How much control does a fighter's management/promoter have over who he fights?

[Derranged]

Are most fighters really their own bosses or do most of them have not much of a say or no say at all as to who they fight? I've always been curious about this and I really don't know much about the business/political side of boxing. All this talk of this guy's ducking that guy, etc, is the fighter ducking or is it courtesy of his handlers or both? Does it depend on how big of a name the fighter is?

Keep it civil otherwise I'll put you in one of my ****** short stories.

[boliodogs]

They may not be able to get every fight they want but they can always turn down poor cherry pick type fights such as Garcia fighting washed up Guerrero when they should have turned that fight down.

[Tom Cruise]

I think it depends on the fighter tbh. Sugar Ray Leonards auto biography seems to show him having a pretty decent power over his team in terms of which direction he should take. Other fighters im sure are just happy to sit back and see who their promoter puts infront of them and collect their (most likely smaller) cheque.

[-Kev-]

Depends on the fighters status. Celebrity-like boxers probably have a large percentage pf say in who they fight and when. The lesser known fighters still trying to establish a bigger following have to follow their promoter/manager's advice. Others like Donaire probably pretend like they don't have much say because they enjoy the easy money fights.

[aldo5408]

Depends on the fighters status. Celebrity-like boxers probably have a large percentage pf say in who they fight and when. The lesser known fighters still trying to establish a bigger following have to follow their promoter/manager's advice. Others like Donaire probably pretend like they don't have much say because they enjoy the easy money fights.

you mean bradley

[brettWall]

Depends on the fighters status. Celebrity-like boxers probably have a large percentage pf say in who they fight and when. The lesser known fighters still trying to establish a bigger following have to follow their promoter/manager's advice. Others like Donaire probably pretend like they don't have much say because they enjoy the easy money fights.

Wow. This extremely biased idiot's example is Donaire, when there's lots of examples in the Haymon stable. You gotta be an idiot to take this poster seriously. Can't even believe there are posters like this.

http://www.boxingscene.com/donaire-accepts-quiggs-terms-waiting-contract--95923

[OnePunch]

there are 2 schools of thought on this. You have the "legal" sense, and then you have what actually happens in real life.

Legally probably 99% of fighters who are signed with a manager or promoter have granted one (or both) of them the right to designate their opponents. Which is why I cringe when in interviews I hear them say they want this guy or that guy. Its not up to them. You can probably count on one hand the number of fighters who actually have full control over their opponent selection.

In real life though the promoter doesnt want an unhappy or uncooperative fighter, regardless of what the contract language dictates. So they try to find common ground, where their interests might align. So if the fighter wants a certain fight, and the promoter can make that fight and still come out ok himself, they usually try and get it done.......

[big_james10]

I think it depends on who the fighter is and who the promoter is. I think I read somewhere that Al Haymon has final say (except in Mayweather's case) over all the fights involving one of the fighters signed to him.

I remember Bob Arum saying that he told Floyd Mayweather that he (Arum) had no interest in making a Mayweather/De La Hoya fight because De La Hoya had ditched Arum as his promoter. That tells me that Arum makes the decision on who his fighters fight. I am sure this is the way it is with most fighters signed to promoters or managers, even though the fighter may have some input in who he fights.

[jose.sooto]

Boxing is a business son. Fighter's business is located at the Gym, not the office. I know you guys LOVE to entertain the thought of fighters ducking or calling out but that sht is meaningless and they basically just do it to create news headlines. There is ALWAYS a higher power that does the matchups, the fighters just obey.

[Dean_Razorback]

i think floyd is/was the only one in total control of who he fights/fought