles instead keeping their fighters home.

Devon Alexander and Andre Ward do local TV news interviews,
They are in the community' they train in the community, they live in the community, they fight in the community. Therefore the community supports them.

Devon Alexander just had the St. Louis rams come watch him play... why?
Andre Ward was all over Oakland newscast before his fight with Green and they came out to support him..


Devon Alexander and Andre Ward are not brawlers or sluggers. They are boxers.

Here is the lesson we need to learn, STAY HOME, and get a local publicist like both Andre and Devon have and work your market.

People Forget when Mayweather fought in michigan

Phillip N'dou
Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Attendance: 9,200

Carlos Hernandez
Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Attendance: 9,600

Carlos Alberto Ramon Rios
Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Attendance: 12,696


This tells me that Michigan Supported Floyd whenever he fought there.
**** dont make me bring up Jermain Taylor and Arkansas.