With careful handling of fighters...any promoter can make a prize fighter thru cherry picking fights..

Like Pacquiao and Cotto for example. I think Arum took a chance with matching up Cotto and Pacquiao both prized fighters of TR. But in the end Pacquiao won the prize fighter medal.

Now Pacquiao is one of the most protected fighter in the sport.

Pacquiao-Clottey= easy fight
Pac-Margarito= hard fight
Pac-Mosley = easy fight
Pac-Marquez3= hard fight
Pac-Bradley? = easy fight

Pac-Mayweather = hard fight (possibly a retirement fight for both guys with Pac probably losing)


What do you guys think?

i think this has been covered quite a few times... and i think every fighter is protected to a certain extent... i mean, you dont picc a fight if your knowingly gonna lose or think you have no chance in winning....

sounds like how GBP has handled Mayweather.

Basically.... i mean, you could say this about anyone really....

You do know mayweather was handled by arum for more than half his career right, up until his last what 5 fights he's been working with gbp... but as far as this goes, I don't think its about protecting anybody. I'm sure most promoters don't give two shits about fighters, but most of these fights happen because in house fights give the promoters all profits rather than split with other promoters. I'm sure when they are done sucking manny and company dry they will do co promotion fights to get all that they can from them.

Its all about low risk, high reward...

i think a fighter should only ever be protected when he's starting up, since theres no real sense in sending him like a lamb to the slaughter, after he's comfortable its time to take the training wheels off

just like GBP and Mayweather.

I think if fighters handled tough opposition early on in their career, boxing wouldn't be what it is today...

in the sense of seeing boxers with very long careers........it's all about the build up. Give a fighter a bunch of scrubs to build his resume and get his name out there. He'll have that one or two fights were he just simply beats his opponent to a bloody pulp. People will see said fight or fights, start to speak about that fighter through word of mouth. Other's will watch his next couple of fights and he'll gain a strong fan base. Throwing a fighter to the wolves early could possibly change their career around. It's been so many times where a fighter fought someone dangerous and they never was the same ever again. It's like they put everything on the line with that one fight and lost.

Some fighters have a resume full of scrubs, and then they start to fight tough opponents when they're old..or their opponent is old. If the fans had the choice to make fights we wouldn't see alot of these fighters still fighting.

Vivian harris was suppose to be the top dude at welterweight awhile back before he got beat by Carlos. Now who would have thought that was going to happen? I'm sure his promoter didn't think that, or his corner, that was a fight that alot of people thought he was going to win but he got knocked out by someone that threw punches from the craziest angles.

I mean...is this a "new" concept to anyone? Of course this is how promoters handle their fighters. Build up the hype with a padded record, inflate their over-matched opponent, then exaggerate the victory. That's how the sport's BEEN for a while now. It's been a long time since we've seen a truly competitive match between two fighters at the top of their careers.

its been this way since...it always has been this way.
john l sullivan's first victory that gave him his rep and allowed him to organize tours across the states, making oodles of money, was beating a washed up, inactive paddy ryan.

you think muhammad ali was in a competitive fight against brian london? how bout against chuck wepner? part of the game...if boxer's had life-or-death matches every showing they would not last long (in the sport and in life)

...since Jesus was a baby!